Hey I am in flight school right now and I am just trying to learn more about the careers and opportunities out there. The question I have today is what the life of an allegiant airlines pilot is like, I have heard that they will or can be at home base every night, is that true? Are there other airlines that allow you to possibly be home every night or close to it? Are the regional airlines like allegiant, breeze… good airlines to be a pilot for? I am just trying to learn as much as I can! Thanks!
Allegiant’s model is to do day trips that ultimately bring the crew back home at the end the day. Frontier is moving to that model. While this saves the company on hotel costs for the crews, it also requires more crew bases to be able to cover the route network. Most other regionals and all the majors have the traditional schedules of 3-4 day trips from a more focused group of bases.
Tyler,
If you want to be home every night you might want to rethink your career choice. Pilots by definition fly AWAY from home. While there are a few airlines that have day trips (Allegiant, Frontier, and Hawaiian), newsflash you’re not the only one that wants them. In fact they usually go very senior. That could mean years before you get near them and that’s IF you get hired at one of those 3.
Long short the average pilot is gone at least 15 days a month and that what you should plan on. If you’re fortunate to do better that’s great but I wouldn’t count on it.
Adam
Hey Tyler,
Just one more thing I might add from personal experience. Having a schedule that gets you back to your BASE every night is only half the equation. The other half is you need to be based where you LIVE. If your preferred base (“domicile”) is a popular one, it may take you a (long) while to have enough seniority to hold that base. Until then you’ll be commuting to your base, and suddenly that schedule that gets you back to your base every night is actually a disadvantage because it’s more nights you need to arrange your own accommodations away from home (hotel, crashpad, etc).
Also, as I understand it, Allegiant’s junior bases (at least currently) are places like Flint, Michigan and Appleton, Wisconsin. Nothing against those towns (I have family in Flint!), but… there is a reason they are junior. Base seniority is also liable to change at any time, so you could grind it out for a few years to finally get the base you want, and then find the airline shuffles things up and suddenly you’re not senior enough to hold it anymore.
If it’s quality of life you’re after, focus on getting to an airline that has a (preferably junior) domicile where you want to live. Whether you fly for a “home every night” airline like Allegiant or not, you’ll still maximize your time at home by not having to commute every time you go to work.
Noah,
Good insights, thank you.
Chris
As someone currently commuting across the country to sit reserve, this topic hits close to home!
Still feel like I have the best job in the world, but I know it will be even better once I can arrange to live in base.