Help me pick a flight- poll

[zarapipe]

2nd post about this sorry. Time to make a decision. All decisions suck.

Thanksgiving trip with myself and the girls, no dh. Girls will be 5.5 and 14m. Driving isn't really an option I don't think bc the trip is so short. It will be two days of travel and 3 days at our destination. Final destination airport is 1.5 hour drive from my hometown which is the same regardless of which flight I take.

ETA- Fly out Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, back Saturday

ETA2- layovers would be in either Atlanta, Detroit or La Guardia

A $467- most expensive but closest to home, still have a long layover which will suck. No parking fees

45 min drive to airport, will be dropped off

1 hour flight

2.5 hour layover

2  hour flight

Total flight time 5.5 hours, 45 min drive

B $314

2 hour drive to airport, will have to park and deal with that. Park and go probably so add $50 for parking.

2 hour flight

2.5 hour layover

1.5 hour flight

Total flight time 6 hours, 2 hour drive

C. $337- long drive but non stop so that is a bonus.

3 hour drive to airport, will have to park and deal with that. Park and Go probably, so add $50 for parking.

2 hour flight, non stop

[spk926]

Sept 3, 2015 12:49:50 GMT -5 oceanspray said:

I thought this said "Help me pick a fight" and I got super excited.

I thought it said the same thing!

[Deleted]

Sept 3, 2015 12:49:50 GMT -5 oceanspray said:

I thought this said "Help me pick a fight" and I got super excited.

me too.

option A. airport parking will eat up the savings of the other options and road trip + flights + layover is horrible

[ECB]

I'm between A & C. Short drive or non-stop. B doesn't offer either of those so that gets a big "no" from me.

With 2 kids and esp w/ the 14 month old, I think I lean towards C. Dealing w/ 2 flights, a layover, etc... just feels like a LOT w/ young kids in tow. It seems like it might be easier to do the long drive and then just deal w/ the one flight.

ETA: I meant C, not A, as my pick.

[Muddled]

Long drives before flights make me so nervous, but direct flight. I am torn. I guess it depends on how much crap you will be carrying around.


Ew. I just realized this is over Thanksgiving. What day are you going? Traffic has to be considered.

[mlt]

Flying with two kids by yourself = direct flight if at all possible.

[gerberdaisy]

I say C. I hate layovers so much.

[zarapipe]

Sept 3, 2015 12:56:38 GMT -5 Muddled said:

Long drives before flights make me so nervous, but direct flight. I am torn. I guess it depends on how much crap you will be carrying around.


Ew. I just realized this is over Thanksgiving. What day are you going? Traffic has to be considered.

Tuesday to Saturday

[Velar Fricative]

C.

And for parking, check and see if there are groupons or something similar for lots near the airport. I always score a good deal using groupon.

[anna7602]

Any other time of year, I might consider the layovers, but everything gets so royally messed up around Thanksgiving that a 2-hour layover could easily become a 4-hour layover or you could miss the second flight if the first one is delayed. No, thank you. I'd go for C, direct flight all the way. 

Is the drive the same on the other end regardless?

[boiler717]

Where's the layover?
I'd probably pick A. A lot of airports have little play ground areas now. 2.5 hours gives you time to eat, play, get back on the plane. I'd much rather spend 2.5 hours on a layover than driving 3 hours by myself and dealing with airport parking (especially at a park and go). Getting both kids and luggage on a shuttle bus? No thanks.

[boiler717]

Sept 3, 2015 13:05:20 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Any other time of year, I might consider the layovers, but everything gets so royally messed up around Thanksgiving that a 2-hour layover could easily become a 4-hour layover or you could miss the second flight if the first one is delayed. No, thank you. I'd go for C, direct flight all the way. 

Is the drive the same on the other end regardless?

On the other side, If the flight is delayed / canceled you will be stuck 3 hours away from home at an airport too.

[zarapipe]

Sept 3, 2015 13:08:07 GMT -5 boiler717 said:

Where's the layover?
I'd probably pick A. A lot of airports have little play ground areas now. 2.5 hours gives you time to eat, play, get back on the plane. I'd much rather spend 2.5 hours on a layover than driving 3 hours by myself and dealing with airport parking (especially at a park and go). Getting both kids and luggage on a shuttle bus? No thanks.

