Suggestions/questions on commuting

AKcharger

AKcharger

Well-Known Member
I fly for a little outfit where I'm home every night but was thinking of moving to our BOS base which has a more traditional 3 day on-the-road type schedule to be closer to family. The only way I'd make the move is if I lived a bit farther south to enjoy weather/lower costs. Since I know nothing about how commuting works, I hoping to get some suggestions/answers from everyone here because questions to management can be interpreted that you're immediately volunteering to move:

- Is there a rule of thumb for minimum time/distance you live from your base? some cheap homes around Tampa right now, wold TPA-BOS be a reasonable commute?

- Any idea if those new crew/duty times are going to be an issue for commuting?

- How does Taxes work? our base is out of BOS, we fly to NY and MA but I'd live in another state...who do I pay taxes to?

- Disregarding reserve days for the moment, is it important to maintain a "crash pad" at your base or can you get by entirely by jumpseating?

- Any suggestions or concerns?

Thanks in advance
 
No rule of thumb for distance. Some long commutes (LAX-JFK) are probably much easier than shorter (PIT-PHL) ones. It all depends on the level of service and the airports you are using. TPA would probably be a mixed back. Florida is a tough commute in general, but depending on how many direct flights a day there are and how many jumpseats they have (Airbus vs. 737 vs RJ etc) it may be ok.

Unknown about duty times for now. Last that was heard was commuting wouldn't count but would "have to be considered" what ever that means.

Taxes are based on where you live. Some airlines can take out state taxes for some states. YMMV.

Crashpad use (as a line holder) depends on the type of schedules your airline has in a given base and the flight schedules to get you to/from work.
 
1) Live in base for commuter airlineish skeds (3-4 on with 3-4 off) if you're not living alone or have a partner who you want to maximize time at home with
2) If you're single, and/or have a partner who loves to non-rev and meet up in kick ass places on days off (see Gulley). Commute distance is less of an issue.

When I commute, my unemployment insurance is taken from where I'm based. All other taxes are based on where I live. Oddly, CA tries to get income tax from me (LA-based), but there's a carve out for DOT covered employees.

My airline provides hotel and rig if you're in base.
 
I've done MCO-JFK for the past year or so, and I'll be doing MCO-BOS starting in January. I'm getting a crashpad, but I'll likely be on reserve for at least several months. Doing the MCO-JFK in the upper half of the seniority list, I didn't really need a crashpad. I was only there twice a month anyway, and that was the same as getting a NY hotel room twice a month. Might as well get the room, have my own space, free breakfast and Hilton Honors points to go with it.

TPA-BOS looks like 5 flights a day. Three on jetBlue, one UniCal and one US Air. All of them are A320s, so you're looking at 2 jumpseats. Downside to commuting out of Florida is LOTS of guys do it. My commute to JFK was okay because of the sheer amount of flights. My commute to BOS will be okay because most of the flights are on my airline, and I get access to the FA jumpseats as well. If you're an OAL jumpseater, you're restricted to whatever's open in the customer seats as well as the two in the flight deck.
 
I commuted on reserve FLL-ORD for a year, and never even considered a crash pad. For the nights where I got stuck in ORD (night before an early AM show, or a night after a 4-day with a late PM finish), I just got my own hotel room. I think that is a personal choice; only you know if you want your own room (like me) or are willing to share with a bunch of other guys (I was not).
In the end, there was only 1 month out of 12 where I spent more on hotel rooms than if I had a crash pad.
 
I don't commute but a wise man once told me that to avoid to much misery limit your commute to "one leg and on-line." Or another words one flight each way and on an airline you have non-rev benefits on, preferably your airline. Good Luck!
 
