Does anyone Enjoy Living on Base at KORD?
Posted by donveyy@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 86 comments
I understand it’s considered a junior base and for good reason. However I’m looking at different junior bases and Chicago looks like such a great city, especially compared to NYC and other metros, it’s just the taxi and takeoff queues are often talked about as being some of, if not the worst.
I’d love to live there someday but does living in such a well designed city make the traffic worth it?
Patrick_Based_Man@reddit
Know some people that drive about 30-40 minutes to KORD and it’s not bad. It’s always better than commuting to somewhere else
andrewrbat@reddit
I was based there and considered moving to the schamburg area or similar. Decided to stay in the northeast for family, and to have some hills ( flat country is a deal breaker as im a skier). Spent many days in the rosemont area and it was fine.
As far as the airport goes, who cares? U are paid hourly. The longer it takes the more ur paid to an extent. Delay enough and you may get out of that penalty lap too.
If you can live somewhere on the blue line you wont have to fight traffic getting to the airport. Otherwise, yeah it’s rough. Going to the city is worse.
BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit
It depends on trip construction at Widget. We're only paid "by the minute" if it's a hard time trip. But a lot of trips have a significant amount of credit in them (especially if you're senior). So longer taxi times and longer block times just eat into credit without actually adding value to the trip.
JasonThree@reddit
If youre being paid on trip rig, that extra time is adding onto your credit, albeit slowly.
BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit
That's not how it works at Delta.
JasonThree@reddit
So if you are rigged you can't make extra money?
BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit
You can, only if you go into an unscheduled extended duty period (>10 hours) or if your block exceeds all the rigs.
Example 1: four day trip pays 21:00 and is scheduled to block 17:00, so 4:00 of credit. If I block 19:00 hours, it still only pays 21:00.
Example 2: four day trip pays 22:00 and is scheduled to block 22:00. If I block 23:00, it pays 23:00
There are some small nuances, but that's pretty much how it works.
andrewrbat@reddit
Yes sir i understand how my paycheck is composed… as well as anyone can here. I haven’t gotten pay 359 yet lol. Im generalizing for OP. I also figure Hes not coming here if he wants to be based in ORD.
BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit
I apologize, I wasn't trying to mansplain to you. Just merely offering perspective. From your flare, you could be at any number of major airlines...
andrewrbat@reddit
The only good one 😃🔺
srv340mike@reddit
I'm from Chicago and it is nice. It's worth a try
NDBlover@reddit
I do like it, I live in the suburbs with my parents (22), it’s about a 50 minute drive to the airport, lots to do on my days off, nice gyms not far from the airport, good restaurants, lots of open time to pick up on my days off, my main complaint with ORD is the location of the employee lot for my airline but aside from that it has been great, good opportunities to over block which is great for building time
donveyy@reddit (OP)
Being 22 living with the your parents and being at an airline all sound like an absolute dream! I’m 21 chasing my PPL lol great going with the early start!
NDBlover@reddit
Haha I can live in my own but it’s hard to justify only being home 8 days per month
donveyy@reddit (OP)
i mean your situation sounds ideal tho, no sense in paying rent when you’re there 8 days, but as you get seniority i’ll bet a nice highrise couldn’t hurt! That’s def my dream when i hopefully move there one day. Maybe you’ll wanna see other cities tho
JimLeylandsCiggies@reddit
I love living in Chicago. The long taxi times mean the block is higher and we get paid more. If you compare ORD block times to MSP for example they make less on average per trip because MSP is so fast with taxi times.
minimums_landing@reddit
I don’t understand why some people love to crap on ORD so much. Every large international airport has its own issues and pains, ORD is that unfortunately the airport handles about 2x the amount of traffic it’s designed to handle. They are starting to do some serious construction to help with the increase in traffic but unfortunately it’s happening a little late so that won’t be finished until the end of this decade at the earliest probably. Also just due to the location ORD in prone to some psychotically bipolar weather in the spring and fall and a random blizzard in late March that pops up out of nowhere can throw on some nasty EDCTs.
BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit
Because it's the only airport where I consistently have to taxi for 25+ minutes.
minimums_landing@reddit
Gates are indeed a problem won’t argue with you on that.
BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit
A 20+ minute taxi to get to my gate is normal even when the gate is open.
minimums_landing@reddit
Damn does your company OpSpecs require yall to always land on 27R or something? 😂
BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit
No, but that's where they put us about 90% of the time. Every once in a while I'll see 9C/27C.
minimums_landing@reddit
Are you in terminal 1?
BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit
Terminal 5
minimums_landing@reddit
Interesting….my guess was 27R is cause ur T1 and that makes the most sense for the taxi flow but I would think 28C would make the most since since T5 is right there. Yea no wonder ur taxi is so long landing on 27R then having to do the tour de O’hare all the way around to T5 yeeesh
BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit
It's their world and I'm just livin' in it.
Bunslow@reddit
how often have you requested the 28 complex (vs 27 complex) from approach? depending on what direction you're coming from, they may be surprisingly able to accommodate such a request
minimums_landing@reddit
Ohare almost never accommodates runways for gate reasons lol. I always here foreign carriers and often SkyWest ask for a specific runway and they get shut down before they can even finish the sentence😂
Bunslow@reddit
that's part of why i ask about "complex" rather than a single piece of pavement. each complex is three runways (two landing runways), which in theory could increase the odds that tracon cooperates -- depending on the direction of arrival.
i suppose not tho
Bunslow@reddit
as the faa has been saying for the last two decades, better 20-30 minutes on the ground than 2 hours in the air
Mundane-Reality-7770@reddit
As someone who has worked on the fringes of ord in the construction/logistics side doing repair work. The area surrounding ORD has changed drastically in the last 20 years. Constant construction. At the airport and surrounding area.
Gutter_Snoop@reddit
*random blizzard following an entire day of severe thunderstorms.
Like about three weeks ago.
KCPilot17@reddit
You do realize we're paid by the minute, right? I could care less about a long taxi.
Live where you want to live. The physical airport is irrelevant in that decision making.
LukiCharm_@reddit
It doesn't matter until you are finishing a brutal 4 day and you FINALLY land on your go home leg, only to taxi 30 minutes just to sit in the pad for 3 hours begging for a gate. All of this knowing it is going to take you another hour to just get from the gate to your car.
554TangoAlpha@reddit
Oh no extra money!
mfsp2025@reddit
I love money just as much as the next guy but I’m also the same guy to drop turns at the end of a trip so that shows I value time at home way more than a few extra dollars that’ll get taxed.
And at the regional level, there’s always stuff built into our contract that negates it. My airline will take away any and all overblocks the second you misconnect something (which happens A LOT at ORD). I’ve had 2 hour overblocks canceled out by a misconnect lol
canuck791@reddit
Meh. A gate hold on my last leg when I know I'm driving home and have a bunch of days off is about as chill of an extra few hours of pay you'll ever do.
Different story if you commute of course, but that wasn't what OP was asking.
mfsp2025@reddit
My last gate hold that was in the middle of a trip that caused me to go from a 3 hour duty day/17 hour overnight to being reassigned into a 9 hour duty day/min rest overnight for $0 extra pay. Maybe that’s why I’m still bitter about ORD lol. I remember waking up that morning thinking it was gonna be a nice easy day.
Literally was begging ops for a gate for a whole hour because I knew if I misconnected that flight, I’d get screwed.
canuck791@reddit
LOL yeah that's rough. I happens from time to time, I have had similar happen.
canuck791@reddit
Sweet, an extra grand in my pocket I'll take it. 3 hour gate hold is the easiest money you'll ever make.