Either Atlanta, Detroit or La Guardia

[Muddled]

I guess I would take the direct flight so that I didn't have to carry shit around. Otherwise, I would take the closer one.

[anna7602]

Sept 3, 2015 13:10:34 GMT -5 zarapipe said:

Sept 3, 2015 13:08:07 GMT -5 boiler717 said:

Where's the layover?
I'd probably pick A. A lot of airports have little play ground areas now. 2.5 hours gives you time to eat, play, get back on the plane. I'd much rather spend 2.5 hours on a layover than driving 3 hours by myself and dealing with airport parking (especially at a park and go). Getting both kids and luggage on a shuttle bus? No thanks.

Either Atlanta, Detroit or La Guardia

If you happen to get stuck at La Guardia, please reach out to me. I anticipate still being in town the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. 

[Deleted]

3 hour drive alone sounds painful (my DD hates cars. She's fine with planes). I'd rather take 2.5 hr layover. I chose A.

[boiler717]

Sept 3, 2015 13:10:34 GMT -5 zarapipe said:

Sept 3, 2015 13:08:07 GMT -5 boiler717 said:

Where's the layover?
I'd probably pick A. A lot of airports have little play ground areas now. 2.5 hours gives you time to eat, play, get back on the plane. I'd much rather spend 2.5 hours on a layover than driving 3 hours by myself and dealing with airport parking (especially at a park and go). Getting both kids and luggage on a shuttle bus? No thanks.

Either Atlanta, Detroit or La Guardia

I'd do Atlanta or Detroit. I hate LGA. Both have play areas, trams to ride, and ATL has the big dinosaur if they'd be into that. I'd pick for better flight times between those two.

[kershnic]

I voted C. I can't remember where you love though, if traffic is liable to be bad Id switch my vote to A. (One time ion Christmas Eve it took me 8 hours to drive from NYC to just past Providence... It should be less than 4....)

[andthentherewere10]

I've flown a few times solo with my son - most recently he was 14 months. I do NOT like nonstops and I appreciate a layover. I did the option where I had to drive 3.5 hours to the airport and that was insane of me as well. I picked option A. Parking and lugging carseats and luggage sucks.

[zarapipe]

Sept 3, 2015 14:29:08 GMT -5 andthentherewere10 said:

I've flown a few times solo with my son - most recently he was 14 months. I do NOT like nonstops and I appreciate a layover. I did the option where I had to drive 3.5 hours to the airport and that was insane of me as well. I picked option A. Parking and lugging carseats and luggage sucks.

What if the non stop flight is the same length as one leg of your trip?

[Deleted]

Sept 3, 2015 12:49:50 GMT -5 oceanspray said:

I thought this said "Help me pick a fight" and I got super excited.

x2

Disappointed!



I hate layovers so I would probably do the long drive personally.

[robot]

Well, it looks like I'm in the minority but i would pick A. I don't like driving anyways, especially with kids and at the beginning and end of an airport trip, and 3 hours is long. Another factor - any chance of hitting traffic on the 3 hour drive?

As for the layover, . I fly a lot with kids, and a 2.5 hour layover is actually a good amount of time with kids - enough to sit and eat lunch, change diapers , go potty several times. But not too much time.

[carolinagirl831]

C for sure

[andthentherewere10]

Sept 3, 2015 14:38:46 GMT -5 zarapipe said:

Sept 3, 2015 14:29:08 GMT -5 andthentherewere10 said:

I've flown a few times solo with my son - most recently he was 14 months. I do NOT like nonstops and I appreciate a layover. I did the option where I had to drive 3.5 hours to the airport and that was insane of me as well. I picked option A. Parking and lugging carseats and luggage sucks.

What if the non stop flight is the same length as one leg of your trip?

All other things being equal then sure, I'd take the nonstop.  But I would not drive 3 hours to get there and then lug my crap.  I sure I'm jaded by a 16 month old who despises carseats, though.

[Deleted]

I would take A. I would not want that 3 hr drive on either end. Plus - someone to help with drop off - check in -Carry shit.

I also would pick Atlanta during that time of year. And would avoid LGA.

[Deleted]

I hate driving so I would pick A but C sounds easiest.

[origami]

With kids that age I'd rather have a "long" drive than deal with 2 boardings, take-offs, getting off, layovers... C is just simpler.

[lg28]

No layover. Always no layover with kids.