any DTW-CLE commuters among us?

Bud01

Welcome to the Jungle.
So I am thinking about switching to CLE from EWR. Just curious is there any others out there that do this commute? I see Delta has 4 flights a day. anyone know the loads look like? i cant imagine the are full.
 
Yep. (Currently EWR based...) I never had a problem getting on, but frequency is a definite issue. Last flight CLE-dtw is at 5:30pm, and weekends really suck. I drove probably 90% of the time. To be honest, I liked it. Nothing is better than getting done, getting in your car and driving home! JC says you are in Tecumseh; how far are you from I-80? I did the drive from just south of DTW, and was able to get to CLE in 2.5 hours. 2 on the road, and .5 on the employee shuttle/security/walking to the crewroom. I usually gave myself three.
 
So I am thinking about switching to CLE from EWR. Just curious is there any others out there that do this commute? I see Delta has 4 flights a day. anyone know the loads look like? i cant imagine the are full.

Drive, it'll be quicker.

Say you live 30 minutes from the airport. Then you need to park. If you're parking in the south employee lot, that's another 30 minutes to get from the lot to the gate. Then you need to be at the gate an hour prior if you want to have any hope of getting on an offline jumpseat on a regular basis (that is IF the flight isn't oversold). Then the flight is blocked at 56 minutes.

You're at 2 hours already, and it's a 2.5 hour drive. This all assumes that your trip show times will line up with your commute.

Even if your car gets 20 mpg, it'll only cost you $250 a month to drive back and forth to Cleveland, where you'll never have to get a hotel, never have to stress about a commute, and can pick trips based on things like credit time and not show time. Get in at 10:00 in Newark, and you won't be getting home. Get in a 10:00 p.m. in Cleveland and you'll have NO PROBLEM getting home.
 
I should also add that the DTW-EWR commute is CAKE. If you think it's rough, go commute to Chicago and you'll come back happily :)

The trips in Newark are generally better, and if you spend some time with the ILIW you'll be able to get some schedule gains there also.

I bid around 35% for either base in the right seat (around 50% for line holders) and I'll continue the commute to Newark if only because the trips are so much better.
 
jtrain609 i love EWR i am just trying to decided whether CLE would be a improvement in QOL or not. Guy from my class showed me his line and it wasnt that bad comparable to what im getting now in EWR.
 
jtrain609 i love EWR i am just trying to decided whether CLE would be a improvement in QOL or not. Guy from my class showed me his line and it wasnt that bad comparable to what im getting now in EWR.

It depends on a lot of things, of course. I generally like the captains in EWR more, and I think the CPO in EWR is the best in the company. All that, combined with an easy commute, keeps me in EWR.

Well, kind of. You've got a 1 number bump until June or July :)
 
Driving to work is a MASSIVE improvement in QOL. Just sayin'...

I do have to admit a certain amount of bias, though. I have a strong dislike of anything EWR related. The EDCTs, artarded rampers, mean gate agents, and subsequently angry passengers...
 
Driving to work is a MASSIVE improvement in QOL. Just sayin'...

I do have to admit a certain amount of bias, though. I have a strong dislike of anything EWR related. The EDCTs, artarded rampers, mean gate agents, and subsequently angry passengers...

How long were you doing the CLE drive? How were the trips/skippers there?
 
Well, I think we work for different companies... I assume you are XJT? But, the C5 skippers are great! (Myself being one of 'em...) I did the drive for about a year. (As an FO. Upgraded into the sEWeR...)
 
Well, I think we work for different companies... I assume you are XJT? But, the C5 skippers are great! (Myself being one of 'em...) I did the drive for about a year. (As an FO. Upgraded into the sEWeR...)

Yup! Sorry, thought you were another one of the XJTers.

How long to hold CLE captain? You gonna go back?
 
Definitely going back. I'd rather drive to reserve than have to deal with a flying commute. Um, right now at CommutAir things are all mixed up. You used to be able to hold the base you wanted within a couple of momths, but we opened a base in SYR, much to the dismay of a almost the entire pilot group, so that went super junior (I'm actually based there now, sorry completely unintentional lie earlier...) I should be able to hold EWR in the 11/1 bid, but after that it's hard to say. There's also some significant noise that management heard the grumbling and is reconsidering a base in IAD...
 
I commuted from DTW to CLE for 2 months. It sucks.... Sure the flights are 20 mins long, but there is only commutes on delta connection. And there are only like 4 flights a day, so if you get in late your screwed. And the drive is 3 hours so unless you hold long call you can't sit reserve from DTW.
 
I've been on that flight a few times to get random places. Always in the jumpseat, loads tend to be pretty full from what I have seen. I don't work for Delta or Delta Connection and I've never been bumped out of the jumpseat on that flight. Never really ever seen another pilot even get a seat in back while I'm in the jumpseat ...
 
I commute from Southeasternish Toledo (suburb really, 10 mins from the turnpike) and it's 1 hr and 40 mins to the employee lot. The turnpike is an easy, but very very boring drive. I suggest you get an EZpass (saves time + discount on tolls) if you go that route.

I did the drive last winter and didn't have any problems, but then again last winter was very tame.
 
Seems like every time I work that flight, it's full, and we have a poop-load if gas because CLE sees the sub roughly 3 times a year. Often, we have to kick off revenue pax. But, it's usually the last flight of the day, so maybe that has something to do with it. If you can drive it, I'd recommend doing so.

CLE is awesome. I met the lady with the sing-songy announcing voice and won a bet with my flight attendant that she was a real person. Banjoe's is gone, but the famed pot roast sandwich lives on. AeroMag was practicing with their de-ice trucks this afternoon. Come to CLE. Cleveland rocks!
 
*poop-load OF gas, because CLE sees the SUN 3 times a year.* My fingers are too fat from eating all those pot roast sandwiches!
 
I've had a total of 2 ground stops to cleveland. One was for snow plowing, the other was for a disabled aircraft. I've held 3 times. 2 for disable aircraft, one for a thunderstorm. If we could somehow figure out a way of keeping the EWR delayed A/C out of the CLE system, and keep our airplanes from breaking, it would be even better.
I lived 1hr 15min from the crew lot. It was great, sat all my reserve at home.
 
DTW-EWR....ahh I miss that commute. I went 9 weeks in first class to and from work straight. I think it was some sort of record. 9 weeks where I never bothered to sign up for a jumpseat, always non reved home in my civis, and sipped a sweat delicious Woodford Reserve on the rocks on the flight home that cost me nothing. Commuter bliss.

I told you my friend. jtrain609
 
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