Considering Commuting to Out of State Job
 

Hello. I'm new here. I'm hoping that some veteran super-commuters can help point me in a direction.

I live in Cleveland and have been seriously considering applying for out of state positions. I turnaround schools that are in academic distress (School Improvement). I'm really good at what I do and am very passionate about my work. Since Ohio funding is very low per pupil (urban areas average $7,000/pupil), I find myself looking for jobs frequently. The problem is that the only places that continuously have positions for me are in New York, DC, California (basically places where the average dollar per child is almost double OR the schools are in such bad shape that they are being forced to hire people like me). Where I'm at now, the district was in School Improvement so they had no choice but to hire 20 people like me. After 1 year, we boosted scores enough for the Ohio Department of Education to give the power back to our board......so now we are all going to be unemployed at the end of the year.

Here's the thing.....if I work out-of-state, I want to be able to come up weekly or bi-weekly. To make matters worse, education isn't exactly a high paying field. I need to be able to rent a little place and still come home weekly. Any advice for booking cheap weekly fares? I googled and found sites but once on their website, I can't seem to find "flat rates" or "book rates." These websites look like regular search engines for booking round-trip or one-way flights with specific dates.What am I doing wrong? If anyone has any advice, please let me know. This is so new to me. Any advice is appreciated!

Staci

Before you commit to this, best to get an idea on ticket cost between you home airport and work airport. Keep in mind that airfares tend to be very flexible when it comes to pricing. Supply and demand are key elements, schedule, direct filghts, etc.

What websites where you using to search? You can purchase tickets directly through the airline, as well as through a travel agent, or an online agency, (hotwire, priceline, cheaptickets, expedia are some examples) You can use the google flights to search rates on certain dates, just to get an idea of cost. However, keep in mind that it is a fluid market and rates can change. There is not much of a price difference from one site vs another. Just keep in mind that typically the price shown first will most likely the be the lowest cost, and those tend to come with lots of restrictions.

Once you determine what is your ticket cost, you can get an idea on the budget you have and see if it is worthwhile. Numerous travelers air commute, but most of them have a high paying job or their employer takes care of the cost. From what you mention you are in a not so high paying field, and desire to come home weekly or bi-weekly. Any reason why you do not move temporarily to where you might work at, and sublet your current place?

A few things to consider, is to check the frequency and schedule of travel between the cities in question. Some carriers only have one flight a date, and if there is a cancellation, or delay, you might get stuck trying to get to the destination. Also, remember that most major cities have more than one airport.

Good luck.

Welcome.

Unfortunately, there is none.

Per my observation, airlines work against education. So when the tickets are cheap, it is usually not a good time to travel, and vice versa.

This is a very good point. While the "normal" prices for flights might be reasonable, you will also need to consider what Gary is mentioning. The prices around school holidays can skyrocket due to high demand. And it's not just the school district for which you would be working. If there are multiple schools districts in the area, they might have different calendars. That means those high prices for airfare might stretch across several weeks.

Don't forget to also include transport to/from the airports into your decision. NYC had 3 main airports which have lots of access but the cheap public option only connects to 1, where the other have moderately priced mass transit options, usually takes a lot of time & may be less reliable to run on time. If you're spending $75-$150 each week that adds up pretty quickly.

To illustrate further, commuting is simply not the option here.

1. Commuting by plane is generally favorable with a short flight time (like SFO-LAX) and/or the travel is within the same time zone (like NYC-BOS).

What you are suggesting is practically cross-country. You will waste significant time just because of time zone changes. For example, with a Friday afternoon departure, you arrive at CLE in last evening, almost midnight.

2. In general, departures on Sunday, Monday and Friday are more expensive. These are the days you will most likely travel.

3. With WN's lenient cancellation policy, it is possible that you can book a ticket each week to secure a seat with a relative low price. But given what you have mentioned, I doubt you will have the necessary money to do something that crazy.

4. By adding up everything, I doubt that the pay difference can make up the commuting cost.

I'd agree that flights to CA would be inconvenient, but the to the northeast ought to work. CLE-DCA is actually a shorter flight than your SFO-LAX example.

I'm not sure what relevance the school holiday calendar has, as presumably this is a job that is independent of students. But I agree that this is probably not a very wise way to be work hunting. A weekly commute for any distance that makes sense (under two hours) is going to cost several hundred dollars a week. So better part of $1,000. Add to that your rent, and I'm guessing that the higher wages offered in different states begin to thin out a bit.

This proposal is definitely workable, as long as you keep in mind a few considerations. A lot of people commute on a weekly or semi-regular basis. Obviously, you want your pay/compensation at the new job to make it worthwhile. The main expenses will be for lodging at your new job location and for travel to and from home. Other living expenses like food and entertainment shouldn't be any more than you would already spend at home.

Assuming you will need to travel on weekends, you should mostly know your schedule ahead of time. Unfortunately, there is no special place to go for low-cost advance purchase tickets. But you can keep your eye on prices and buy in advance when the price is right. If you choose the East Coast, it may be feasible to drive occasionally instead of flying. If you're on the West Coast, flying is your only option.. It all depends on where you live and work in relation to the airports. Another consideration the ability to spend your time off (weekends and vacation) at your new location. If you have a family to consider, they can possibly come to see you instead of you going home. And time zone differences can be overcome, because whatever you lose in one direction you make up in the other direction.

A flexible schedule will help make commuting easier. Also if the new job involves travel, you may be able to work that into your schedule. That would save you time and possibly money.

Both of my parents were public school administrators at the district level. Quite literally, no job is independent of students. When schools are closed for vacations, everything else shuts down except security.

In which case OP would only be travelling in low season!

That's only true if there's a nonstop flight between the work location and home. If it's a one-connection flight through a hub, the OP would be sharing that flight with families leaving for vacation on a Friday afternoon/evening. And then it's the same issue returning on a Sunday.

Wonder if you have looked into the tax situation of the other states.