Best company for commuters?

[Doggtown88]

Curious what people think the best company/base for a commuter would be? Commuting from Halifax.

[vanislepilot]

Yo bro live on base

[Inverted2]

PAL…… Or anyone with a YHZ base. Commuting sucks.

[cdnavater]

Curious what people think the best company/base for a commuter would be? Commuting from Halifax.

Tons and tons of s of very senior commuters out of YHZ and surrounding area, the absolute worst commute in Canada form what I’ve been told, with 20 years at Jazz I wouldn’t even consider that!

[pelmet]

Curious what people think the best company/base for a commuter would be? Commuting from Halifax.

Tons and tons of s of very senior commuters out of YHZ and surrounding area, the absolute worst commute in Canada form what I’ve been told, with 20 years at Jazz I wouldn’t even consider that!

What is the best flying commute in Canada? YYJ to YVR?

[cdnavater]

Curious what people think the best company/base for a commuter would be? Commuting from Halifax.

Tons and tons of s of very senior commuters out of YHZ and surrounding area, the absolute worst commute in Canada form what I’ve been told, with 20 years at Jazz I wouldn’t even consider that!

What is the best flying commute in Canada? YYJ to YVR?

No, because often the Qs are load restricted or can’t take jump seat because they don’t have the weight in the back. However, because the ferry can take you to a bus that goes to the airport maybe not the worst.
I think YUL to YYZ is a pretty good commute, tons of options and even a few wide bodies repositioning throughout the day, YWG to YYZ is ok, typically 12ish flights per day. Anything to YVR is not great, tons of flights but always full.

[altiplano]

Why would they load restrict that flight? Short sector, even with fuel for a SEA alternate there would be oodles of payload...

And if it was full of people in the back how could w&b restrict J/S occupancy?

[cdnavater]

Why would they load restrict that flight? Short sector, even with fuel for a SEA alternate there would be oodles of payload...

And if it was full of people in the back how could w&b restrict J/S occupancy?

Because the ZFW limit gets reached with full PAX, unable to ballast for a J/S, I’ve heard of it going out with 5 less passengers for that reason.

[altiplano]

ZFW limit at 73 pax? I'm surprised... I would think more or less nil cargo on that flight. Aircraft is designed to take full loads.

[young grasshopper]

Canadian North! Only have to do the commute 1-2 times a month. And the company gives a decent allowance to commute!

[flyinhigh]

Yo bro live on base

Such dumb advise. I’ve lived in YYZ and and wanted to shoot myself. How is sitting in standstill traffic for gawd knows how long any better.

As for best companies for commuting. There is one rule I highly recommend and that is the best commute is with the company you work for.

So if you are YHZ, it would be Porter or AC. Your priority for stby travel is much higher when you work for said company than say you work for TS and have to commute on AC or Porter.

I’m a YQT commuter and have always said I will find a position that suits our lifestyle. That means I’ll take the 1:40 in a plane over 1:30 on the 400 hwy’s. As a Porter pilot, I don’t find the commute to be to bad, whereas my WJ and TS colleagues do have a harder time.

Hope that helps

[Me262]

I will take a 4hr drive over a 1hr flight any time of the day. Risking not making it on, getting load restricted, flight cancelled, hours long delays, not worth it. No commuter policy will be any better with 1 flight neeed as a backup that arrives x minutes/hrs before your check-in, requiring you to arrive hours before your flight to be "protected", but still lose pay if you can't make it in.

Best company? Apparently Wizz Air, a ULCC company in Europe that provides 4 round-trip confirmed tickets per month. I'm sure there are others there. No such thing in Canada. As someone said, live on base, find a YHZ company if you want to stay there like PAL. Whoever says otherwise has never commuted. Kiss any OT bye bye if you like to pickup any nice pairings that only the most seniors would get.

[vanislepilot]

OT is a very good point.
I have a lot of commuter friends who spend around 6-800$ a month commuting. What, did you think it was free? AIFs. Ubers to the airport, food, crashpads, not to mention it is probably the single biggest waste of your time. I could never imagine getting into cattle class after flying 4 legs.

