American Airlines questions and other questions (update #21, not set in stone, but leaning this way)

[DawnM]

Basic Economy ticket.......

 

I found flights from the East Coast to the West Coast for $248 each.  They are "basic economy" which means last boarding, no reserved seats, no one sitting together, and no bags other than one small personal item.

 

It says baggage is charged per person for the entire party.  Does that mean if we have 1 large bag we are still all 5 charged?  If so, we could ship a box to my parents' house or BUY clothing out there.....seriously.

 

Another question:

 

So, if the flights are $250/each ($1450 for 5 including taxes and fees) and the rental car is $1400 for the 2 weeks we will be there, and then hotel fees will run another $1500 or so.......with total costs ranging between $5,000-$5,500.......

 

OR

 

We can spend 5 extra days and drive (2.5 days each way).......Gas, $600, no car rental, and just hotel and food fees......totaling around $2,500-$3,000.......

 

What would you do?  I feel like 5 days for $2,500-$3,000 savings is pretty big.....but it is a lot of driving.

 

We have the time, and we could swing the money if we really needed to, but i am hesitant for that big of a difference.

Edited June 27, 2017 by DawnM

[QueenCat]

Just flew American. It is $25 for the first bag. Each person can get a first bag. So if two of you have a checked bag,it's $50. 3 would be $75. Etc. Second bag per person costs more.

[linders]

Well, it might be worth it, but you won't save quite as much as you are thinking.

 

- You have to include the "wear and tear" cost on your car of a 4,000+ mile trip, not just gas.

- Need to include food/lodging for the 5 days.

[QueenCat]

And the bag can't weigh more than 50lbs. So the large bag might weigh too much if you pack it in there. Dh's bag weighed 52 lbs but the ticket agent gave us "grace" and didn't charge us the overweight fee.

[QueenCat]

That would be hard core driving to do it in 2.5 days each way unless you have lots of drivers and aren't planning to stop overnight (or for just a few hours, not a full night's sleep). I wouldn't do it unless I flat out couldn't afford it any other way. Does the vehicle at least have ample leg space, no one squeezed in?

[Peaceseeker]

There is also cost in time, if one of you is taking time off work.

[Joker]

Where are you traveling from and to? We've done coast to coast road trips and the last one was four 12-14 hour days.

 

We usually always choose to drive over flying, though.

[Lanny]

I believe only allowing 2 1/2 days each way, from the East Coast to the West Coast is not going to be much fun.  I would much rather that you have another 7 days for this trip and can do it in a more relaxed way, if you are driving.

[Bootsie]

Are you sure that on American Airlines you would not get a carry-on per person in addition to a small, personal item.  I have never been on an American Airlines flight where that wasn't the case.  Then, there was a per bag charge for any checked luggage.  Personally, I don't worry too much about everyone sitting together on the plane or a later boarding.  Sometimes you get even better seats doing this because they are the ones left that no one has purchased.

[Cinder]

2.5 days to drive from coast to coast? Dh and ds drove from upstate NY to Atlanta--about 1,000 miles--in 2 long days. They were pretty wiped out afterward. I would choose to fly that distance because it would be less exhausting for me overall.

[Alessandra]

Two random observations:

 

The rental car cost seems high. Have you looked at picking up in various locations besides airports? Also, have you checked to see if your own auto insurance covers rentals? Some credit cards cover auto insurance on rentals. You can often save $$ by declining insurance that from rental place. You may have thought this through already, but I wanted to mention.

 

We have looked at and decided against basic economy fares -- we usually go with something slightly higher, or get a cheap upgrade, like preferred boarding. Costs of these vary by airline, and I am not familiar with American. My concern with basic economy is that ticket prices may be one criterion for bumping passengers. Just the possibility of being bumped makes me nervous. 

 

ETA

The driving is such a personal thing. I would collapse with exhaustion and be totally ill-tempered, but I have friends who drive all over the country and love the independence and economy.

