I'm a TPA - EWR commuter , and yeah it's rough . I've been doing it for a year .

Lots lots lots of senior guys and not enough Jumpseat's .


And very unpredictable , 70 open seats the night prior . Next morning show up and it's oversold by 10 .

 

How long is the EDCT today?

 

Yes, I know who you mean LOL....don’t think the commute was a factor.

 

if you get hired by SWA make the decision then... until that occurs no reason to bust your brain thinking of "what ifs". I've never commuted... but have heard how painful it is to be a commuter out of FL.

 

Just my opinion:

Commuting to be a senior lineholder: tolerable.

Living in-base: obviously preferable from the standpoint of getting to and from work. But it might NOT be as preferable from a cost of living viewpoint, uprooting from current home, distance from family and friends, aircraft/routes/seats and seniority aspect, or maybe...just not a place you want to live.

Communting to reserve: miserable; tolerable only if you are certain it is short duration and will lead to being a lineholder.

Living in-base: the history of the industry is rife with stories of bases that closed. In my time at United, we lost HNL, ANC, SEA, and MIA...all desirable for many pilots. On the maintenance side, we lost OAK, they talked of closing SFO mx, and a brand new facility at Indianapolis. Then, there is always the spectre of economic downturns, displacements, and being forced into commuting....because it’s either that, or leave.

As a newbie, I always thought I would end up living in-base. Instead, 9-11 meant “batten down the hatches.” As I approach the last chapters of my career, with the perspective of two decades of hindsight, I realize the wisdom of a Captain when I was a new-hire. In essence, his advice was “nothing lasts forever.” In other words, stability is always in question.

And that’s why I live where the wife wants, and I commute to what I can tolerate.

 

Can’t fly that leg without a guy in the jump. Down here in SoFlo is easier

 

Just know moving to base won’t automatically solve the problem either. I spent years commuting and finally convinced the wife to move to base (EWR). After 3 years we’re moving back. I’ve had about an hour drive to work and that’s been nice, but my family has been miserable. We aren’t living around any family/friends, schools aren’t great, everything is twice as expensive, and we haven’t really appreciated the Northeast culture.

So now as a UAL guy, I’ll be commuting from ATL. Some might say it would make sense to try to go to DAL, but I have no intention of giving up 5 years seniority to maybe retire #5000 there, just so I can drive to work. It is what it is. I would much rather deal with commuting than deal with my wife complaining everytime I leave and she has no support system. You gotta do what you gotta do. Best of luck on the decision.

 

Great post this ^^ plus^^ I’m not going to move from family, friends, jerk my kids out of school, move across the country just to get a couple more nights at home?? Seriously I leave a few times at 5/6 pm the night before to commute in, not that big a deal. The guys I see freaking out about commuting have never really done it. That said, it depends on the specific commute, I go out of a larger city to EWR, 8/10 flights a day on two airlines it’s a no brainer, much harder out of a small city.

 

I understand, 3 years at Ual and have been lax based for 2 1/2. We moved out bought a house (91 miles) from lax and now we are considering moving back to the southeast! My drive is horrible given certain times of the day no traffic it’s 1:30 and my record is 3:46 I would rather fight for a Jumpseat then drive it home after a 12 hr day. I have commuted for nearly a decade before so I know what it in tails! Do whatever makes you happy.

 

I say go for it. Newhires are getting MCO lately.