FLflyer said:
I commuted on reserve FLL-ORD for a year, and never even considered a crash pad. For the nights where I got stuck in ORD (night before an early AM show, or a night after a 4-day with a late PM finish), I just got my own hotel room. I think that is a personal choice; only you know if you want your own room (like me) or are willing to share with a bunch of other guys (I was not).
In the end, there was only 1 month out of 12 where I spent more on hotel rooms than if I had a crash pad.
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Just curious, how did commuting on reserve work? I am not an airline pilot, but was under the impression that most airlines require a two hour window to show up?
 
AA34 said:
Just curious, how did commuting on reserve work? I am not an airline pilot, but was under the impression that most airlines require a two hour window to show up?
Click to expand...

Commuting to reserve, you'll almost certainly need a crashpad. You need to be in within two hours of your domicile, and usually two hours is enough time to shower, pack, and get to the airport to report. It's best to get a "livable" crashpad. One where there are things to do, cable, laundry, grocery store, because you are basically living there while you sit reserve. Some guys rent their own room. Or if you have a buddy living nearby you can talk to them. I've stayed in several crashpads in New York, Detroit, and Chicago, while on reserve.
 
AA34 said:
Just curious, how did commuting on reserve work? I am not an airline pilot, but was under the impression that most airlines require a two hour window to show up?
Click to expand...
Commuting to long call reserve is easy. (Your airline does have long call, right? Right? ;) ) 12 hours to get to work = you can literally commute, to a reserve assignment.

Commuting to short call reserve sucks, because you don't get to commute to work, you get to commute to sit and POSSIBLY work. Get a livable crashpad, or you may suffer.

That said, if you must commute to reserve:
• Know your work rules. Especially the commuter or "call in honest" policy if you have one.
• If you have proffering or aggressive pickup, use it as much as you can. Commuting to a trip is much more fun than commuting to sit.
• Crew scheduling can either be your worst enemy or best friend.
 
saxman said:
Commuting to reserve, you'll almost certainly need a crashpad. You need to be in within two hours of your domicile, and usually two hours is enough time to shower, pack, and get to the airport to report. It's best to get a "livable" crashpad. One where there are things to do, cable, laundry, grocery store, because you are basically living there while you sit reserve. Some guys rent their own room. Or if you have a buddy living nearby you can talk to them. I've stayed in several crashpads in New York, Detroit, and Chicago, while on reserve.
Click to expand...
Awesome, thanks. How long are you typcially sitting on reserve? Is it the whole month, or designated times so you can fly back home when not on reserve?
 
Autothrust Blue said:
Commuting to long call reserve is easy. (Your airline does have long call, right? Right? ;) ) 12 hours to get to work = you can literally commute, to a reserve assignment.

Commuting to short call reserve sucks, because you don't get to commute to work, you get to commute to sit and POSSIBLY work. Get a livable crashpad, or you may suffer.

That said, if you must commute to reserve:
• Know your work rules. Especially the commuter or "call in honest" policy if you have one.
• If you have proffering or aggressive pickup, use it as much as you can. Commuting to a trip is much more fun than commuting to sit.
• Crew scheduling can either be your worst enemy or best friend.
Click to expand...
Ahh, I see. I guess it depends what airline you're with... some have short and some have long? Or do all have both and you will get assigned one or the other?
 
AA34 said:
Ahh, I see. I guess it depends what airline you're with... some have short and some have long? Or do all have both and you will get assigned one or the other?
Click to expand...
Where I work, you can bid monthly for AM or PM short call OR for long call. It all depends where you work.

Starting next August, I believe all RSV will be long call with a designated number of days that you can be put on short call a month, as part of the new fatigue rules. But it's been a whole since I've read them and they were at the time advanced proposed rules, so don't quote me.
 
One simple word about commuting...........................














.......... don't.