 

 

Edited June 26, 2017 by Alessandra

[goldberry]

Are you sure that on American Airlines you would not get a carry-on per person in addition to a small, personal item.  I have never been on an American Airlines flight where that wasn't the case.  Then, there was a per bag charge for any checked luggage.  Personally, I don't worry too much about everyone sitting together on the plane or a later boarding.  Sometimes you get even better seats doing this because they are the ones left that no one has purchased.

 

AAs new "basic economy" allows you one underseat but nothing in the overhead bins.  Just another way to tighten the screws!  :glare:

 

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/experience/seats/basic-economy.jsp

 

Edited June 26, 2017 by goldberry

[goldberry]

 My concern with basic economy is that ticket prices may be one criterion for bumping passengers. Just the possibility of being bumped makes me nervous. 

 

ETA

The driving is such a personal thing. I would collapse with exhaustion and be totally ill-tempered, but I have friends who drive all over the country and love the independence and economy.

 

AA basic economy puts you in the last boarding group, so I think it is right to worry about bumping.

 

I'm totally with you on the driving! 

[Lanny]

Dawn I believe for every hour in a non-stop jet there would be one long hard day in a car

 

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[Lanny]

NO!!!! It takes an hour to fly from Dallas to Houston. That takes 4 hours of driving. That is not a full day of hard driving.

 

On that route, which I have flown and driven, many many times, I agree with you.  However, on a cross-country trip, I believe one hour in a non stop jet would be a long hard day, if one is in a car. For example, assume our Delta flight from Atlanta to Las Vegas was 5 or 6 hours.  I would plan 5 or 6 days in a car for that. There is a difference between an enjoyable vacation in a car and an ordeal.

[Lanny]

Dawn if you drive buy a set of spare belts and hoses and put them in the trunk. Have your own pressure gauge and check the tires each morning when cold. Each morning when cold check the coolant level and oil level.

 

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[Bootsie]

Have you considered getting an American Airlines credit card?  Each person on your ticket would get one free checked bag.  If you fly somewhat frequently with five people the savings can add up quickly.

[DawnM]

Well, it might be worth it, but you won't save quite as much as you are thinking.

 

- You have to include the "wear and tear" cost on your car of a 4,000+ mile trip, not just gas.

- Need to include food/lodging for the 5 days.

 

 

No, free lodging in TX and AZ with friends and family.

 

Older car, I have done the math on that as well.  There is a website tp calculate it all out.

Edited June 27, 2017 by DawnM

[DawnM]

ok, thanks guys.  I was at dinner for the last couple of hours with a friend.  

 

I think we are leaning towards just driving.  It makes the most sense.  

 

I didn't even add in the airport parking ($10-$15 per day depending on what lot is open) and the dog sitting.  If we drive through Dallas, our friend will take the dog for free and board her, that would be an additional $180-$250.

 

 

[DawnM]

Just flew American. It is $25 for the first bag. Each person can get a first bag. So if two of you have a checked bag,it's $50. 3 would be $75. Etc. Second bag per person costs more.

 

Well, my question was really......there are 5 of us.....what if we just want to take 2 bags?  Is every member of our party charged as if we had 5 bags?  That is what it looked like on the website.

[Ottakee]

Have you checked to see if alligent flies where where you want to go? I got flights round trip for under $150/person. You DO pay for bags but we did 1 large suitcase for the 3 of us so only had to pay for one bag.

[DawnM]

Have you checked to see if alligent flies where where you want to go? I got flights round trip for under $150/person. You DO pay for bags but we did 1 large suitcase for the 3 of us so only had to pay for one bag.

 

 

They don't......

[QueenCat]

Well, my question was really......there are 5 of us.....what if we just want to take 2 bags?  Is every member of our party charged as if we had 5 bags?  That is what it looked like on the website.

 

No, you would be charged for the two bags. $25 each. Not $25 for each person. We had two bags total and paid $50. If you have over 5 bags,then you get into someone being assigned a 2nd bag for the higher rate.

[QueenCat]

Are you sure that on American Airlines you would not get a carry-on per person in addition to a small, personal item.  I have never been on an American Airlines flight where that wasn't the case.  Then, there was a per bag charge for any checked luggage.  Personally, I don't worry too much about everyone sitting together on the plane or a later boarding.  Sometimes you get even better seats doing this because they are the ones left that no one has purchased.