Bot_Marvin@reddit
Honestly even on go home day I’ll take an extra 3 hours of pay when I live in base. That’s 500 bucks for nothing.
ThatLooksRight@reddit
$1100. (Sorry)
PWJT8D@reddit
Better than missing your commute. At least you’re just a few minutes later to your car/train home.
mightymac-89@reddit
Obama paid for my vacation home with all the VIP airspace closures when I was based in ORD
mfsp2025@reddit
In OP’s defense, ORD can be brutal. I’ve had “long taxis” (blocked alleys, occupied gates) cause me to misconnect and get reassigned into a significantly worse trip. Also sucks on go home day if you’re a commuter. And without fail, there’s always an EDCT on the last leg of the trip.
Being based in ORD made me vow to never be based here again wherever I go next. I’d rather move and live somewhere else if I go to an airline with an ORD base.
dopexile@reddit
Chicago also has notoriously bad weather, which can cause you to get stuck.
Warrior_witha_Garden@reddit
this is the answer !!!
jg19915@reddit
100%. The last thing I care about is more block on go home leg when there’s a 45 minute flow time and when you finally do get in you wait another hour on the gate and the entire crews missed their commute home. If Kcpilot has actaully experienced this regularly and still doesn’t care, then kudos to him but I hate it.
fender8421@reddit
Agreed. You spend more time at home than you do taxiing along the ramp.
Well at least in theory
dopexile@reddit
Nope, my home is on the taxiway
fender8421@reddit
We can't all be Mr. "Winning at Life" guy here
donveyy@reddit (OP)
This! It’s just seeing the way some people speak about it you’d swear they have to wait in queues without pay
BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit
I'm not paid by the minute on most of my rotations, since they have a lot of soft time built in. If block exceeds scheduled block, I don't actually get paid any extra unless it's a hard time trip.
BerMalBerIst@reddit
I think we're unique in that. My regional was compared leg-by-leg and I've heard others are as well.
boldoldpilot@reddit
You haven’t waited over an hour in the CDF for your gate on go home day and it shows
Raccoon_Ratatouille@reddit
Long taxi and takeoff queues? Brother you’re getting paid by the minute. Set the parking brake and chill out and count the dollars you’re making every minute.
Warrior_witha_Garden@reddit
if your single and live in a safe hood....if you get lost, you can lose your life :(
TwoZigZags45@reddit
Dont have any of these problems at MDW....
extralastthrowaway@reddit
I commute but had a crash pad there for a while. A buddy and his gf live in and are based in ORD. They like it very much and take the train to work. I don’t know if they even have a car anymore. Run clubs, bike clubs, beach days, hike days, city days, concert venues, a food scene, a theater scene. You aren’t going to climb mountains or find a square acre all to yourself, and sometimes you’ll freeze, but Chicago is pretty good.
Law-of-Poe@reddit
A lot of people in the flying community will be surprised to learn that many people like cities
Rainebowraine123@reddit
Almost like cities are so big because people want to live there!
FestivusFan@reddit
Life dream to not have a car anymore
donveyy@reddit (OP)
Thanks! I’m looking at it probably for early on in my career, not to stay forever. Sounds great!
breakingthejewels@reddit
Yeah imagine having a job where you could live anywhere on earth and you chose to live in Illinois??
But yes, I have buddies who live DT Chicago and love it. To each their own.
ClearedInHot@reddit
One morning on the crew bus from the hotel I got to talking to a United captain. It turned out he was based at ORD and lived in Chicago. I asked him how he liked it. He said,
"Well, Chicago is a great city for New Yorkers who enjoy the crime and the traffic but are looking for a colder climate."
ltmp@reddit
He sounds like he actually lives in Naperville
kdbleeep@reddit
What's wrong with Naperville?
ltmp@reddit
It’s a common joke and meme for people in the Chicagoland area. People from Naperville like to claim that they’re from Chicago proper, but Naperville is more of an exurb and its own little city. They’ll often have strong opinions of Chicago even though they’re not even in the same county.
