Ontario airport - good option or not?

[jenjersnap]

Really was hoping to fly into SNA, but the airfare is $300 more than flying to Ontario. (No Denver-Long Beach nonstops so that isn't an option). Mapquest indicates that LAX and Ontario are about the same distance and travel time, but Ontario is still slightly less expensive.

Car rental at Ontario is $57 more than at SNA so the net savings would be $243. Is that a large enough savings to merit booking Ontario, in your opinion? We'll be arriving and departing mid-day Saturday and Wednesday respectively. A friend who used to live in the area told me that the Ontario-DL drive can be randomly hellish and to avoid at all costs ...

Any input is welcomed. Thanks!

 

[CardinalsFan]

I'm in your same boat, but coming from Kansas City.

Note: this is not from first-hand experience, as my first visit to DL will be next month.

But on the Southwest Airlines website, I priced flying into all four of the LA-area airports from KC. Flying into Ontario was the cheapest, by far. For four round-trip tickets, this option saved us over $300.

But the ground transportation options like a cab or a shuttle were more expensive than from the other airports. I didn't want to rent a car, but I used Priceline's Name Your Own Price feature to get a full-size rental car from Avis for $18/day for 5 days, which comes to ~$125 after taxes and fees.

This combo of flight + rental car at the Ontario airport was by far my cheapest option. Here's hoping the drive is uneventful!

 

[disney-super-mom]

We used to live in Glendale Arizona and drove straight through Ontario to get to DL.

Now we live back in our home state of Washington and we've flown into Ontario twice because it's so much cheaper.

In all the times we driven through Ontario to DL, or from the Ontario airport to DL, we've never encountered hellish traffic. Not once. However, I do have to say that we always timed our driving to not be during rush hour. It always takes us approx. 35 minutes to drive from the Ontario airport area to the DLR.

The Ontario airport is wonderful. Being on the smaller side, it's easy to get around and to get through security as well.

Don't get me wrong. If you can find a good deal flying into SNA or Long Beach then book it because both of those airports are only about a 15 minute drive from DLR, and they're also both smaller airports and easy to get around.

But if I had a choice to fly into Ontario, and Ontario was the cheapest to book by a couple hundred dollars, and we were going to rent a car anyway, I'd definately book Ontario.

(We flew into LAX on our last trip, which was just last week. We flew in on a Sunday, and out on the Saturday, so the traffic wasn't too bad, but I really dislike LAX. It's a dirty, old airport. YUCK!)

 

[CardinalsFan]

Hey d-s-m, maybe I can ask you my latest question regarding this airport:

We land at the Ontario airport on a Monday (December 10) at 5:05pm. I'm assuming this will be the beginning of rush hour. It will probably take us at least a half-hour to get our checked baggage and pick up our rental car, right?

And, coming from the Central Time Zone, 5:05pm PST is going to feel like 7:05pm CST, which means we need to eat dinner!

So, not in a hurry to get on the roads, but in a hurry to get some food, I was thinking we should stop as soon as possible to eat, and traffic can die down while we eat. Then we can make the drive to DLR.

Can you recommend any areas near the airport for a dinner stop? Or should we just try to eat at the airport?

 

[ShawnaF]

Hi there, we fly from Denver as well. Now, Ontario is a great airport but John Wayne is fabulous and that's what we typically do (5 times this year so far) and the employees are awesome.

We usually attempt the Southwest flights (frequent flier miles so it's free) but also love Frontier. Can usually leave around 8-10am and be at the hotel by 2pm, which really works great for our first day and no one is overly tired. Southwest isn't direct flight but they move fast and the delays aren't often. Frontier you can get direct, usually a little more expensive but not much.

Are you really sure you need & want a car? LA traffic can be bad anywhere and at any time - yeah, worse than Denver absolutely, but, the payoff of DL is better!

 

[jenjersnap]

We want to go to Legoland one day. I would think transport for 5 from any airport plus the cost of a one-day rental will likely be in the same price range as just renting for the 5 days.

United also flies nonstop to SNA and Ontario from Denver!

Hi there, we fly from Denver as well. Now, Ontario is a great airport but John Wayne is fabulous and that's what we typically do (5 times this year so far) and the employees are awesome.

We usually attempt the Southwest flights (frequent flier miles so it's free) but also love Frontier. Can usually leave around 8-10am and be at the hotel by 2pm, which really works great for our first day and no one is overly tired. Southwest isn't direct flight but they move fast and the delays aren't often. Frontier you can get direct, usually a little more expensive but not much.

Are you really sure you need & want a car? LA traffic can be bad anywhere and at any time - yeah, worse than Denver absolutely, but, the payoff of DL is better!

