Commuting is for the birds! You’ll find a version of this sentiment in every flight attendant forum. Commuting is another job in itself, especially being on reserve AND probation. Commuting means you live in one city and are based in another. So you’d have to get to that other city to work. Most of the times, it means air travel. This can be on your airline or another.
Being “on reserve” means you don’t have specific flights scheduled ahead of time. Instead, your schedule consists of filling in for when other flight attendants can’t make their scheduled flights. This could be due to going illegal, call outs, or delays. You can be assigned a flight as early as the night before, but no less than three hours before check-in time. When on reserve, it’s best to commute into base the day before you’re scheduled.
Living Cross-Country
I’m still on reserve. But, probation is over…WHEW! To be fair, I’m not a full-on commuter. I do have a place in the Bay Area. That makes things a lot easier. I like the idea of having a place to call home in the area. Some people stay in crash pads while they’re commuting. Some are VERY brave and don’t have a place at all.
The adventure began on April 17, 2023. I spent a little over six weeks at flight attendant training in Houston. After training, I was based in San Francisco (still here as of December 2023). One of the main questions when applying to be flight attendant positions is, “Are you willing to relocate?”. Or something along those lines. Of course, I clicked yes! I knew I wouldn’t be based in South Florida right after training. So I knew some commuting would be involved. I expected Newark. It seemed plausible. After all, Newark (EWR) is a large base for my airline.
Boy was I wrong! I couldn’t have been based any farther away in San Francisco. The base assignments were announced on the first Friday in training. This was just the latest addition to my list of discomforts. Moving out of Florida was NOT on the table. So, a cross-country commute was the next best option.
Making Life Easier
There are a few things that can make commuting a bit easier:
- Plan Ahead: Check for major events happening in your base city and your hometown. This can severely effect the availability of seats on your preferred flight.
- Be Punctual: Being on time KEY in this business. Make sure to arrive BEFORE your reserve period begins. For many, that means arriving the day before, myself included.
- Back Up Plan: Have several flights in mind. Even if there’s a direct flight between both cities, it’s important to be prepared just in case you can’t make that flight due to weather or no space available.
- Commuter Policy: Most airlines offer a version of a policy that will cover you if don’t make it in time. Be sure to learn your airline’s commuter policy.
- Where to Sleep: Just because you’re on a reserve day, it does not guarantee that you’ll be flying. For those times in between assignments, you need to sleep somewhere. This can be hotels, crashpads, a small apartment, or the airport (some do not allow this).
There is a lot to consider when deciding whether to move to a new city or commute. For me, making a cross-country move was not an option. So I opted for commuting and a small place close to the airport. I know (hope) this won’t be forever. So, for now, I’m focusing on enjoying my time in the Bay Area until I can be based in South Florida.
