The Overnight

One of the most misunderstood parts of an airline professional’s job is the overnight. Passengers, friends, and family often think this is the best part of being a crew member. It can be fun, especially when it entails flying to places like Hawaii, but for many of us, other factors play a larger role in attracting us to the lifestyle of flying for an airline. 

When asked what our route is, the truth is that it’s always changing. That’s what I like about my job. The variety of flying is what keeps me engaged as a pilot. Whenever my company adds a destination, I try to bid on it. Flying to a new place keeps me on my toes. It’s about the challenge of landing at an unfamiliar airport. 

When we first introduced a nonstop flight to the Bahamas this past spring, I did two trips there to reacquaint myself with landing on an island that I’d visited as a kid. Flying into Nassau, the only thing I recognized about the landscape was the white sand beach and the clarity of the turquoise water. Like many tropical locations, the Bahamas has transformed itself into a high-end vacation destination. There are hotels and rental homes everywhere. 

Often my work trips are determined by the season, the popularity of the destination, and the number of years I’ve worked at my company. Bidding on trips is all about seniority. Changing jobs can be tempting, but the penalty means less choice when it comes to my schedule and the places I’ll fly. Crew members tend to stay at a certain company because of this. 

Sometimes, I avoid a destination just because I don’t sleep well in a particular hotel. I need a dark room with a constant fan running. My routine for a good night sleep involves setting the temperature to a comfortable 65 degrees. I roll a towel up and wedge it at the base of my hotel door to block out any light from the hallway. And I also wear earplugs. If I have loud neighbors, I turn up a fan app on my phone, setting it on the nightstand next to the bed. A good sleep is an essential ingredient for an overnight to be attractive. It’s hard to function as a pilot if I don’t sleep well because my job requires so much attention to detail. 

My all-time favorite work trips lead me to friends and family. Recently, I swam in the ocean near Waikiki Beach with a friend from college. After our dip in the ocean, we ate dinner together at the Elk’s Lodge. Next week, I fly to my hometown of Chicago, where I hope to swim in Lake Michigan and have a meal with family. Overnights can be a great way to check in with the people I love. I’ve found that sometimes a short visit provides the greatest memories. 

As I gain more seniority, my desire for efficient trips has risen. Many seasoned pilots opt to spend as little time as possible in a hotel room. I like to mix it up because I commute a few states away just to get to work, so I often require more rest than the average pilot who lives in base. Last month, I did a productive (high paying) trip with a short (eleven-hour) overnight stay in Salt Lake City. I followed it with a longer trip to Kona, Hawaii, (twenty-two hours on the ground). And I ended the week with an easy Philadelphia two-day trip, where I stayed in a hotel within walking distance to the terminal. My room had a view of a freeway, but I didn’t care because the next afternoon, I was heading home for five days.  

Overnights are an integral part of the job. Some are better than others. Many simply provide a much needed rest after a busy day. Occasionally, they offer an experience that I will remember for a lifetime.