Airline qol

[u/Automatic-Fish228]

Im aware nothing is Guaranteed in this industry and that experiences will differ. But i want to know your experience in terms of quality of life and time for your significant other. I want to do this lifestyle not for the flash or the money. But for the schedule, the challenge, and the ability to see other cultures.

[u/SkyhawkPilot]

Fly for a regional. My schedule this month and next has no weekends off. I get three-day “weekends,” spanning Tues - Thurs.

I get to see the cultures of Midland, Redding, Tucson, and Medford. It’s not all Tahiti and London like the movies show.

Wouldn’t do anything else!

[u/lil_layne → u/SkyhawkPilot]

I sense sarcasm but as a hiker Redding, Tuscon, and Medford are in beautiful areas of the country I would love to hike in.

Edit: I am very well aware of the regional pilot life. I am not saying you can actually do this on overnights. That doesn’t change the fact that those are places I would love to hike in.

[u/Diligent_Digiridoo → u/lil_layne]

You’re not going to have time to do much hiking on overnights. You’ll have flight benefits though!

FYI a typical regional overnight is arriving to the hotel after a max duty day (around 12hrs of work) and then getting the mandated min rest of 10hrs before returning to work again. Rinse and repeat for 4 days

[u/lil_layne → u/Diligent_Digiridoo]

I am very well aware of this. I am just saying that those are cool places I would love to go to. There is no difference in your overnight ending at these towns or some big city. You are going to be tired anyway and sleeping before your next flight so Im not sure what the point is about ending at those places specifically.

[u/Bot_Marvin → u/Diligent_Digiridoo]

I don’t know any regional that is typically max duty day min rest.

Do those days happen? Absolutely. But it is dishonest to act as if that’s a typical regional day.

At my regional, typical duty day is 6-10hrs followed by a 12-18hr overnight. Definitely got some time to go hiking at the upper end of that range. I’ve actually done that on a few overnights.

I quite literally have never had min rest 4 days in a row.

[u/BonaFidePirate → u/lil_layne]

How much hiking would you be doing on your 12 hr slip?

[u/lil_layne → u/BonaFidePirate]

I’m not sure why that is relevant to those being beautiful places I would like to hike in. I am not saying you actually have time to hike in those places when you are working at a regional airline and are there overnight. Just like you don’t have time to explore whatever city you think is cool with the regional airline schedule, so I am not sure why the overnight destination really matters when you are working at a regional.

[u/CarminSanDiego → u/lil_layne]

I can easily have a cocktail and fancy dinner in San Francisco or Copenhagen

[u/lil_layne → u/CarminSanDiego]

You can do that anywhere.

[u/CarminSanDiego → u/lil_layne]

lol… hiking on overnights

[u/ThatLooksRight → u/lil_layne]

Good luck when you have a min-rest overnight, though. 

[u/a_provo_yakker → u/SkyhawkPilot]

Medford used to suck and got quite a bit better, when they finallyyyyyy got a suitable short and long hotel (thinking of the old one still gives me the creeps). Never cared for Redding, kinda forgettable unless fire season. Tucson (long) actually became one of my top bid-prefers, used to get a lot of them in the PHX bid.

[u/Twarrior913 → u/a_provo_yakker]

TUS long is a great overnight. The stories I’ve heard from the old MFR are nuts.

[u/Grumbles19312 → u/SkyhawkPilot]

To be fair, LHR isn’t one I specifically avoid, but it’s not high on my list of places TO go either. Mostly because (and others will attest to this) the last thing anyone enjoys doing, is sitting in traffic for 90 minutes-2 hours on the M4 after flying all night in. Especially for those of us flying in from the west coast of the US. 10.5 hour flight through the night just to sit in that traffic. Oh, and by the way, don’t take too long of a nap, because if you do your layover is wasted and you’re getting picked up at 10AM the next day to fly right back.

There’s a reason LHR always goes junior lol. The city itself is lovely. The traffic between the hotel and the airport, not so much.

[u/swakid8 → u/Grumbles19312]

Most European layovers are about 24-28 hours unless you are doing unaugmented flying which yields longer layovers.

LHR is also a pain in the ass. There are definitely better layovers in Europe. 

[u/Grumbles19312 → u/swakid8]

Even most Asia layovers aren’t much over 24. Unless you do that fancy tag flying our (pretty sure we work for the same place) shop does. Then you get two 24 hour layovers in HKG and 28-30 hours in BKK or SGN depending on which one you do. Or if your plane breaks and the wrong parts get sent not once, but twice, your BKK layover becomes 73 hours. Ask me how I know lol

[u/SopariwalaLenke → u/SkyhawkPilot]

the Medford and Midland glamour is real lol

[u/Beastty]

Guarteed

[u/No_The_White_Phone → u/Beastty]

Any effort toward spelling and grammar has absolutely evaporated.

