May have to fly from Syracuse - Need advice please!

[pjmoore14]

For our June trip we were planning to fly from Ottawa to Orlando. But one of our family members is still trying to get his birth certificate, so we need to start looking at other ways of travelling. Our alternate plan may have to be to drive to Syracuse and fly from there.

Has anyone used a hotel in Syracuse?...is there one you would recommend near the airport? There are 6 adults, so any suite options?

Also, I know there are threads on deals out of Syracuse, but anyone know offhand what airlines may have deals in June?

As far as flying directly from Orlando to Ottawa on the return trip, I was told by Air Canada we would have no problems entering Canada without a passport, has anyone had success with this?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[MouseGirl]

We are flying out of Syracuse this Saturday on Jetblue (www.jetblue.com). I just checked their website for June fares and there is lots available at very good rates....

Not sure about suite options in Syracuse other than Embassy Suites or Comfort Inn and suites. Embassy Suites is further from the airport but is very nice. Comfort Inn and suites is right by the airport and offers free shuttle and parking and that's where we're staying this Friday night.

I can't answer your question about flying directly home from Orlando, but I would definitely make sure of that before you try it. I think flying round trip from Syracuse would be much cheaper and avoid any passport issues associated with flying across the border....

Good luck with your trip planning!
MouseGirl

 

[pjmoore14]

MouseGirl

Thanks for your help. Have a wonderful trip.

 

[ottawamom]

If one of the members of your party is having trouble getting a birth certificate, they will also have trouble crossing the border. You need a birth certificate and drivers license to get across the border. Passports seem to be being issued with greater efficiency now so you should be able to get one in a few weeks once you have the birth certificate.

If you fly out of Syracuse (something I highly recommend, way cheaper on the taxes) what would you do with your car if you flew back to Ottawa.

We have stayed at the Holiday Inn (two different locations) when we flew out of Syracuse. Both were fine for one night and only a ten minute drive to the airport.

The drive to and from Syracuse is pretty easy. Three hours from Ottawa.

 

[pjmoore14]

Hi OttawaMom,

I'm just trying to work things out right now. Every time I check the Passport Canada site, the wait time for passports is longer. Now they are saying 9 weeks wait time. We leave in less than 13 weeks...so I feel we need to look at alternate plans. I'm pretty sure my son-in-law will have his birth certificate by the time we are leaving, so crossing by land shouldn't be an issue.

Now I'm thinking 4 of us will just stick with our original plans to fly from/to Ottawa and 2 may have to drive to Syracuse. There is a direct flight at 4:20 in the afternoon from Syracuse, so this gives lots of time to get to Syracuse from Ottawa without the need of a hotel room the night before.

When you stay in Syracuse, what do you do with your car? Do you leave it at the airport? I was also considering an airport rental and leaving it in Syracuse so they can fly home to Ottawa and not have to pick up their car.

How are the lineups crossing the border by car on a Saturday? I have never been to Syracuse, so I don't know if it is usually a busy spot.

Thanks for your help.

 

[ottawamom]

The parking at the airport is very reasonable compared with anything I have experienced here. You can park in covered parking or out in the open. In June you may want to splurge and park in covered that way the car won't heat up too much. Check into the airport website they should have a link to the parking situation.

Crossing the border can be hit or miss. It is usually pretty good. The only time we've encountered a problem was when we tried crossing the day after American Thanksgiving (we were going to a hockey tournament). It usually takes less than twenty minutes.

I don't know if you've looked seriously into the prices of the airlines in the states but flying out of any US city is WAY cheaper than flying from Canada. You should be able to save at least $200-300 per person. That adds up to quite a saving if 6 people are traveling. I won't fly south from here again. It's well worth the drive to the US airports. Syracuse airport is right off the main interstate that goes south from the border to Syracuse.

Good luck with your planning.

 

[hematite153]

Hi OttawaMom,

I'm just trying to work things out right now. Every time I check the Passport Canada site, the wait time for passports is longer. Now they are saying 9 weeks wait time. We leave in less than 13 weeks...so I feel we need to look at alternate plans. I'm pretty sure my son-in-law will have his birth certificate by the time we are leaving, so crossing by land shouldn't be an issue.

Good luck figuring things out. However, you should know that waits for birth certificates can be quite long. About 3 years ago (fortunately right after she ordered a passport) my DWs birth certificate was ripped by a customs agent. It took over a year and a half to get a new one! I also had friends who found that it took about 6 months and the intervention of their MP in order to get a birth certificate for their son when they were trying to emmigrate a couple of years ago. (That said, I have also known some people who were lucky and got them quickly but it seems to be rather hit and miss.)

 

[WDW1979]

I am also from Ottawa and have thought of flying from Syracuse which can be half the cost of flying from Ottawa, partly due to more airline competition in the U.S. and partly due to high taxes and fees of more than $100 per ticket when flying from a Canadian airport.

The best place to start looking is Expedia.com to get all the airlines in one place, then pick the cheapest flight from Syracuse that Expedia.com shows and go to the web site of that airline to check it out.