BerMalBerIst@reddit
When I was based there I loved it. Long taxi times didn't bother me (but they weren't as bad as they are now). When you're driving/training to work, being late doesn't matter too much since you're getting paid. If you're going to commute... can't say I'd recommend it.
554TangoAlpha@reddit
It’s awesome, live off the blue line if you’re young and junior like everyone else. Some of my best times at the regionals there.
OrganicParamedic6606@reddit
Ohare sucks, but so does every major airport,
Chicago is fucking amazing, which is decidedly not true of every major city in this country
Fancy_o_lucas@reddit
Everyone’s talking about getting paid but another great part of being based here is the misconnects. Took an hour delay for deicng and missed your overnight connection? Guess who gets to go home for the night? De icing here is bad in terms of takeoff cues but the taxiing is no worse than it is at somewhere like DFW or DEN, you just get more runway crossings here than elsewhere.
Half the days that this airport is a mess due to weather, another base in the system is also gridlocked for the same storm system.
lono13@reddit
People that say ORD isn't that bad sound like battered housewives. Everyone knows they're in a toxic relationship except for them.
jabbs72@reddit
Been based at ORD for all but 2.5 months of my career, wouldn't change it if I could.
Silly-Ad5211@reddit
After flying in and out of ORD for a couple years I started to appreciate really how welled piles of a machine that place is. It’s really not that bad once you get used to the operations. Also the city is so much fun! All kinds of activities to indulge in for any and all interests. Would not be mad about being stuck there at all.
NecessaryLight2815@reddit
Long taxi= 💸💸. The only reason I care about long taxi is takeoff minimum fuel and the dispatcher always adds that in.
ywgflyer@reddit
How do you get paid? If it's an hourly rate, the long lineups are a good thing, you get paid to sit around waiting.
If you get paid by the trip, different story, of course.
Congested airports aren't always a bad thing for your paycheck.
Dry-Coast7599@reddit
Totally worth it. I’d live there again in a heartbeat. I did 4.5yrs flying CRJ’s out of ORD. I think ORD offered a great yet diverse flying experience, personally I enjoyed the excellent non-rev opportunities. The city itself is cool yet affordable and offers excellent food and culture. People are young and the abundant Midwest nice makes being social and making friends very easy.
flyinillini14@reddit
Great city to live in when you are young and single. Great suburbs to live in when you are raising kids.
Mazer1415@reddit
Do you know what happen with long taxis and gate delays? You get paid MORE. I’m originally from the west suburbs. I miss living there. Although I love Asheville now.
BagOfMoneyNoChange@reddit
Not necessarily true. It depends on trip construction at my airline. When you're senior, you can usually bid trips with a lot of soft time credit. If block times are higher than scheduled, it just eats into soft time instead of adding value to the rotation.
Perfect_Big_5907@reddit
yeah ORD is the shit to fly out of. Now if you are brand new FO and this is your first domicile you won't know any different until you get a different one. Then you will spend the rest of your career trying to go anywhere but ORD.
blizzue@reddit
I have been based at ORD Since 2011 and I love it.
unnecessary_overhead@reddit
Not an airline pilot but I live in the suburbs and fly with / know plenty of senior captains who could get whatever base they want. Something must be keeping them here.
And, as somebody who is considering trying a mid-career switch to pilot in the next few years, I would love to stay in the Chicago area. I've lived other places and keep coming back.
RaiseTheDed@reddit
Depends if you like the weather.... It's windy and cold in the winter. I'm glad it's just my base and I don't live there.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I understand it’s considered a junior base and for good reason. However I’m looking at different junior bases and Chicago looks like such a great city, especially compared to NYC and other metros, it’s just the taxi and takeoff queues are often talked about as being some of, if not the worst.
I’d love to live there someday but does living in such a well designed city make the traffic worth it?
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