Commuting MHT/BOS-NYC and a crash pad question

I’m on the airbus. Right now we seem to be underutilized and haven’t been flying a ton.

How far are you from the G-Line? Are 737 peeps in the same boat? I'm surprised to hear that you haven't been flying a ton, there was a thread on APC (gag) with people complaining about 90 hour lines.
 
I'm in Southern NH along I93 and in over 25 years of commuting, I don't think I've ever left from MHT (I have gone home to MHT a couple times when BOS is unavailable but that means having the wife pick me up and take me to my car in BOS)

I use BOS because there's just so many options. The key is when things go bad, take the first thing going, even if that means taking a cab from JFK/LGA to EWR. Speaking of things going bad, you have to start looking at NYC a couple days before any trips. Any hint of thunderstorms, snow, or high winds and NYC can ground stop for hours. The other benefit of BOS is that if it all goes to heck, you are that much closer to NYC if you have to jump in your car... and make that decision early..

I don't know how long your drive from home to BOS is, but whatever you think it is, double it for planning purposes if you are driving down between 0530 and 0900. Lastly, the company pays for my parking and I'm not sure what yours would do, but needless to say, BOS parking is pricey... that might be the one thing that MHT has in its favor.

After 20 years of being NYC based, I switched to DTW and while the flight is a little longer, the drop in stress levels is worth it
 
How far are you from the G-Line? Are 737 peeps in the same boat? I'm surprised to hear that you haven't been flying a ton, there was a thread on APC (gag) with people complaining about 90 hour lines.

Plenty of 90 hour lines on the 73 - base and seniority dependent of course.
 
The other benefit of BOS is that if it all goes to heck, you are that much closer to NYC if you have to jump in your car... and make that decision early..

The other option is pretty much hourly train service to New York, and then frequent train and bus service down to Newark. Not the quickest way, but often times will be easier (and cheaper) than grabbing a one way rental car, especially if the weather is going to hell.

Depending on where you are in NH, there is good shuttle bus service (Boston Express Bus) on the I-93 and Route 3 corridors. Most of the bus stops have free long term parking too.

I haven't flown in or out of Manchester in about 10 years, but with limited service (and RJ service), I'd say Boston, even with the drive, is a way better bet.
 
Before moving here I commuted from ORD to NYC at a different carrier and did lots of EWR trips. Also all the NH commuters I fly with go out of BOS, the amount of flights seems to outweigh the convenience of MHT.

Here are some tips from my time commuting here.

1) Get a crashpad while you are junior. EWR is a little better with hotel prices but sometimes they can be expensive. One missed commute home and occasionally you can be looking at $250 a night for 6 hours in a room before you go back for the morning commute home. Finding a good crash pad will alleviate some of the stress of dealing with the constant uncertainty of NYC flying.

2) Don’t discount public transit between airports. The real sleeper is JFK -> EWR, if you have to go between these two I would always check train times before taking a cab. AirTrain -> LIRR -> NJT can be very quick if it’s during peak hours when the schedules line up. I’ve made it between the two in less than an hour during rush hour for significantly cheaper than a cab. They both have apps you can buy tickets on as well so you don’t have to use the machines. LGA -> EWR is more difficult, Q70 -> E -> NJT is probably the quickest but involves lots of stairs and crowded subways. Doable in a pinch but usually longer than public transit between JFK & EWR.

3) Shoot for company metal. There are tons of commuters between BOS & NYC. The more advantages you can give yourself for priority the better.

4) Don’t ever give up. Always be checking flights on your last day, delays are so frequent it’s not uncommon to have an earlier flight delayed enough to get you home. I used to operate LGA-BOS regularly and it wasn’t uncommon to get called out for a delayed 12:30am flight with 10 pax onboard. Always worth it to check all the airports for an unforeseen shot at getting home.

5) Give up. On the other hand know your commuter clause and accept that sometimes you will have to take a hit in pay and won’t be able to make it to work. Probably try harder than this when you are on probation though.

6) Take the train. NJT can take you from EWR to Penn where Acela and the NE regional leave from. During those not so uncommon times where NYC airports implode, it’s worth it to cough up the $$ and chill out on the train for a few hours.

7) Get out and do stuff. Depends on your reserve rules but spending the whole time in the crashpad can make commuting miserable. There is infinite stuff to do in NYC and I kept a list of things I wanted to see when I commuted. Made slow times not getting called go by way faster when you became a tourist for the day instead of fighting over the remote at the crashpad.

Happy to answer any other NYC airport/commuting related questions.
 
How far are you from the G-Line? Are 737 peeps in the same boat? I'm surprised to hear that you haven't been flying a ton, there was a thread on APC (gag) with people complaining about 90 hour lines.

I’m DCA based. I’d be above the G line in every base except DCA, ORD, and IAH. In DCA I missed the G line by 1 for April. 737 guys are flying their tails off.

Ive been on property for just over 7 months and the class this week puts almost 1500 pilots below me. The hiring right now is insane.
 
I’m DCA based. I’d be above the G line in every base except DCA, ORD, and IAH. In DCA I missed the G line by 1 for April. 737 guys are flying their tails off.

Ive been on property for just over 7 months and the class this week puts almost 1500 pilots below me. The hiring right now is insane.

I don't speak Rhapsody in Bleu, lol. What exactly is G-line?
 
Thanks everyone for the info.

I'm 1:15 from BOS as the google flies. I used to commute to BED, so I know how bad the traffic can be in the morning. I've looked into taking the bus, but the last northbound bus these days is at 2200, which is kind of early. Not a lot of other options after that time of the night. My airline does pay for parking, but I am not sure of the details or limitations. I know BOS has crew parking, but not sure if you have to be based there, or what. I'm sure I will find out soon enough. Amtrak actually stops at EWR airport (or at least they used to?). I've thought about using them. I'm kind of a train geek at times, so that might be fun. Any idea if there are any kind of airline employee discounts with them? Boston Commuter Rail is a partial option as well, but getting from North Station to the airport is a pain for the relatively short distance you have to cover. But, its an option.

It's going to be an adventure, but I am looking forward to it! Thanks again
 
Thanks everyone for the info.

I'm 1:15 from BOS as the google flies. I used to commute to BED, so I know how bad the traffic can be in the morning. I've looked into taking the bus, but the last northbound bus these days is at 2200, which is kind of early. Not a lot of other options after that time of the night. My airline does pay for parking, but I am not sure of the details or limitations. I know BOS has crew parking, but not sure if you have to be based there, or what. I'm sure I will find out soon enough. Amtrak actually stops at EWR airport (or at least they used to?). I've thought about using them. I'm kind of a train geek at times, so that might be fun. Any idea if there are any kind of airline employee discounts with them? Boston Commuter Rail is a partial option as well, but getting from North Station to the airport is a pain for the relatively short distance you have to cover. But, its an option.

It's going to be an adventure, but I am looking forward to it! Thanks again

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