I live in the DC area. Does it make a difference which plane you get if you want to stay at home as much as possible on reserve. First I should ask is it possible to sit at home on reserve from DC? How much time do they give you once they convert you to short call? Can you give me any other tips for sitting reserve that will allow me to avoid crashpads.

 

I need to correct this. The bid had almost fifty people bid the 76T and only two or three bid the 737. You will end up with more new hires behind you in the 737. Also if you start in the 737 you can jump to anything other than the A320 as soon as you want. You have two year lock if you bid the 76T before you can bid anything but the 756 and 777.

 

It was a question of geography.

The 737 in EWR has some great flying. I was bidding 55-60% and was getting some nice schedules to some fun places. I was able to drive to work...but it was 210 miles door to door. 15 days off was easy to count on and there were some months I could see 18 days off. Pay credit varied from 70 hours up to high 80s.

But it you happen to notice what is 210 miles south of exit 13A...you can see why I was tempted to bid to the 76T in DCA. I will no doubt be on reserve and getting my 73 hours of credit. I certainly will make less money on the 76T...but I've eliminated a commute which was getting dangerous for me. I didn't like the late night drive home. Between the drunks and the deer, driving while I was tired was not a good combination.

Reserve is sometimes a choice that backfires. If it sucks, I will bid back to 737 when they open the DC base in the fall. I will not be seat locked because DC will be new base, new equipment. So that is my backup plan. Ask me in 6 months if it was a good or bad move.

 

That small difference is pay is going to mean nothing compared to seniority. Bid whatever will get you seniority and better lines faster.

The $4 or $5 per hour isn't going to mean anything when you are getting inefficient trips because you are junior or the types of trips are not worth flying.

A Captain making $200 per hour on a narrowbody gets a 1 day trip for 5 hours. He makes $1,000.

An FO making $140 per hour on a narrowbody gets a 1 day trip for 7.14 hours. He makes $1,000.

So many people get wrapped up about hourly rate, but the junior people in seat usually get the worst trips, and the senior ones get the highest time ones.

Also, if you are really senior, you have better shot at premium flying at 200%.

So don't just look at hourly rate because everyone on here will tell you there is more to it than that.

 

Several new FOs in my EWR crashpad live in DC. They sit long call from home. Only came up if assigned Shortcall. Several have bid up to 76T in DC. If you want time at home and good trips/seniority/QOL, I say 73. Once DC vacancies open up, you can bid up to 76T or when the 737 DC base opens, rumored this Fall, you could possibly move down there. Also, as the walls come down on the shrinking 76T fleet, seniority will go backwards, buddy in my pad who is EWR 75/76 lost quite a bit of seniority in last 6 months.

From what I can tell, 76T trips are usually commutable, but you will fly a ton. 73 reserve will afford you more time at home sitting LC.

 

If you're taller than about 5'8"...hell, 5'5" by all means bid the 67.

(I'd take a $5000/yr pay cut to avoid the Crap7. When the 57 / 67 is the other choice it would be a no brainer)

When in doubt, bid the bigger Boeing.

 

So they put out a bid for 100 more 737 FO's to EWR? Face palm

 

If you like TETRIS, then bid the 737.



This is how you put your stuff in.

 

"...So they put out a bid for 100 more 737 FO's to EWR? Face palm..."

 

I am going to be double leg commuter (I know bad deal, no choice) to EWR hoping to get to IAH as soon as I can to be a 1 leg commuter.

How would I go wrong going to 76T where I would fly instead of sitting in a crashpad v. 73 where it seems no one is flying and I would pay to sit in a crashpad.

I think I am still missing something....seems folks still say go 73???