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Old 06-30-2016 | 01:08 PM
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Default Commuting to MDW

Hey Everyone-

I start class July 6th and I'd like to try and get MDW as a base. I live in the Minneapolis area and I was curious if anyone else lives in that area and commutes to MDW? How difficult of a commute is it? I know there are quite a few flights to Chicago between SWA and other airlines. Just looking for some info as I've been out of the commuting game for awhile. Thanks in advance and I'm really looking forward to getting started!
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Old 06-30-2016 | 07:58 PM
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Welcome aboard.

The MSP-MDW commute is a busy one. The last number I remember seeing was somewhere around 130-160 MSP commuters. Most of us commute to MDW and a few commute out west due to better seniority and a little less competition for the jumpseat. We have 8 flights a day and Delta Connection has around 8. I think we go down to 6 flights a day in the winter. The flight I commuted down on this past week had seven of us on it. It's not always like that but there are usually always two or three of us. The union put something out a few months back and MSP took 4th place for most commuters behind only ATL, SAT and BNA.

Bottom line is there are a bunch of us doing that commute. It is doable though. Hope this helps.
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Old 07-01-2016 | 04:40 AM
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Move to base. Your life and your families lives will be exponentially better than it were if you commute.
I know it's a tough pill to swallow, but it needs to be done. The sooner, the better.
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Old 07-01-2016 | 05:17 AM
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Hey thanks guys. Yeah just wanted to make sure it was at least doable. I grew up near MDW so I at least have some family to crash with.

Yeah I've heard that a lot to move to base for a better life. Not in the cards at the moment but maybe in a few years.

Thanks for the info
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Old 07-01-2016 | 07:44 AM
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Originally Posted by Loon
Move to base. Your life and your families lives will be exponentially better than it were if you commute.
I know it's a tough pill to swallow, but it needs to be done. The sooner, the better.

Truer words were never spoken...... Driving to work makes this more like a part time job compared with commuting.
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Old 07-02-2016 | 02:28 AM
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Originally Posted by Loon
Move to base. Your life and your families lives will be exponentially better than it were if you commute.
I know it's a tough pill to swallow, but it needs to be done. The sooner, the better.
Sorry, brother, but I can't agree with this cliche piece of advice.

While this may be true for you, it's not true for everyone. SWA has a high commuter rate. There's approx 4000 reasons why commuters commute. Every one of us who chooses to has on multiple occasions spent nights in a crash pad or sat waiting as #3 or more for the jumpseat during a wx or mx delay and evaluated whether or not it's worth it.
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Old 07-02-2016 | 02:47 AM
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Almost half the pilot group commutes... and yet there are virtually zero commutable lines. How that slipped through the cracks for this long without the commuters picking up pitchforks and torches and storming the castle is a friggan mystery.

I moved into base but not because I wanted to, but because without commutable trips I was unwilling to give up one day off each week to commute and pay for a hotel or crashpad one night a week for the next 25 years.
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