Ethan,
If you checked our Bio’s you’d see Chris flies for United, I (Adam) fly for Hawaiian and Tory flies for Horizon. Two Majors and a Regional. Life at the Regionals as well as life at the Majors is based on seniority. When I was a senior Capt at a Regional I actually had a very good quality of life.
Adam
Adam
Thank you! I see that now. Sorry, still learning to navigate the site.
Respectfully, Ethan
Between the 17th and 18th, how did you get from LGA to EWR? Just wondering if the company pays for transportation or if you had to figure it out yourself
Uber to Penn Station, then New Jersey Transit to EWR. The company does not pay for transportation in-between the two airports as I am based at both of them and in theory, should have a car there. They do pay for employee parking at both airports.
Hi Chris,
It is possible for a pilot to request some time off, let’s say 2 weeks, for vacation with family? I look forward to your response.
All the best,
Anthony
Anthony,
Yes of course. It varies from airline to airline and Chris can tell you the specifics for United. You get more days as you build seniority but most pilots get at least 2 weeks off after the first year. There’s usually a bid the the weeks the end of the prior year and seniority dictates whether you get what you want or not.
Adam
Anthony,
Pilots get several weeks of vacation per year, usually starting with two weeks and building towards more as they build seniority with the airline. Vacation is bid in seniority order though, so a new hire pilot is likely to get less desirable weeks while the more senior pilots get summer vacation, Christmss break, etc.
Chris
Hi Chris,
Thank you for sharing your schedules. They are a great tool for new guys like me.
I notice that you generally start at EWR or LGA and generally end a trip at one of the two. Does every trip always start and end back at your base (or bases)? Is there ever an instance where your trip does not take you back to your base so that you have to essentially commute back home?
Clay,
The airline is ALWAYS responsible to return you to your base, ALWAYS. It may be a deadhead where you’re a passenger in back but unlike a commute it’s the airlines responsibility to get you back to you base.
Adam
As a follow up to that: If you end your trip toward the end of the day and can’t fly back to base until the next day will the airline cover hotel cost for that night?
Thanks for your response
Clay,
As I said, it’s the airlines responsibility to return you to your base at the end of every trip. If you’re trip isn’t over (ie, you haven’t returned to your base) then the hotel is on the company. Versus, if you finish your trip AT your base late and have to commute home then the hotel is on you.
Adam
Generally speaking, most trips start and end at the base. In the few times that they don’t, it is the company’s responsibility to return you to the base via dead heading you. That being said, I usually go straight home instead.
Clay,
In that instance the company would pay for the hotel.
Chris