Flying out of Hartford, live in Mass ???s

[Tattylou]

Hi,
We live pretty close to Boston's Logan Airport so we have always just flown out of Boston. I'm pricing trips for April school vacation for next year to California. Right now BOS to LAX has crazy high prices (like 600-700+ for nonstop), but I saw $381 non-stop flights Hartford to LAX. Just curious if anyone else from the Boston area has flown out of Hartford? We'd likely have to stay over bc the flight is super early and the flight back gets in wicked late. My kids will not do well with 6 hr plane ride and then 2 hr car ride home. Any rec on hotels nearby the airport and for airport parking for the week?
I'm going to keep looking as it is very early, but April vacation prices always go sky high the closer the week gets (like the pun, lol). No flexibility with dates, DH is a teacher.
Thanks!

 

[Disney Ron]

Tattylou, try this: http://www.parksleepfly.com/hartford-airport-hotels-with-parking-bdl.html

 

[Best Aunt]

Not sure where you're going once you get to the west coast, but did you price out Burbank? It's a small airport, not hectic like LAX.

If you're going to Disneyland, there are airports which are closer than LAX but I assume you would have mentioned that. John Wayne Orange County Airport (SNA) and Long Beach Airport (LBG).

 

[Tattylou]

Not sure where you're going once you get to the west coast, but did you price out Burbank? It's a small airport, not hectic like LAX.

If you're going to Disneyland, there are airports which are closer than LAX but I assume you would have mentioned that. John Wayne Orange County Airport (SNA) and Long Beach Airport (LBG).

Thx- We will eventually go to Disneyland for a day or two, but we are staying in a condo in Oceanside for the bulk of the trip. Burbank is too far of a drive. John Wayne is closer, but super expensive from Boston. San Diego would be ideal to fly into, but it also more expensive than LAX.

 

[goofy4tink]

You could check out hotels in Springfield as well...just a short 30 min drive to the airport from there. Have you priced Providence as well? Or Manchester NH?

 

[momtwoboys]

try the holiday inn express, not far and affordable, all places that come up near the airport are close and safe. most also all have shuttles to and from. The sheraton is obviously on site, price is highest. We get great parking deals there, but dont stay there as we are close.

 

[Tattylou]

You could check out hotels in Springfield as well...just a short 30 min drive to the airport from there. Have you priced Providence as well? Or Manchester NH?

Thx. Yeah, Providence and Manchester are just as expensive as Boston unfortunately....like ridiculously expensive. There's 4 of us, so 600/700 each ticket for nonstop is not even anywhere near reasonable... even 500+ for direct with stops at horrible times. Yuck. It's early days yet and I know I can wait a bit, but I also know school vacation weeks rarely get cheaper as time goes.....

 

[ebotheblue]

I live in Rhode Island, about 5 minutes from the airport and last year I was traveling over April vacation and also found much cheaper flights out of Hartford. We used the regular Airport parking garage, we parked for 10 days and while I don't remember the exact price I do remember thinking that it wasn't all that expensive.

I'm used to flying out of TF green which is a small airport very easy to get around and park but I was shocked by Bradly. It is one of the best airports I have flown out of.

 

[adamreisinger]

CT resident here with some BDL travel tips: In addition to the garage, there are 5 off-site long-term parking lots that are run by the airport. Lot 3 is the one I usually park in; it's $7.50 a day, with shuttle service to and from the airport (and the return shuttle will drop you off directly at your car). Being a local, I've never had to use a hotel by the airport, but the Days Inn in Windsor Locks comes highly recommended by my friends who have. It's about a mile from the airport, and just $89 a night, significantly cheaper than the on-site Sheraton.

One other thing to keep in mind, the security line you're going to face at Bradley is WAY shorter than anything you'll find at Logan. For an early morning (6 a.m.) flight, you might literally walk from the ticket counter directly up to a TSA agent and then through screening with no wait.

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

Windsor locks has MANY hotels minutes from the airport. Simply book one of those. If you need somewhere to leave your car, we have used Roncari and had great success with them! They will shuttle you to the airport (2 min) and pick you up when you get in to take you to your car!

 

[Tattylou]

@ebotheblue and @adamreisinger the apparent ease you describe regarding Bradley and the low cost flight might make the 2 hour ride down there worth it. Logan is always a crazy packed mess on the Saturday of April vacation and the flights are almost double the cost. Part of me wants to wait but I know the Boston ones w ont be getting cheaper. I've gone enough April vacations to know that Jet Blue is generally high when they release too (for Boston on the school vaca week). Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to look at the area hotels too.

