Don't you hate it when you can't figure out what airport to use?

[Caradana]

I have this moment a few times per year. I hear that I need to be in "Beaverton, Oregon" or "La Jolla, California" or "Mountain Home, Arkansas" and it takes a decent amount of research to figure out where the heck to fly in order to get to that place most efficiently and effectively.

So here's a kicker from today. I have to get to "Victoria, British Columbia" in August. My first theory was Seattle, so I checked out the route in Google Maps. Though the distance is just 162 miles, for some reason, Google Maps opines that this ride will take me 12 hours and 8 minutes. I can't determine why. Maybe a ferry???

I think Victoria has an airport, but I'm sure I'll have to sell my firstborn in order to fly into it. Sometimes I feel like I entered the wrong industry. I think that if you fly into small airports, you can charge a fortune, even if you're flying a tin can while you pedal. I don't get that.

Anyone have suggestions for Victoria, British Columbia?

 

[JennyMominRI]

Well,I could have helped you with the LaJolla one... That's a rich suburb of San Diego

 

[bsnyder]

Vancouver?

 

[Caradana]

Maybe Vancouver. I had my fingers crossed for Seattle because it's usually cheaper.. We have a program where if your airfare is under $X, they pay you half the difference between your cost and $X ... it's a way to incent you and the human resources group to collectively help you find the best deal. I fly about 80-100 times per year, so if I score $50/flight, it comes out to about $4000 in "found money" per year. I'm all about finding good deals.

 

[bsnyder]

Maybe Vancouver. I had my fingers crossed for Seattle because it's usually cheaper.. We have a program where if your airfare is under $X, they pay you half the difference between your cost and $X ... it's a way to incent you and the human resources group to collectively help you find the best deal. I fly about 80-100 times per year, so if I score $50/flight, it comes out to about $4000 in "found money" per year. I'm all about finding good deals.

Found money is good!

http://www.victoria.ca/visitors/about_trans.shtml

 

[Barb D]

It only takes about 3 hours to get from Seattle to Victoria BC by ferry.

 

[Caradana]

Nicely done!!! next time I am PMing you directly.

It still calls to mind the values decision. For example: heading to Disney in May. Tampa is running about $100 cheaper than Orlando per person for my dates - two people. Is it worth it for us to fly into Tampa, spend $80 on a rental Trailblazer, and roll to Orlando in SUV comfort ... despite the hours burned? Hmm.

 

[Jerseylicious]

Hey Caradana....we meet again!!! How's your winter going??

I was/am going through the same thing with North Carolina. I guess I'm just used to NEWARK being the one & only for me, that I get frazzled when there's more than one or two to consider. LOL

 

[bsnyder]

Nicely done!!! next time I am PMing you directly.

It still calls to mind the values decision. For example: heading to Disney in May. Tampa is running about $100 cheaper than Orlando per person for my dates - two people. Is it worth it for us to fly into Tampa, spend $80 on a rental Trailblazer, and roll to Orlando in SUV comfort ... despite the hours burned? Hmm.

That's a tough choice. You could easily get stuck in some horrendous traffic on I-4. If your flight times are anywhere close to rush hour, I wouldn't do it. Even without rush hour, one accident and you're sitting in a slowly moving parking lot for hours. There is no viable alternate route between Tampa and WDW.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

The only time I have that problem is deciding which airport to fly into when I head to NY! JFK, LGA, EWR, ISP, HPN, SWF... I'll take ANY of them - just fly me there.

I would fly into MCO too. The traffic from Tampa to Disney on I-4 can be horrendous and there seems to always be some sort of construction delays.

 

[Caradana]

Agreed, NYC can be really tough! I'm going to northern California in June. If I leave from Newark (20 miles away) ... $396. If I leave from JFK (20 miles away in bumper-to-bumper traffic, also that eerie feeling like your car will be broken into in the economy lot while you're gone) ... $306. Is less traffic and greater vehicular security worth $90 ... hmm.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Agreed, NYC can be really tough! I'm going to northern California in June. If I leave from Newark (20 miles away) ... $396. If I leave from JFK (20 miles away in bumper-to-bumper traffic, also that eerie feeling like your car will be broken into in the economy lot while you're gone) ... $306. Is less traffic and greater vehicular security worth $90 ... hmm.

My friend uses an off-site parking lot for JFK - I think it is at the Clarion hotel. Their rates are SO much cheaper then even parking in the long term lot and supposedly there is always an attendant "on duty" in the lot. The lot is adjacent to the hotel so you just take the hotel shuttle to the airport. Worth looking into if you decide to use JFK.

It always FLOORS me when I see the parking rates from NYC airports. Crazy stuff!

 

[Nicolepa]

The problem with flying into Seattle is that the ferry from Anacortes only goes to Victoria at 7:45 am. If you go into Vancouver, the ferry runs about every hour.


http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedules/upcoming/index.cfm?route=ana-sid

 

[golfgal]

The thing about Google maps and such is when they give you an estimated drive time, I think they are figuring you will walk most of the way because their times are really slow. According to their maps it takes me 3 hours to drive someplace I KNOW is only 1 1/2 hours away. They also don't always give the most direct route. If you calculate the drive time yourself, based on the actual speed limit you will find that they are often very different.

 

[Jerseylicious]

I would definitely spend the $90 bucks for less traffic and greater security! No doubt.

 

[Meriweather]

The problem with flying into Seattle is that the ferry from Anacortes only goes to Victoria at 7:45 am. If you go into Vancouver, the ferry runs about every hour.


http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedules/upcoming/index.cfm?route=ana-sid

from Seattle, I wouldn't go to Anacortes, that is a bit of a drive.
I would go on the Victoria Clipper from Seattle.
http://www.victoriaclipper.com/ferry_schedule

But, I would fly into Vancouver, if possible.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I think that if you fly into small airports, you can charge a fortune, even if you're flying a tin can while you pedal. I don't get that.

Unfortunately I can explain this. Airlines serving smaller markets believe they can charge a "premium" for those tickets because there are a limited number of seats available. Usually smaller markets are served based on "Yield" rather than "Load Factor", meaning that the $ they get per ticket is more important than having a butt in the seat. It's actually more complicated than that, but that's the Reader's Digest version (staff, incentives and other things come into account as well).

 

[chasbos]

Flying into British Columbia or anywhere in Canada is expensive!

We are taking the kids out west this summer from Ontario. I have been doing alot of pricing around and it is crazy expensive to fly into Vancouver or Victoria from either Toronto, London or Hamilton. The canadian airlines want almost $2500 for 6 of us to just get to Vancouver!

So I have booked a flight out of Detroit into Seattle for $950 - we are going to take the Amtrak train into Vancouver ($100 for us all). So for $1050 we are getting to Vancouver (the scenic way, I call it!)

Now we are coming home from Calgary (we are going to drive to Calgary from Vancouver) and it is still cheaper to fly into the states than fly within Canada!

So as you can see - avoid flying into Canadian airports!

 

[HayGan]

I feel your pain as I usually have to go to places like Rock Falls, IL or Seguin, TX. Makes life difficult. Good thing I enjoy driving!!!

 

[RadioNate]

FWIW I'd go into Vancouver. Just easier all around. I don't know if the cost savings would be worth it into Seattle.

I also wouldn't fly into Tampa for a $100 savings. I4 can be such a mess. What's the savings into Clearwater/St Pete.

Oh and Beaverton, OR is a suburb of Portland.
Seguin, TX would be San Antonio unless you got a great deal to Austin and wanted to make a 90 minute drive.