NB Capt reserve...how bad is it?
 

I’ve heard that reserve is bad here but it’s been over 10 years since I’ve been on it. Looking to make some more $$ here but not wanting to make myself and family miserable in the process.
I commute from the Midwest and am a fairly senior 737 FO with short 1 leg commute. I can hold DEN or ORD but would be on reserve as a Capt. I’d be around 75% on the west coast but not doing a 2 leg commute for NB Capt line. Being a commuter and snagging any PP trips is nearly impossible unless all the stars align. So again it comes down to money vs quality of life and yes that’s a personal decision we all have to make. So I’m just trying to get some input on DEN and ORD 737 reserve life. Are you able to aggressive pick up many trips? Are you sitting around much or flying? I haven’t flown with any reserve captains in a long time.
The other option is bottom of the barrel sparky ORD.
Thanks

You do know that we just secured 24 additional gates for DEN right? When those gates are in service DEN will no longer be the senior base. DEN and IAD are the only hubs we have that can readily grow the next few years. I can't compare reserve life for you at either location, but if you bid DEN I think your time on reserve would be surprisingly short.

If you can hold a line anywhere else, do it. Reserve is awful as a commuter. In base ,it sucks but is bearable. You will either be flying, on short call or sitting field standby. Every day will be used for something. It’s pretty rare to be on long call. They will always have something for you.

Sure, you can aggressively pick up, but there has to be something for you to pick up. Summer and holidays work, but the off months you’re getting the field standby built at 2000 or later. I would recommend the double commute to a line before commuting to reserve.

Agree. Just finished 2.5 years NB CA reserve and could have never done it if I didn’t live in base.

No way would I do a two leg commute either. Imagine that commute going home after a four day, and not making the second flight. Not even close to worth the money.

Well, take commuting to narrowbody RSV off the table then.

Can you not hold a line on EWR 777fo? I would think that would be the easiest way to increase your pay, minimize commute pain, back to back trips, and still preserve tons of days off. If you’ve ever wondered why some guys sit in the right seat of a WB passing up NB Capt bids for decades, go try it...then you’ll understand!

OR, the amount of seniority/juniority just increases on a per-capatia amount.

Still a lot of people that want move to DEN and just haven't pulled the trigger yet, based on BES/relative seniority, what have you.

4 airlines now, just growing a base does not a junior (less senior) base make.

What makes you think that DEN will be doing all that flying? Just because a flight goes in and out of DEN doesn’t mean all the flights from those 24 gates will be flown by DEN pilots. You’d be shocked how many pilots flying trips that have west coast to Hawaii are EWR based. DEN will grow some, but not all of it, for sure.

^^^^^^This too.

Also happend at airline 1, 2, and 3.