Sure my buddy living in YYC has rent that is probably 6-700$ cheaper than YYZ, but had he moved to base he can pick up OT easily doubling his monthly cheques instead of spending his days off commuting.

It is literally cheaper and more lucrative to live on base!

[cdnavater]

OT is a very good point.
I have a lot of commuter friends who spend around 6-800$ a month commuting. What, did you think it was free? AIFs. Ubers to the airport, food, crashpads, not to mention it is probably the single biggest waste of your time. I could never imagine getting into cattle class after flying 4 legs.

Sure my buddy living in YYC has rent that is probably 6-700$ cheaper than YYZ, but had he moved to base he can pick up OT easily doubling his monthly cheques instead of spending his days off commuting.

It is literally cheaper and more lucrative to live on base!

Planning on renting forever?
There are many reasons to commute and it is for the most part a preference but if you want to own a house, we’ll let me put it this way, I have a big house with a big shop on a river front acreage for about half the price of a Brampton teardown property. My mortgage is less than two bedroom rent in the greater Toronto area, because of this I can afford to have two new vehicles in my garage, a boat, a side by side ATV, a motorcycle and money for going out to eat a proper restaurants without working all that OT.
I have not done a single day of OT in over a year, I certainly don’t need to living in a cheaper town!
Could we do better for commuters, absolutely, the US seems to embrace it as a lifestyle whereas in Canada, all parties like to get their pound of flesh where they can.
Also, your notion about spending days off commute is false, I will typical come in the evening before I work unless it’s a late afternoon start but 99% of the time I get home on my last day and most of that is in time for supper. Early days are tougher but once you get some seniority on your aircraft bidding can make life much easier, especially if your type overnights at your domicile.

[vanislepilot]

OT is a very good point.
I have a lot of commuter friends who spend around 6-800$ a month commuting. What, did you think it was free? AIFs. Ubers to the airport, food, crashpads, not to mention it is probably the single biggest waste of your time. I could never imagine getting into cattle class after flying 4 legs.

Sure my buddy living in YYC has rent that is probably 6-700$ cheaper than YYZ, but had he moved to base he can pick up OT easily doubling his monthly cheques instead of spending his days off commuting.

It is literally cheaper and more lucrative to live on base!

Planning on renting forever?
There are many reasons to commute and it is for the most part a preference but if you want to own a house, we’ll let me put it this way, I have a big house with a big shop on a river front acreage for about half the price of a Brampton teardown property. My mortgage is less than two bedroom rent in the greater Toronto area, because of this I can afford to have two new vehicles in my garage, a boat, a side by side ATV, a motorcycle and money for going out to eat a proper restaurants without working all that OT.
I have not done a single day of OT in over a year, I certainly don’t need to living in a cheaper town!
Could we do better for commuters, absolutely, the US seems to embrace it as a lifestyle whereas in Canada, all parties like to get their pound of flesh where they can.
Also, your notion about spending days off commute is false, I will typical come in the evening before I work unless it’s a late afternoon start but 99% of the time I get home on my last day and most of that is in time for supper. Early days are tougher but once you get some seniority on your aircraft bidding can make life much easier, especially if your type overnights at your domicile.

No but i’m not like a lot of people who think they’ll never be able to buy a house in the GTA. Millions of people live here and continue to do so. I don’t really see how a young pilot can’t have a house eventually. Does it have to be at 26 years old? No. Plenty of other things to put your money in.

As for your commuting comment, what happens when say OP wants to go captain? Are you forgetting to mention that if they take an upgrade right away they will have to commute on reserve? Oh… so they wait instead until they hold a good block as a captain, which could be a few years. Those few years of income could translate to hundreds of thousands of dollars lost down the line.

