Be sure that you truly understand the preferred port system before you elect one. They basically work great if you actually live in your preferred port. An example of a poor decision: Pilot lives in Seattle and elects Vancouver BC as pilot's preferred port. Great I can drive to work! Trip starts out of Vancouver on the freighter up to Anchorage ends 11 days later in Los Angeles which is your actual base. Arrive into LAX at midnight, sleep on the couch, lot's of available seats on the first flight to Seattle, but oh SH!+ my car is in YVR! People who elect preferred ports are basically saying "Sure I'll cover 2 airports for ya" and I'll do it for free!!!The company has no obligation to start and end your trip at the same airport if you have a preferred port. Also, if you are used to seniority and bidding, forget all about it if you join CX. Also, in the example above, if the pilot didn't have YVR as a preferred port and the company wanted him to start his trip there, they would have to get him there from LAX and provide a hotel and allowances. Instead he get's nothing.