Unless you want fun stuff to happen to you. Like a 737 over Lake Michigan having to land at nearest suitable airport and turn around for Grand Rapids, and your check-in is later that day. Or finishing work at midnight, catching a delayed flight to MSP, with the jumpseat already taken. Finally, they call out your name and you have a boarding pass with the last seat on the airplane, all the way in the back. You rush down the jetbridge, and the gate agent at the bottom says hurry, and give your overnight bag up so it can be gatechecked into the aircraft belly because overhead bins are full. You say fine, and rush to the back of the plane, only to find all seats are taken. Then you get tossed off the plane because there are no open seats, and when you ask for your bag, you're told it's too late and this aircraft must push. It's now 2:30am and you are standing with the last flight of the day pushing out with your overnight bag in it, while you are standing up top in your uniform with no change of clothes, no toothbrush or paste to brush your teeth, nothing.

I moved to my base. I cannot imagine how career commuters do it. I'd have to shoot myself or someone with the insanity involved, the stress. I bow to people who have been doing this for decades.
 
Sometimes moving isn't an option, particluarly at the regional level where your spouse or significant other might out earn you. Sure, if you're single and mobile, moving's probably the best option. However, if you don't know anyone in your base city, it's expensive and you're going to be miserable on your days off, commuting might be better. Comes down to a personal choice. If you're at an airline where bases open and close at the drop of a hat, commuting will probably be better than moving every several months. Even then, I'm sure most of the guys at 9E are looking down the road if they live in MEM, and they probably figured 3+ years ago that base would never close.

Basically, commuting comes down to the individual. Personally, moving to JFK or BOS is NOT an option for me. So, I commute and deal with the hassles that come along with it. I much happier that way. I'd rather deal with the occasional WTF moment commuting than pay twice as much for a place to live and have no money left over to do anything on my days off. Plus, I don't want to move my family up there.
 
AA34 said:
Just curious, how did commuting on reserve work? I am not an airline pilot, but was under the impression that most airlines require a two hour window to show up?
Click to expand...

Too many examples to explain it all here, but...
Bid a call-out time at 11:00AM or 5PM, then commute up on the first flight of the day.
Bid Long Call Reserve.
Use the Aggressive pick-up window to pick up crappy 4-day trips with late show times.
Etc.....
While on Reserve, I think I flew every single day I was on call, usually for a 4-day trip. The ONLY day I can recall where I did not get used last year? Thanksgiving...sat in the crew room all day, then went and got a hotel for the night.
This is not possible (commuting on the first day of your reserve block) at the beginning, when you will surely get assigned a 3:00AM or 4:30AM call out time and must commute up the night before. Like I said, I chose to pay for my own hotel room; most people go the crash pad route.
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
Kell, same timezone for you. 3 HR zone difference got real old for me. I don't know how Doug does it.
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I did a 3 timezone, 2 leg (took between 8 and 11 hours depending on the routing) to reserve for 3 years. In the end, we moved to my base because it was so rough. I ALWAYS had to go to work the day before my show and if I wasn't done by 5pm or so I normally wouldn't get home that night. I'm back to commuting now but it's a one leg 1:30 flight to the same timezone AND I have a line. I can deal with this, but still think living in base would be better (minus the fact I don't have any desire to live in any of the cities where we have bases).
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
Kell, same timezone for you. 3 HR zone difference got real old for me. I don't know how Doug does it.
Click to expand...

True. Like I said, personal choice. For the first year, it was a one time zone change with no direct flights except on FedEx. That sucked, but I still wouldn't have moved to JFK for that.....
 
Cross country from Atlanta to Seattle as a line/composite(coverage) line holder...2 direct flights on company, plus 5 other non-stops on Delta makes it doable. Stack trips to arrange for 2 weeks on, 1 week off...makes life easier and only 2 commutes a bid. Find a good crashpad or the local hotels that commuters use.
 
I've spent 6.5 years living and base and about 12 months commuting in total. The last 4 months I have a line. Lots better.

Living in base is like a whole 'nother job.

Commuting to reserve? Sucks.

Living in base on reserve? Typically goes senior, especially ready reserve. Best gig in town IMO.
 
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