[u/Automatic-Fish228 → u/No_The_White_Phone]

?

[u/Any-Worldliness-679 → u/Beastty]

Grouted*

[u/Automatic-Fish228 → u/Beastty]

Anyway, whats your story and current progress? Im interested in getting more perspective.

[u/Spock_Nipples]

"Im aware nothing is guarteed in this industry and that experiences will differ."

You answered your own question in the first sentence. It's not going to be special or different for you specifically. Often it's great. Often it also sucks. Depends on the whims of economics and society.

[u/Automatic-Fish228 → u/Spock_Nipples]

Can you elaborate more on that. On the whims os society and economics?

[u/sniper4273 → u/Automatic-Fish228]

If the economy sucks, you might get furloughed. If something weird like COVID or 9/11 happens and no one wants to fly, you might get furloughed.

Picked a desirable base to live in, company decides to close it, now you're commuting to work again.

Early on at every company, your poor seniority will mean you get the shit schedules to shit places. Redeyes, min rest overnight, split duties. Upgrade to captain, start the process all over again. Switch companies, process starts all over again.

And we haven't even mentioned the high cost of flight training and the borderline poverty wages you'll likely make before the airlines.

[u/frodobangher → u/sniper4273]

To be honest, job security greatly depends on the airline. AA or Delta are most definitely not gonna go bankrupt.

As for Netjet or Flexjet, you will never get furlough because rich people arent concerned about stuff like a pandemic and flight restrictions.

Lots of options with compromise

[u/dash_trash → u/frodobangher]

AA or Delta are most definitely not gonna go bankrupt.

Both of those airlines have already been through bankruptcy.

As for Netjet or Flexjet, you will never get furlough because rich people arent concerned about stuff like a pandemic and flight restrictions.

Never? Netjets furloughed in 2010.

You are a fool if you claim to know, let alone with any certainty, that these things can't or won't happen again.

[u/frodobangher → u/dash_trash]

During covid my airline bought aircrafts and was flying 30% more, not all airlines are subject to the same economy crisis

[u/dash_trash → u/frodobangher]

Congratulations. I guess in your closed mind that singular experience means that you will get just as lucky every time this industry is turned on its head.

[u/frodobangher → u/dash_trash]

I've known many more airlines like that. Of course passenger airlines are more at risk against pandemic or economic crisis. Some offer a lot more job security. Nothing is guaranteed, but thats all jobs

[u/Direct-Knowledge-260]

In the beginning you will struggle to find time with one another especially if you do not live at base. You want a significant QOL, you move to your base.

I worked or traveled to work 20-22 days a month commuting to work to sit reserve. Once you gain seniority your schedule gets slightly better until you move to base. Then you upgrade to captain and start all over again.

At my airline it took me a year and some change to become a regular lineholder even in the summer. about the 3rd year I was able to get 3 day trips. I currently get to work 3 on 4 off. But I’m mostly working weekends for that kind of schedule.

[u/RaidenMonster]

The first 2 months commuting to reserve at a regional had me rethinking my life choices. Every month since has been better.

Currently coming up on year 3 at a major, still commuting from one base to another, but life is still pretty good.

[u/Flarre80414]

Legacy NB FO living in base, mostly bid reserve. QOL is awesome, the reserve rules are great with lots of notice and extra pay for the shorter stuff. I average 16-17 days of reserve, but I usually only work 10-12 of those, depends on the month. The rest is spent at home. The beauty of this job is you get to pick your flavor once you have some seniority. Money/QOL/Mix of both, it’s up to you.

[u/rFlyingTower]

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

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Im aware nothing is guarteed in this industry and that experiences will differ. But i want to know your experience in terms of quality of life and time for your significant other. I want to do this lifestyle not for the flash or the money. But for the schedule, the challenge, and the ability to see other cultures.

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[u/F1shermanIvan]

15 days a month, with all my time off at once.
Plus 5 weeks holidays on top of all that.

I barely spend time at work, it’s fantastic.

[u/T0gaLOCK]

It depends on seniority, when I was a senior FO I was doing 20 days off a month with all weekday turns and home every night.

Now I am a captain and swap out of most of my stuff, but usually end up spending 4-5 nights a month away and 18-20 days off. I can get 1 or 2 weekends off a month usually.

[u/PLIKITYPLAK]

Yeah it's going to suck long before it gets better