Delta reserve life: how long, which bases, what a reserve month looks like
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#1 New York base, still on reserve, so I'm the right person to ask. Reserve at Delta means A-days: you're on call within a two-hour window and scheduling can assign any legal trip. A reserve month has a guaranteed minimum of paid hours whether you fly or not, and around 10-12 days off. How long you stay on reserve is entirely base-dependent: junior bases can be months, New York, LA and Boston can be two to three years. Choose your base with that in mind, not the city you dream about.
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#2 This is the single most important thing new US hires get wrong. A less glamorous base gets you a line years earlier and you can transfer later with seniority.
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#3 Houston at United got me off reserve in 14 months. My classmate in San Francisco is still there in year three.