 

[adamreisinger]

@ebotheblue and @adamreisinger the apparent ease you describe regarding Bradley and the low cost flight might make the 2 hour ride down there worth it. Logan is always a crazy packed mess on the Saturday of April vacation and the flights are almost double the cost. Part of me wants to wait but I know the Boston ones w ont be getting cheaper. I've gone enough April vacations to know that Jet Blue is generally high when they release too (for Boston on the school vaca week). Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to look at the area hotels too.

The irony is I'm going to Disneyland in July and I'm flying out of Logan instead of Bradley. But I wanted to treat myself to a JetBlue Mint flight, and they don't fly Mint out of Bradley yet (probably not ever, if I'm being honest).

 

[Tattylou]

The irony is I'm going to Disneyland in July and I'm flying out of Logan instead of Bradley. But I wanted to treat myself to a JetBlue Mint flight, and they don't fly Mint out of Bradley yet (probably not ever, if I'm being honest).

Yes, ironic. Lol.
I've only ever flown out of Logan.
I'm trying to decide if I should wait for Jet Blue or Southwest to release their flights for my dates....

 

[goofy4tink]

I'm a 40 min ride (not commuter times!!) from Logan, an hour from Green, and a bit over an hour from Bradley. I've yet to use Bradley, but it's looking better and better all the time. I love flying JB out of Worc, but it's one flight a day, and the time isn't all that terrific for me. But, that's only 25 mins away!

 

[Tattylou]

I'm a 40 min ride (not commuter times!!) from Logan, an hour from Green, and a bit over an hour from Bradley. I've yet to use Bradley, but it's looking better and better all the time. I love flying JB out of Worc, but it's one flight a day, and the time isn't all that terrific for me. But, that's only 25 mins away!

You're lucky to be relatively close to lots of options. Right now nothing shows up from Worcester to LAX or San Diego. Maybe once Jet Blue has their flight schedule up.

 

[Tattylou]

Virgin American used to have very reasonable nonstop flights Boston to LAX even on school vacation weeks. It looks like since their merger with Alaska now their prices are much higher. 2015, we flew April vacation nonstop on Virgin for 380. Now nonstop on Virgin comes up over 900....whaaat?!? Lol

 

[monorailsilver]

We stayed at the holiday inn express a few years ago. DH and I stayed somewhere else years ago but I can't recall where plus that was probably close to 20 years ago. We live 40 min from Hartford but had very early flights those 2 times.

There are a bunch of hotels all reasonably priced. I always say I want to stay at the Sheraton at the airport but it is more costly and I feel like every time I checked they only had the park/fly option for 7 nights which didn't work for us.

All the hotels are with in a 5 min drive, maybe 10 with lights and that is pushing it! I wouldn't stay in Springfield because you probably wouldn't get any better rate and you would have to deal with the Springfield traffic.

My DH likes to park in the main lot which is the most expensive but that is our splurge. He hates to wait for the shuttle and wants to just walk across the walkway and hop in the car and go.

The year we stayed at the Holiday Inn express we used his hotel rewards so there was no stay park option.

I would look at the link above from the PP and go to the hotel websites as well.

And I agree about security, we flew this past April and had an 11:30 am flight and arrived at the airport at about 9:45 and were sitting at the gate by 10...that was 6 of us and my 2 oldest had pre check so I sent them thru Aline (15 and 13). I took my mother and picked her up and went thru security mid February and mid march and once we got there at around 10 for drop off and the return I got there at about 2:30 and again very little wait. We have done the 8am Orlando flight and no issues.

 

[disneygal55]

We live about 15-20 minutes away so never had to stay in a hotel but have used the Executive Valet parking lot every time. They have shuttles to and from the airport. If you have AAA they have great deals on multi day vouchers but need to be purchased at the offices for the best deals. We always get to the airport about 90 minutes early. Usually the security lines aren't too bad but depending on your date of travel there could be a longer line. One early morning departure took forever because of an extremely long security line. Personally I give every airport at least 90 minutes because you just never know and don't want to miss your flight. There is a McDonalds just past security for a quick breakfast sandwich and coffee and further down a Dunkin Donuts.

 

[momtwoboys]

Galaxy Self park is right next to Roncari across from the terminal and wicked affordable, they also take AAA and you park take you keys and the shuttle brings you 2 min across.

 

[goofy4tink]

You're lucky to be relatively close to lots of options. Right now nothing shows up from Worcester to LAX or San Diego. Maybe once Jet Blue has their flight schedule up.

JB doesn't fly to the west coast from Worc at this time. Pretty much east coast only.