Justbelowcap, if companies do not even take work & rest rules seriously and generally try to stretch crews out to the max, why do you believe that anyone in management would be even remotely interested in this? It's just not going to happen is it?
Seems to me that
nexeuk suggestion is the only workable one, though frought with problems and not exactly making for a hassle free start to the working day.
....recently had an FO who went out salsa dancing in Berlin all night, and announced that fact to the whole crew when he arrived in the lobby 3 minutes before our 0400 pick up. FAs very upset by this, so I approached the Captain. Who also wasn't best pleased but decided to fly with him anyway...... So we flew and the FO looked like a wrung out dish rag slumped in his seat, very very annoyed with us for having questioned his being fit-for-flight. Lesson learned for me was that next time I will either refuse to fly and take with me the FAs, or just shut up and hope for the best..... Realpolitik isn't pretty.
Having said that, I do think
Justbelowcap's concern is valid. I live a 5 hour car-train-plane trip from base, and I almost always travel out the day before starting duty. On the rare occasion when I commute and work on the same day, I definitely notice the accumulated effect of the commute plus a 3 leg day. Being tired and stressed even
before starting my flight makes me feel that I'm less alert than what I should have been. The idea of not reacting appropriately in an emergency due to
self induced tiredness is what keeps me commuting the day before.
The argument "Look at how tired we get from working and that's all right with the company, so we might as well show up for work equally tired since the comapny doesn't give a !!!!! either" doesn't work for me personally. The company might be an irresponsible @ss, but I try my best not to be.
But perhaps I have an over active conscience?
The nux of the matter is, with long working hours/teething kids, you don't have a choice. With a commute, you do.
Seeing how I do not 'command' anything more dangerous than a coffee pot and a bunch of FAs, I'm probably a great big fool for taking x amount of days per year away from the family to show up for work well rested though.