[PostmasterGeneral]

OT is a very good point.
I have a lot of commuter friends who spend around 6-800$ a month commuting. What, did you think it was free? AIFs. Ubers to the airport, food, crashpads, not to mention it is probably the single biggest waste of your time. I could never imagine getting into cattle class after flying 4 legs.

Sure my buddy living in YYC has rent that is probably 6-700$ cheaper than YYZ, but had he moved to base he can pick up OT easily doubling his monthly cheques instead of spending his days off commuting.

It is literally cheaper and more lucrative to live on base!

It's much cheaper to live away from base. Your statement is false.

Imagine having to work extra days per month just to afford to live somewhere? Yikes.

[cdnavater]

OT is a very good point.
I have a lot of commuter friends who spend around 6-800$ a month commuting. What, did you think it was free? AIFs. Ubers to the airport, food, crashpads, not to mention it is probably the single biggest waste of your time. I could never imagine getting into cattle class after flying 4 legs.

Sure my buddy living in YYC has rent that is probably 6-700$ cheaper than YYZ, but had he moved to base he can pick up OT easily doubling his monthly cheques instead of spending his days off commuting.

It is literally cheaper and more lucrative to live on base!

Planning on renting forever?
There are many reasons to commute and it is for the most part a preference but if you want to own a house, we’ll let me put it this way, I have a big house with a big shop on a river front acreage for about half the price of a Brampton teardown property. My mortgage is less than two bedroom rent in the greater Toronto area, because of this I can afford to have two new vehicles in my garage, a boat, a side by side ATV, a motorcycle and money for going out to eat a proper restaurants without working all that OT.
I have not done a single day of OT in over a year, I certainly don’t need to living in a cheaper town!
Could we do better for commuters, absolutely, the US seems to embrace it as a lifestyle whereas in Canada, all parties like to get their pound of flesh where they can.
Also, your notion about spending days off commute is false, I will typical come in the evening before I work unless it’s a late afternoon start but 99% of the time I get home on my last day and most of that is in time for supper. Early days are tougher but once you get some seniority on your aircraft bidding can make life much easier, especially if your type overnights at your domicile.

No but i’m not like a lot of people who think they’ll never be able to buy a house in the GTA. Millions of people live here and continue to do so. I don’t really see how a young pilot can’t have a house eventually. Does it have to be at 26 years old? No. Plenty of other things to put your money in.

As for your commuting comment, what happens when say OP wants to go captain? Are you forgetting to mention that if they take an upgrade right away they will have to commute on reserve? Oh… so they wait instead until they hold a good block as a captain, which could be a few years. Those few years of income could translate to hundreds of thousands of dollars lost down the line.

Sure, however the house I’m in was purchased on FO wages, Jazz FO wages and given it has more than doubled since I bought it, I’d say the lost wages were offset by purchasing the house sooner than I could have at a base. Think about that for a second, if you commute from a place that you could buy a house for 400k, could you do that now at 26? Much smaller down payment required, how long would it take to save up the down payment required for a million dollar house that needs major renovations!
In the GTA, how far do you need to live to afford a house, 3 hour drive, four?

[altiplano]

There are advantages to both... I've both lived in base and been a commuter.

Whatever floats your boat. In base pilots can be happy that commuters aren't taking their OT or bidding junior to senior positions leaving quicker advancement for some, commuters can be happy that there are fewer people looking for that last seat or jumpseat on their commute.

Everyone can be happy that they're living the life they want...

What a stupid thing to argue about.

[cdnavater]

There are advantages to both... I've both lived in base and been a commuter.

Whatever floats your boat. In base pilots can be happy that commuters aren't taking their OT or bidding junior to senior positions leaving quicker advancement for some, commuters can be happy that there are fewer people looking for that last seat or jumpseat on their commute.

Everyone can be happy that they're living the life they want...

What a stupid thing to argue about.

Don’t forget, commuters hate single day pairings leaving those for non!

[Bountly]

Curious what people think the best company/base for a commuter would be? Commuting from Halifax.

Porter or Air Canada are solid picks for Halifax commuters.