Commuting for DJ

[overhere]

Hi,

Can any Virgin Blue crew advise how easy/hard it would be to commute from SYD to BNE or MEL and whether a BNE or MEL base would be better for commuting?

Also interested in which base would on average receive more SYD o/n's.

Thanks heaps

[737opsguy]

I can only speak from experience in discussion the same topic with a crew member about 6 months ago who wanted to do this. He did a bit of asking around and wasn't able to find anyone who was approved for commuting. BNE and MEL are the only crew bases as you stated.

The "trips" can range from 1 to 4 days I think and there is also airport reserve duty in 5 hour shifts I think. They also have something called "available days" which I think is like home reserve where you could be called in.

If the company wont approve any commuting rights you'd probably have to have a place to stay in MEL or BNE. He looked into the staff travel and you'd get about 25-30 one-way trips for about $20 a trip (fees and charges) after which the price goes up to about $45-$50 a trip. You also wouldn't have access to a staff car park in SYD.

Hopefully someone who is actually VB CC can provide you with some more up-to-date and, fingers crossed, more positive information.

[milbud]

There are actually a number of VB CC who commute from Sydney in particular. They are attached to the BNE base. I know of at least one in Perth who commutes to MEL. If i can get hold of my mate in SYD tonight I will find out the detail from him, but I know he occasionally commutes to MEL to start from there on occasion and from time to time starts his trips from SYD though he mainly commutes to BNE.

So it can be done! but these people set up their situation a while back when DJ were dithering over whether to set up a base in SYD.

If I can get more accurate info I will send it directly to you not post it.

Cheers.