Cessnaflyer
Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Don't eat the captains steak.
Commuting ?'s for a newbie
- Thread starter badtransam97
- Start date
kellwolf
Piece of Trash
The best part about FedEx is you can call 24 hours in advance to book a jumpseat, and once they say "You're confirmed," there's not much booting you off, even another FedEx guy. Unless it's one of those annoying MD-11s with the two seats facing backwards in the back, there's normally a ton of room. Never jumpseated on the 777 or the 757, but the MD-10s and A300s normally had 4+ jumpseats in the back plus the ones up front, and you won't have to shank a FA to get priority over the ones in the back.
And yeah, I'd set an alarm so I'd be calling EXACTLY 24 hours in advance to book that jumpseat.....then I'd go back to bed.
And yeah, I'd set an alarm so I'd be calling EXACTLY 24 hours in advance to book that jumpseat.....then I'd go back to bed.
ctab5060X
Well-Known Member
It's nice on the A300s when you can stretch out across the set of 4 jumpseats and go back to sleep.
The MD-10/11s with the two rear facing jumpseats can be annoying... until you realize they recline almost flat sometimes
The 757... dress warm. They are still working out issues with the ducts in the back, but the last several times it has been cold back there.
I'm that way with the US Airways reservation system... just 7 days in advance
PlaneFan82
Well-Known Member
The 777 is the ONLY way to go! By far one of the nicest rides I've ever had. The 767 is not too bad either.
wheelsup
Well-Known Member
Serious question, why did you never move to domicile? Just nowhere you wanted to live? My first priority after getting off probation is fixing up the house to sell so we can move to base and call it a day.
badtransam97
Well-Known Member
Guess you can catch up on a little sleep while riding. Had a buddy that sleeps in a sleeping bag commuting from mem to the west coast.
Richman
JC’s Resident Curmudgeon
Hey, when does class start, Skipper? We don't have many FO's left around the forums, do we?
It's sayin' an October conversion, so I'm guessing class in August.
That gives me four months to put off looking stuff over.
Richman
bkey79
Well-Known Member
Yes, but a lot of the times commuters will also non-rev, if they are flying with benefits of that airline. When I was commuting to JFK I would list non-rev so I couldn't be bumped by ZED. Plus any 4 hour flight in any jumpseat is torture! Commuting through Houston was a nightmare because everyone would non-rev and I didn't have United benefits....
Of course.
motormadness24
Well-Known Member
A ZED is basically a waste of money. That's why we have commuter clauses. Not to mention you're only bumping yourself up above other JS'ers. You're still below everyone else, on a full plane, that is your major problem.
motormadness24
Well-Known Member
I fully agree with that. I don't think I'd ever throw one down for work though.
HVYMETALDRVR
Well-Known Member
Recently, I traveled home from MCO on Delta through ATL. One of the few perks in our non-existent work rules at G4 is that we get one purchased ticket home per month on the company.
I had come in late because drove down from SFB. When I waltzed up and got my ticket, there were two mainline guys and various other pilots that looked like they were about to do the above at me.
Awkward.
Papoo
Polar 1.
I see. Not having the same system, I wasn't sure whether a JSer riding for free would necessarily trump someone from another airline who were paying something.
I suppose all airlines have their policies. All I'm aware of are ours at CX, our sister airline Dragonair, and that we get a higher priority on OneWorld airlines, using ID90. Again, no idea how that would shape up in the US against a JSer from American - again, I'm only used to the ID90/ZED/OneWorld system.
The good news is I only ever use it for vacations (which are rarely in the US), so a bit of research usually leads me to a decent appraisal of potential loads. I can certainly see the merit of living in base for you guys. Christ, I get antsy when I miss a flight to BKK on CX, when there are 18 more that day! All those Starbucks frappa-chocca-mocha-lattes add up - in more ways than one...
Speaking of commuter clauses; what do they typically state - is it along the lines of 'as long as you gave yourself a few sensible options, we won't penalise you for missing a duty'?
