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Quote:

Originally Posted by Vernon Demerest (Post 3301404)

You will be able to travel space available (free in economy and with a small fee in the Polaris cabin) as well as in the jumpseat (if the flight is full). We also have a discount for purchased tickets as well.
As for the scheduling question, the best you will be able to do with the preferential bidding system we use is two big work blocks requiring two commutes (only 1 in a vacation month) a month. You can waive certain restrictions as a lineholder and compress your trips into two workable blocks of flying. It was stated earlier that the Guam base has the ability to compress even more than the lower 48 domiciles which is true. Guam based pilots can work a single work block a month with several weeks off in between. Might be worth considering. EWR 737 FO on reserve to start will be tough but doable with two work blocks of reserve days. Best of luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by worstpilotever (Post 3301406)

Possible but will severely impact your QOL. Initially you will be on reserve, which means 18 days a month. The most days off you will get in one chunk will be 4, unless you go to the 757, then you get a block of 6 days off. Once you have a line you will probably have a schedule of 4 on 3 off, with the trip either starting early or ending late. You can trade things around and try to get larger blocks of days off, but as with everything else, seniority helps this a lot. I commuted from Europe for awhile but was mid level seniority on a global fleet so was able to bunch all my flying together.

good luck

Thanks to you both for the useful information! I still have a few years of college until I apply, but it's always a good idea to know what my options are, and your responses helped me paint a picture. GUM definitely sounds like an intriguing option :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by N523UA (Post 3301358)

First post from a future UA pilot (hopefully)....Is it possible for a junior FO to have a schedule where I'd only fly for a chunk of one or two weeks at a time and then have one or two weeks off?...

Not going to sugar coat... NO, it is not possible. While on reserve you can move days around and have longer blocks of time off. But as jr line holder no. The bidding system will not be able to build you 2 works blocks. Why, because the trips that allow for commuting and min rest are gone. You can’t do 2x4 days (4 days, all that’s left), unless 30 hrs off somewhere. 30 hr layovers go senior. How do I know, because I have tried for only 2 work blocks, on NB fleet, as recent as last Apr. Nope, and I’ve been here 7 yrs. Granted it was a senior base. Sorry to drown the enthusiasm. Good luck!

Can anyone share with me what the Guam base rosters are like? I'm an American working in Asia, but thinking of changing employers. Wondering if it may be possible to commute to a place like Hong Kong or Singapore from Guam. Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by N523UA (Post 3301358)

I currently reside in Austria, with VIE being my home airport.
Is it possible for a junior FO to have a schedule where I'd only fly for a chunk of one or two weeks at a time and then have one or two weeks off?

I have a friend that commutes from Germany to Northern California. I think he's crazy.
Leave of absences for a week or more are usually available, and I've done them. If you're willing to take the pay cut, you can build a pretty light schedule.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoopax (Post 3323826)

Right now, that commute would be difficult. Not much in the way of international service to Guam. Maybe when international travel resumes more. UAL does have flights from NRT to Guam. I believe Korean, and JAL, but I don't know through where. If you can get to HNL, we always have flt 201, and 200 to Guam.

The mention of Hawaii always cracks me up with the based in Guam discussion. It would literally be easier and faster to commute to lax, sfo, den and almost ord and iah from Honolulu.

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Originally Posted by Tini (Post 3325428)

The mention of Hawaii always cracks me up with the based in Guam discussion. It would literally be easier and faster to commute to lax, sfo, den and almost ord and iah from Honolulu.

This. HNL-GUM is always packed with PS riders along with SA and jumpseaters.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tini (Post 3325428)

The mention of Hawaii always cracks me up with the based in Guam discussion. It would literally be easier and faster to commute to lax, sfo, den and almost ord and iah from Honolulu.

Yeah, but you don't get it. You need to follow the ~~science~~ ... I mean "the geography".
I mean... there's a lot of water around both islands.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tini (Post 3325428)

The mention of Hawaii always cracks me up with the based in Guam discussion. It would literally be easier and faster to commute to lax, sfo, den and almost ord and iah from Honolulu.

We have a handful of guys that commute GUM/HNL. It’s more about the scheduling flexibility than the proximity. HNL/LAX is closer, but you’ll probably have to do it 2-4x/month, whereas in GUM you can pretty easily schedule yourself to be doing it once. A longer commute per each embarkation, but much less time spent commuting in the long term.

Apologies if this has been asked before, but if your choice was between a two leg commute to a line at a junior base or a one leg commute to reserve, what would you choose (for the 737)?

Edit to add: commute would be Express/mainline for the two-legger and express for the single leg.