So I've been interested in learning about how airlines work (operations, routes).
I understand that of all the destinations in a major airline's route network, there are some that are crew bases or domiciles, usually a hub or a focus city, correct?
However, what about the "outstations"? Can a pilot or flight attendant be based regularly at an outstation and start trips from there? For example, does United have crew based at BOS or PHL?
If not, can crew still start trips at the outstations? For example, an American pilot based in DFW begins a trip in DEN.
Any answers/info would be appreciated!
This coming from a Regional Pilot guy, so the other's experiences may be different.
Each area has a base. There are large and small bases. The outstations are not bases in our case. They are locations that we serve away from our main base. Say if we fly from Houston to Tyler and overnight at Tyler then we are considered to be at an outstation. We used to have a base at Tyler. The difference is that an outstation does not have an "operations staff or center" and crew are not assigned from that base.
What you are talking about, with starting trips from somewhere other then a base is what we call "trip trading". You can give away partial or whole segments of your trip. It generally involves a few phone calls and filling out a form to request a trade with a willing pilot. So in this case, your pilot wants to start in Denver instead of DFW. The pilot requesting to start in DEN must find a pilot who is ending in DEN that is willing to give up a segment or all of their remaining trip so that the other may start in DEN and end at the location ending in the swap - may be DFW or another base.
In our case, we have what are called day trips and 2-3-4 day trips. A day trip is one that begins and ends at your base. For example if Denver is your base, you fly two or more round trips that day and finish for the day in Denver. A guy like myself likes 4 day trips, where you being at your base (IAH in my case) and you spend the night at outstations. So say you finish the first night in DEN the second night you sleep at LAX the third night you sleep in SEA and then on the last day you will finish at IAH.
Trip Trades are where you have two willing pilots who are willing to swap schedules. Other then doing that you will be limited to what you are scheduled to do. So if you were supposed to start every day at DFW then you can not ask to change your schedule so that you start in DEN every day. You have to either have someone to cover your original schedule to make sure it is covered. If you do not, crew scheduling is more than likely not going to allow you to give your flying away to a reserve pilot (there are never enough, LOL). So you gotta have all scheduled flying spoken for before you can start making changes to your schedule.... as in a 1 for 1 trade.
However, what about the "outstations"? Can a pilot or flight attendant be based regularly at an outstation and start trips from there? For example, does United have crew based at BOS or PHL?
If not, can crew still start trips at the outstations? For example, an American pilot based in DFW begins a trip in DEN.
That depends on if you are a line holder or not. If you are a line holder, then you begin your trip at the location specified.... which will always be your assigned base. If you wish to start at a location other then your assigned base you have to do like I mentioned above - it's gonna be up to you to find someone to be willing to trade with you for that to work out. Crew scheduling will not help you find someone who will be starting or ending where you want.
That is from the Regional Level - Majors may vary widely
Bob