 

It's a new, cheaper economy seat. Regular economy gets a carry on. The newer, cheap seats do not. Just the one small personal item.

[DawnM]

2.5 days to drive from coast to coast? Dh and ds drove from upstate NY to Atlanta--about 1,000 miles--in 2 long days. They were pretty wiped out afterward. I would choose to fly that distance because it would be less exhausting for me overall.

 

 

Yes.  The plan is to drive from North Carolina to Dallas in one day.  It is roughly 15 hours from our house to my friend's house.  We will stay there two nights and have a rest day in-between our two long days.  And she will take our dog and watch her while we are on the West Coast.  She used to live in NC and we have dogsat her dog on multiple occasions so she is willing to watch ours (our dogs get along.)

 

We are considering a day in Memphis on the way to break it up, but with the dog we will have to look into our options for that.

 

Then after 2 nights in Dallas, we will drive a long/full day to Phoenix, where my parents live.  We will spend 5 days there.

 

Then we will head to California.  

 

 

So, yes, 2.5 days of actual DRIVING,  but with stops/rests on the way to rest and not drive.

[DawnM]

Have you considered getting an American Airlines credit card?  Each person on your ticket would get one free checked bag.  If you fly somewhat frequently with five people the savings can add up quickly.

 

We always take the least expensive route.  Often that is not American.  

 

When DH flies for work, they have a travel agent who books for them and he can't pick which airline.

 

With a $95 yearly fee for the credit card, that doesn't seem worth it as we won't use it.

 

In the last several years, we have flown United, American, Southwest, and Delta.  Often the difference in cost is greater than the $50 baggage fee would be.

[Lanny]

Possibly this web site will help you get a handle on driving time, driving distance, etc., between point a and point b: http://www.travelmath.com/driving/

 

The driving time from Dallas, Texas to Memphis, Tennessee is:

 

6 hours, 56 minutes 

 

If you have someone to visit there or something you want to visit, consider Memphis, but if I wanted to break up the trip I would probably do it East of there, in Nashville or somewhere East of Nashville. 

 

Be sure the tires, belts, hoses, etc., are in top notch condition. If not, replace them at your convenience, before your trip.   

[Lanny]

I read post #27 again. If 15 hours from your house to the house of your friend  in Dallas is correct, then, yes, Memphis or somewhere near there might be the perfect place to spend the night, based on the TravelMath.com estimate.  Possibly try to get just past Memphis, so you miss the morning rush hour traffic in Memphis. West Memphis AR or somewhere in AR,  instead of Memphis. Something like that.

[DawnM]

I read post #27 again. If 15 hours from your house to the house of your friend  in Dallas is correct, then, yes, Memphis or somewhere near there might be the perfect place to spend the night, based on the TravelMath.com estimate.  Possibly try to get just past Memphis, so you miss the morning rush hour traffic in Memphis. West Memphis AR or somewhere in AR,  instead of Memphis. Something like that.

 

 

We are actually now discussing the possibility of going to Memphis later in the day, staying overnight, and spending the first part of the day doing something there, and then leaving later in the day to get to Dallas.

 

Not sure yet.  

 

But we will have a dog with us to Dallas, which complicates things.

[DawnM]

 

Possibly this web site will help you get a handle on driving time, driving distance, etc., between point a and point b: http://www.travelmath.com/driving/

 

The driving time from Dallas, Texas to Memphis, Tennessee is:

 

6 hours, 56 minutes 

 

If you have someone to visit there or something you want to visit, consider Memphis, but if I wanted to break up the trip I would probably do it East of there, in Nashville or somewhere East of Nashville. 

 

Be sure the tires, belts, hoses, etc., are in top notch condition. If not, replace them at your convenience, before your trip.   

 

 

 

Thanks.  My husband has fixed cars for over 30 years.  It doesn't mean something can't still happen, but we are good with knowing if our car is in good condition or not.