 

[Vanvmom]

It has been a couple of years since we flew into Ontario, but I seem to remember there being a few places right outside the airport that you could get dinner (the rental car place should be able to help you out with directions). I would choose Ontario over LAX in a heartbeat!

 

[disney-super-mom]

Hey d-s-m, maybe I can ask you my latest question regarding this airport:

We land at the Ontario airport on a Monday (December 10) at 5:05pm. I'm assuming this will be the beginning of rush hour. It will probably take us at least a half-hour to get our checked baggage and pick up our rental car, right?

And, coming from the Central Time Zone, 5:05pm PST is going to feel like 7:05pm CST, which means we need to eat dinner!

So, not in a hurry to get on the roads, but in a hurry to get some food, I was thinking we should stop as soon as possible to eat, and traffic can die down while we eat. Then we can make the drive to DLR.

Can you recommend any areas near the airport for a dinner stop? Or should we just try to eat at the airport?

Okay, I would totally stop somewhere to eat dinner and avoid the rush hour traffic, so great idea.

As far as dinner goes, I'm not sure what kind of food you like. We're steak lovers overselves, and there's a wonderful restaurant very close to the Ontario Airport that is excellent. I believe it's called Porter's Prime Steakhouse, but I could be a little off on the name. I'll have to goggle it to make sure that's it. Anyway, it serves delicious food, has great service and ambiance, and serves a killer maritini if you like that kind of thing.

I know it's located on North Vineyard Ave. which is just north of E. Airport Drive. Also it's located just south of the I-10.

It's the only restaurant we've eaten at in Ontario, but it was AWESOME! I'm afraid I don't have the knowledge to recommend anything else in the area.

 

[CardinalsFan]

Me man. Me like steak. Me go to Porter's.

Thanks!

 

[javaj]

Hi Jen!

How are the boys???

I'd fly into ONT. I love that airport When I was learning to fly, I actually did an emergency landing at ONT. Since you're arriving/departing mid-day, I wouldn't worry too much about the traffic.

If you do end up flying into ONT, try priceline or hotwire for a car rental. I've often been able to get a really good car rental deal on priceline for ONT pick-ups. A few weeks ago, we got a minivan for $29 per day. Hotwire had full-sizes for $15 a day.

When are you going? Do you have tickets/coupons to Legoland yet? Depending on when you're going, I may be able to send out some coupons to you.

I'm originally from SoCal so let me know if you have any questions!

Josette

 

[KirklandTutu]

We always use Ontario. It's so slow that the crew at the security checkpoint actually starts to talk and joke with you. Not sure if that's a comforting thought, but it beats the lines at LAX.

It's also very easy to get a cab there.

 

[jenjersnap]

Josette, hi! Your boys are looking so grown up. Whew, time is flying.

We keep tossing the DL idea around every couple months but have yet to make it happen. WDW is so familiar and safe, hard for us to step outside the comfort zone, kwim?

Anyway, this time we are thinking about going MLK holiday week. I am booked for a mom and me trip with the middle J, but the AP rates are stinky so I have a package, but then I figured out that the whole family can do DL for significantly less than that trip ... if we stay off-site. So, I am tossing it around yet again. I haven't even gotten into worrying what crowds are like that week ... that is next in my research cycle.

I do have a question for you: will it be too cold in January to visit the beach one day? Not swimming, just wading barefoot and making sandcastles. We can't be so close to an ocean and not let the boys play a little!

I've belonged to the Legoland email newsletter for awhile now but they've never offered discounts or coupons. If we book this trip I'd love to have them, if they are still good in early '08!

Thanks for the advice. This thread overall has made me much more comfortable about booking flights to Ontario.

Hi Jen!

How are the boys???

I'd fly into ONT. I love that airport When I was learning to fly, I actually did an emergency landing at ONT. Since you're arriving/departing mid-day, I wouldn't worry too much about the traffic.

If you do end up flying into ONT, try priceline or hotwire for a car rental. I've often been able to get a really good car rental deal on priceline for ONT pick-ups. A few weeks ago, we got a minivan for $29 per day. Hotwire had full-sizes for $15 a day.

When are you going? Do you have tickets/coupons to Legoland yet? Depending on when you're going, I may be able to send out some coupons to you.

I'm originally from SoCal so let me know if you have any questions!

Josette

 

[PeterPansPixie]

We always fly into ONT and it is a great airport. Very easy to get around and get to the rental cars. I'm not sure which company you are getting your rental car from but we use Alamo and it is actually cheaper to rent a car at ONT than SNA. If you have a Costco membership, they have discount codes on their website.