Originally Posted by
AMLFlyer
Airlines do not have pilots sitting around all day and night. One interesting fact is that 50-60% of pilots do not live in the city they are based. They live all around the country and world and non rev to their base to work. If reserve crews are available and at the base, they need to be called in.
Well, I know of at least one airline that does have pilots "sitting around all day and night" - Delta. My brother is a DL 767/757 captain, and in the winter when schedules aren't so tight, he typically spends part of his monthly duty sitting in a hotel near LAX on reserve. When a captain is ill, or stuck somewhere else with a broken plane, my brother gets the call and he reports for duty.