[Lanny]

When you have things in concrete, if you are going to drive with the dog, Google restricted to TripAdvisor something like this:

"tripadvisor.com Memphis motels+pet friendly"     without the quote marks

 

I traveled with a Medium size dog (an Old English Sheepdog) which is more of a problem than a small dog, when you are on the road. I always told them the dog slept in her crate, which was true.  At home, the door to her crate was open and she would go into it to nap. That was a Folding Wire Crate. We still have it...

 

 

[DawnM]

When you have things in concrete, if you are going to drive with the dog, Google restricted to TripAdvisor something like this:

"tripadvisor.com Memphis motels+pet friendly"     without the quote marks

 

I traveled with a Medium size dog (an Old English Sheepdog) which is more of a problem than a small dog, when you are on the road. I always told them the dog slept in her crate, which was true.  At home, the door to her crate was open and she would go into it to nap. That was a Folding Wire Crate. We still have it...

 

 

There are 5 of us, with 3 being teen boys.  We don't want a small/regular hotel room.  We typically stay in Residence Inns where we can get 1-2 bedrooms and a small kitchen.

 

I will just call them later and see what the fees are for dogs.

We are getting quite picky about places to stay in our older age and with bigger teen boys.

[Dmmetler]

I read post #27 again. If 15 hours from your house to the house of your friend in Dallas is correct, then, yes, Memphis or somewhere near there might be the perfect place to spend the night, based on the TravelMath.com estimate. Possibly try to get just past Memphis, so you miss the morning rush hour traffic in Memphis. West Memphis AR or somewhere in AR, instead of Memphis. Something like that.

Also, check hotel prices if you don't have someone to stay with. We've found that a hotel room in a city can be 3x what the same room in the same chain is in a town an hour outside the city. West Memphis will still get Memphis event traffic (the downtown Memphis hotels are expensive, so staying across the river is a common money saving tip, since it's actually closer to downtown than the Memphis suburbs are), but if you can get an hour or so away, it will likely be much less expensive, and even most small towns have one or two chain hotels, especially if they have a college campus. When you come back, Jackson is usually a good place to spend the night, and is big enough to have the suite style hotels (three college campuses). I know there is a residence inn right on 40 that is pet friendly and has the larger suites. In Memphis, the Bartlett-Wolfchase area has some of the larger suite type hotels as well. I've heard good things about the Hyatt Place, but I don't know if it is pet friendly or not. Edited June 28, 2017 by dmmetler

[Caroline]

Dawn, I hope you all have a great trip! Enjoy the west coast.

[DawnM]

Dawn, I hope you all have a great trip! Enjoy the west coast.

 

 

Thanks.  I am really looking forward to it.  It is all coming together with friends and family while we are there.

[JumpyTheFrog]

Have you checked all the ways to save money on flights and hotels? Priceline, Hotwire, and Skiplagged? Flying to and from alternate airports? Changing the trip dates to cheaper days?

 

Your rental car quote sounds insanely high. We recently rented a car for five days for about $150. Our car insurance covers temporary use of a rental car, so we didn't need the garbage coverage the company tried to offer. Clark Howard also says many credit cards offer free rental car insurance.

[DawnM]

Have you checked all the ways to save money on flights and hotels? Priceline, Hotwire, and Skiplagged? Flying to and from alternate airports? Changing the trip dates to cheaper days?

 

Your rental car quote sounds insanely high. We recently rented a car for five days for about $150. Our car insurance covers temporary use of a rental car, so we didn't need the garbage coverage the company tried to offer. Clark Howard also says many credit cards offer free rental car insurance.

 

 

It says on expedia:  The dates you are looking for have a high demand for vehicles, can you change your dates?  (we can't) and we need something a bit larger than a small car.  We would be driving quite a bit and have 3 large teen sons.

 

I think we are just going to drive out instead.

[JumpyTheFrog]

FYI, you can rent cars on Priceline as well.

[shawthorne44]

We recently had a similar decision, only about half the distance, Dallas to Miami.   DD desperately wants to take a flight somewhere, and it was a close enough call that if flying weren't such a bother lately we would have flown.  But the thought of having the bags scrutinized, and security and the cramped seats and the cattle treatment, meh, I hate to drive and I'd rather drive.