If the pilot is away from his or her tax home, the travel expense to and from the airport to the hotel is deductible travel. If the pilot is at their tax home, they are non-deductible commuting expenses. See for example this tax court case involving a United Express pilot. https://www.watsoncpagroup.com/images/pdf_up/TCSummary2010-127Commuting.pdf
The pilot maintained a home and farm in Tennessee but regularly was assigned and flew out of Dulles, and maintained a residence in Sterling VA to be close to Dulles. Since the pilot was regularly assigned to fly out of Dulles, that was his "tax home" and travel from Tennessee to Sterling and from Sterling to Dulles were non-deductible commuting. Neither transportation, lodging costs, or meals are deductible. However, if the pilot stays overnight in a remote city (the other end of his route) that is "travel", and the pilot is allowed to deduct meal and lodging expenses as well as transportation to and from the airport.
Of course, this only applies to 2017 and earlier, the deduction for unreimbursed business expenses was eliminated for 2018 and forward. You or your union should be discussing new arrangements with your employer.