Also, Rochester is only about an additional 1 hour or so drive further than Syracuse and services AirTran which is a discount airline that on most days of the week flies direct to Orlando (most flights out of Syracuse have at least one stop/connection).

You must also factor in the cost of parking at an airport which adds up over a week or so, but if you stay at an airport hotel in Syracuse or Rochester you could try to find out if they allow you to park there for a week if you stay there one night (some airport hotels do this as an incentive).

As for the lines at U.S. Customs on the way from Ottawa to Syracuse, the lines are usually short. Take the 401 south then cross over the Thoudand Islands bridge, then arrive at U.S. Customs, after that you will be on Intersate 81 headed for Syracuse...Rochester would involve a turn west somewhere down the 81. We have crossed at the "Thousand Islands" border crossing four times in the last 15 months, and the lines have always been short.

P.S. don't bring any fresh fruit with you when you cross the border or they will take it from you.

 

[calena]

We are flying out of Syracuse next Thursday. Never tried that before, but it is about $250 cheaper per person for the five of us, so that is a lot of money for a three hour drive. By the time we decided to go we could not get a good deal out of Ottawa or Toronto, so we are trying this.
We drive to the USA to visit my parents and always go down 81 thorugh Syracuse... it is basically good driving from Ottawa to Syracuse. You get the lake effect snow there, but I don't think that will be a problem in June!
We are staying at a Best Western and they gave us a park and fly rate which is what we wanted. Airport shuttle will take us to airport.
Try Kayak.com for flight searches - it also gives the option of more than one airport, so it lets you know if it would be cheaper out of Rochester.
As far as the birth certificate... go through your MPP's office. DH did that in the past and it worked great. Deb

 

[Nagle]

We are flying out of Syracuse next Thursday also. Staying at the Holiday Inn Electronics Parkway. Leaving the car at the hotel for the duration of the trip.

 

[pjmoore14]

MouseGirl, calena and Nagle....can I ask how much your flights are and are they direct flights? Thanks

 

[FayeW]

We always fly out of Syracuse also. We love JetBlue! We usually stay at the Best Western Airport Inn and they have a pretty good park & fly rate. They are literally at the edge of the airport, so it's about a 2 min drive to get there and get your luggage unloaded.

I can't imagine ever paying the outrageous prices to fly out of Ottawa! That, coupled with the fact that we don't need passports for land crossings until June/09 pretty much insures that any trips in the next couple of years will be out of Syracuse also. The drive is no big deal, about 3.5 hours door to door from our home in Orleans (and that's with us stopping 3 times enroute for gas, McD's, washroom, etc). I suggest you check out the fares at www.jetblue.com. I suspect when you see the prices all 6 of you will be driving across the border!

 

[hematite153]

MouseGirl, calena and Nagle....can I ask how much your flights are and are they direct flights? Thanks

Well, I obviously don't know what their rates are but I just did a quick search on JetBlue's website and I get $99 one-way for a non-stop flight for a grand total of 1276.80 return for 6 adults. (Btw, I used June 5-13th as a random date choice.)

 

[Nagle]

I got 99 USD each way, but have to go through NYC.

 

[MouseGirl]

Our fare was the same as Nagle's, going through NYC. However, it looks like there are still lots of direct flights available in June at the same rate...

 

[calena]

MouseGirl, calena and Nagle....can I ask how much your flights are and are they direct flights? Thanks

Can't beat the $99 each way - which I guess is about $230 Cdn for round trip. Our flights are on Delta, which when we booked was cheaper than JetBlue. (Booked in january for March so that wasn't the best timing, usually we like to book further ahead than that.) We paid $275 Cdn round trip. Stop in Atlanta. There are direct flights, but they were more. When I was booking in January and doing a search it would have been almost $600 to fly from Ottawa. Big savings for us.

 

[pjmoore14]

Thanks to everyone for their advice. Booked our 6 flights today (direct flight - yippee!!) out of Syracuse and probably saved at least $1,500.00 as compared to flying from Ottawa. This board is great!

 

[ottawamom]

So glad to hear you got great flights. You are really going to enjoy the airport. Its so easy to get around and efficient too! The drive to Syracuse is a breeze. Three hours and you're there. If you have time the Carousel Mall is a must see and do in Syracuse as well. Well maybe another trip! Have a great trip.

 

[pjmoore14]

Thanks ottawamom.

Does anyone know how early we should be at the airport? Since we will have already cleared customs, I am guessing only an hour and a half to two hours.

What about printing our boarding passes at home and checking in using the kiosk? Is this the way to go? Any advice?

 

[hematite153]

Thanks ottawamom.

Does anyone know how early we should be at the airport? Since we will have already cleared customs, I am guessing only an hour and a half to two hours.

What about printing our boarding passes at home and checking in using the kiosk? Is this the way to go? Any advice?

I would definitely recommend checking in at home.

Since, as you say, you will have cleared customs you won't need to arrive super early. However, keep in mind that you need to leave time for there to be delays at the border while driving and for possible weather problems. (Although I think you said you were going to drive down the night before.) I'd check the airline's website for specific info on how early you need to arrive.