I suppose all airlines have their policies. All I'm aware of are ours at CX, our sister airline Dragonair, and that we get a higher priority on OneWorld airlines, using ID90. Again, no idea how that would shape up in the US against a JSer from American - again, I'm only used to the ID90/ZED/OneWorld system.
The good news is I only ever use it for vacations (which are rarely in the US), so a bit of research usually leads me to a decent appraisal of potential loads. I can certainly see the merit of living in base for you guys. Christ, I get antsy when I miss a flight to BKK on CX, when there are 18 more that day! All those Starbucks frappa-chocca-mocha-lattes add up - in more ways than one...
Speaking of commuter clauses; what do they typically state - is it along the lines of 'as long as you gave yourself a few sensible options, we won't penalise you for missing a duty'?
bkey79
Well-Known Member
To use the commuter clause, most airlines require that you list for at least two flights that would get you there before your scheduled duty.
At RP/YX/S5, you could only use the commuter clause twice a year, after the second it went against your total "occurrences" which were the measuring stick for punishment. A sick call is an occurrence, a late or no show is an occurrence. 3 is a verbal warning, 5 is a written warning and 7 or more can lead to termination.
Good God I'm glad I'm out of that place!
HVYMETALDRVR
Well-Known Member
I heard of guys getting 10 and not getting fired these days.
Max Power
Well-Known Member
When I started at my current carrier, I was able to drive to my base, but it was 3 hours door to door. It would mean leaving at 230am for a 530 report. Flying was out of the question, even though it was our own metal, because the loads were erratic and only a handful of flights at odd times.
The plus was the car was always waiting for me. Get in at 2am? Drive home. I'm a "driver" by nature and it was 90% highway, so for me, it was nothing to hop in the car and go. The downside was after something like that, I'd be less than coherent the next day. I was also, at one point, spending between $300-$400 a month in gas, tolls and wear and tear on the car.
But they closed that base and now I'm based in IAD. I now fly to work and it's way more challenging and stressful. I've become familiar with the mass transit system in DC, used commuter rail from BWI and have rented more than a few cars to get home. This is with an excellent commuter clause and 4 company provided hotels per month for commuters. Now, I haven't spent anywhere near the $400/month in gas and such that I was spending, but I've also not made it home many times.Sometimes missing the last flight by as little as 10 minutes, after busting butt all day to make up the delays handed to us. THAT makes you want to do very unprofessional things in an airport terminal and I'd probably be nuts having to deal with the OP's situation. Also, hotels can be hard to find and expensive in DC too, making that "savings" vanish quickly.
Like the OP, I can't move, so I'll always have to be a commuter. My wife makes more money and has excellent benefits. We have two kids and parents that are very helpful when I'm not there. Having a good support network is a huge deal when doing this, so much so when commuting.
The plus was the car was always waiting for me. Get in at 2am? Drive home. I'm a "driver" by nature and it was 90% highway, so for me, it was nothing to hop in the car and go. The downside was after something like that, I'd be less than coherent the next day. I was also, at one point, spending between $300-$400 a month in gas, tolls and wear and tear on the car.
But they closed that base and now I'm based in IAD. I now fly to work and it's way more challenging and stressful. I've become familiar with the mass transit system in DC, used commuter rail from BWI and have rented more than a few cars to get home. This is with an excellent commuter clause and 4 company provided hotels per month for commuters. Now, I haven't spent anywhere near the $400/month in gas and such that I was spending, but I've also not made it home many times.Sometimes missing the last flight by as little as 10 minutes, after busting butt all day to make up the delays handed to us. THAT makes you want to do very unprofessional things in an airport terminal and I'd probably be nuts having to deal with the OP's situation. Also, hotels can be hard to find and expensive in DC too, making that "savings" vanish quickly.
Like the OP, I can't move, so I'll always have to be a commuter. My wife makes more money and has excellent benefits. We have two kids and parents that are very helpful when I'm not there. Having a good support network is a huge deal when doing this, so much so when commuting.