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-   -   Commuting for life (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/united/95024-commuting-life.html)

Scott Stoops 05-12-2016 02:41 PM


Originally Posted by McNugent (Post 2127949)
Welcome to United! Denver actually wouldn't be too long to hold as a base. It's come down quite a bit in the last couple years. If you could hold out and bid it on the 737 at your first shot, it shouldn't take too long. Also the guppy flies a lot of Hawaii out of LAx and SFO. As your seniority allows it, you could bid Hawaii overnights.

That being said, I made the move to my domicile and haven't looked back. Living in base is a dream, especially above the g line. West coast is going pretty junior, but I get the tax issue. How much is your time at home worth to you?

What makes you think Denver has come down quite a bit? Are you familiar with why? There is exactly one reason Denver had f/o bids for a very short period. Cap equalization bids based on not bumping additional cap slots that occurred as a result of 757 base closure and total base reduction. There hasn't been a Cap bid since 2012 in den. When that happens again, maybe consider den to be a base with opportunity. The base has literally shrunk by half since 2010. It could change, but thus far no indication that it will. Fwiw.

Agree. Welcome to United!

Soccerman 05-12-2016 02:41 PM

Don't count on Guam. It's super senior now in both seats. Last two f/o's that bid in were North of 8,000 on the seniority list and could hold captain throughout the system.

McNugent 05-12-2016 03:26 PM


Originally Posted by Scott Stoops (Post 2127980)
What makes you think Denver has come down quite a bit? Are you familiar with why? There is exactly one reason Denver had f/o bids for a very short period. Cap equalization bids based on not bumping additional cap slots that occurred as a result of 757 base closure and total base reduction. There hasn't been a Cap bid since 2012 in den. When that happens again, maybe consider den to be a base with opportunity. The base has literally shrunk by half since 2010. It could change, but thus far no indication that it will. Fwiw.

Agree. Welcome to United!

Going off the vacancy awards. Just saying the amount of time to hold FO there has dropped significantly. Junior guy is 11,600(ish) on the 737. Even more junior on the bus.

rp2pilot 05-12-2016 03:27 PM


Originally Posted by pjjhawaii (Post 2127841)
Aloha,
I am retiring from the Navy and start INDOC in a couple weeks at UAL. Hawaii is home however I have contemplated living on the mainland for at least a few years. Because I anticipate being a commuter for the long haul I have been looking at living in Denver where I at least have some family in the area and it is a large UAL base. I am guessing this will help with the commuting as I would commute from one UAL domicile to another. I have read all the gouge on how life is so much better when you live in domicile and especially while below the G line, however I cannot bring myself to pay 13% state tax to CA and my wife would never be happy on the East coast. That being said, I am hoping to get LAX or SFO based and commute from LIH and/or HNL. I know my 4 day trips will turn into 5-6 day trips and I know that life will not be as good as it could be if I live in the mainland. What I am hoping to hear in this thread is any real experience with guys that have commuted to CA from HI or can put me in touch with someone that has. I am on the fence on where I should set up shop for at least the year of probation. Thanks for any info anyone cares to share.

If I was going to commute forever, so to speak, I'd live in Vegas and fly out of LAX. Low cost of living, no state income tax (I believe), a flight every 30 minutes or so to LAX (between all the airlines), and the flight would be shorter than the drive to LAX from most areas around Los Angeles. You'd have to live in the desert, but Denver isn't much different climate wise.

Yak02 05-12-2016 04:02 PM

I have lived in Honolulu since early 1987. When the base closed in late 2001, I commuted to GUM, EWR,LAX,IAH, and back to LAX. I chased the flying on the B757 that flew to Hawaii. Now on the B787, all the Pacific flying goes over the top of my house and I am never more than 5 time zones from home. Fatigue for me is a thing of the past.

There are a lot of open seats every day to the west coast from HNL. If you're use to Flying in the Navy, a jumpseat on a B737 is a piece of cake and it just gets better from there.

Aloha and welcome to the friendly skies of a United Flight Deck.

atpcliff 05-12-2016 04:18 PM

You might be interested in Atlas, or Alaska, and commute to the ANC base. ANC is the most junior base for Atlas FOs.

Andy 05-12-2016 04:22 PM


Originally Posted by rp2pilot (Post 2128011)
If I was going to commute forever, so to speak, I'd live in Vegas and fly out of LAX. Low cost of living, no state income tax (I believe), a flight every 30 minutes or so to LAX (between all the airlines), and the flight would be shorter than the drive to LAX from most areas around Los Angeles. You'd have to live in the desert, but Denver isn't much different climate wise.

Ding! Ding! Winner!

You can use Nellis AFB facilities including Tricare.

Very low cost of living; houses are cheap. No state income tax.

Plenty to do there in terms of entertainment; you'll get bored with gambling so that won't be an issue. You can even snow ski/board at Brian Head, less than 4 hrs from Vegas.

Commute to both LAX and SFO are easy with more than 30 flights daily to each city (SFO/OAK, but you can catch the BART to SFO from OAK).

Move to Vegas for a couple of years and then decide if you want to live there permanently. It's a lot easier than commuting from Hawaii.

... and Guam is now super senior so fuggetaboudit. And commuting out of DEN is much more painful than out of LAS.

Scott Stoops 05-12-2016 06:31 PM


Originally Posted by McNugent (Post 2128010)
Going off the vacancy awards. Just saying the amount of time to hold FO there has dropped significantly. Junior guy is 11,600(ish) on the 737. Even more junior on the bus.

Ok. Understood. And I am referencing the why. Why is the 737 cap around 3500 numbers junior to the Airbus cap? Things are way out of seniority in Den. Hopefully I am wrong, but I don't see any movement in Denver for a long time barring a substantial change in corporate focus on the Denver base and hub.

worstpilotever 05-12-2016 07:41 PM


Originally Posted by atpcliff (Post 2128040)
You might be interested in Atlas, or Alaska, and commute to the ANC base. ANC is the most junior base for Atlas FOs.

Right....dude has a class date with a major airline and he's gonna bail for an ACMI in contract talks that pays their Capts less than 3 year FO's? Cliffy, you are officially off your rocker.

krudawg 05-12-2016 08:10 PM


Originally Posted by pjjhawaii (Post 2127841)
Aloha,
I am retiring from the Navy and start INDOC in a couple weeks at UAL. Hawaii is home however I have contemplated living on the mainland for at least a few years. Because I anticipate being a commuter for the long haul I have been looking at living in Denver where I at least have some family in the area and it is a large UAL base. I am guessing this will help with the commuting as I would commute from one UAL domicile to another. I have read all the gouge on how life is so much better when you live in domicile and especially while below the G line, however I cannot bring myself to pay 13% state tax to CA and my wife would never be happy on the East coast. That being said, I am hoping to get LAX or SFO based and commute from LIH and/or HNL. I know my 4 day trips will turn into 5-6 day trips and I know that life will not be as good as it could be if I live in the mainland. What I am hoping to hear in this thread is any real experience with guys that have commuted to CA from HI or can put me in touch with someone that has. I am on the fence on where I should set up shop for at least the year of probation. Thanks for any info anyone cares to share.

Welcome Aboard! I lived in base for 29 of my 30 years at United. I'm solid reserve on the 747 in SFO. I have been commuting from PHX the last year. Let me be clear, you do not want to commute to reserve while on probation. If you can get hold of the current UPA, read section 20 and pay particular attention to Short Call reserve - it will make your life miserable. My recommendation, live in base your first year.


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