Advice for Upcoming Flight for Eclipse
#46
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Don't go too far east of SLE or you might run into smoke from wildfires ...
http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/2017...r-fire_10.html
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/stor...ark/546663001/
http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/2017...r-fire_10.html
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/stor...ark/546663001/
#47
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: United States
Programs: UA, AA, DL, Amtrak
Posts: 4,647
Salem, in fact, is further south than the midpoint of the totality path! So in a sense going to Salem (from Portland) is "overshooting"!
Using this interactive map:
On a separate note, no one in this thread has mentioned the possibility of flying into EUG. I'm sure rental cars (and possibly flights?) are booked solid there, too. But in most other respects it would be a decent option, as it's just as close to the path of totality as PDX.
#48
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: Hilton/Marriott Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 2,036
Oregon's going to get a temporary 25% overall population boost into a fairly narrow band of the state. The roads are going to be at a standstill; my company in Portland has already given everyone permission to work from home that day. And, thanks to the risk of clouds in the valley, a good number of them are heading to central and eastern Oregon, where there's plenty of space but rarely roads with more than two lanes.
#49
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 236
#50
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Then there's the overload of population. The temporary population of the greater Salem area could swell by some large multiplier factor, overwhelming local resources.
Because the event is in the sky, it's hard to predict a cap on how many people might come into the Salem area. It's not like a typical event where the seating in a stadium or the parking spaces at a state park would limit how many people can visit.
And with that many people, the traffic could be snarled not just in one direction but in every direction (especially if lots of people park illegally on small roads). Making it much harder for any emergency services that are needed to get where they need to go.
And then, if everyone's afraid of how overpacked Salem will be, they'll just spread out more and overwhelm a lot of tiny towns left and right too.
#51
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 327
I was supposed to be flying from SEA to RDM Saturday afternoon (19th) but the flight was cancelled by Alaska a couple of weeks ago. The best solution we could find considering all flights to RDM were already sold out was re-booking onto an alternative flight to EUG at a similar time and then take a taxi to RDM to pick up the rental car (no other options really as rental cars are all fully booked throughout the area).
The taxi will cost about $300. Does anyone know Alaska's policy regarding compensation for this? I have sent them a message but no reply yet after two weeks. Feels bad being out of pocket for $300 through no fault of my own!
The taxi will cost about $300. Does anyone know Alaska's policy regarding compensation for this? I have sent them a message but no reply yet after two weeks. Feels bad being out of pocket for $300 through no fault of my own!
#52
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,847
I was supposed to be flying from SEA to RDM Saturday afternoon (19th) but the flight was cancelled by Alaska a couple of weeks ago. The best solution we could find considering all flights to RDM were already sold out was re-booking onto an alternative flight to EUG at a similar time and then take a taxi to RDM to pick up the rental car (no other options really as rental cars are all fully booked throughout the area).
The taxi will cost about $300. Does anyone know Alaska's policy regarding compensation for this? I have sent them a message but no reply yet after two weeks. Feels bad being out of pocket for $300 through no fault of my own!
The taxi will cost about $300. Does anyone know Alaska's policy regarding compensation for this? I have sent them a message but no reply yet after two weeks. Feels bad being out of pocket for $300 through no fault of my own!
If I were you, I'd just drive. Better plan anyway, as the airports will be mad. That's not to say that the roads won't be mad, but most of us will be getting on those roads to drive to our vantage point, anyway!
#53
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,847
Oregon's going to get a temporary 25% overall population boost into a fairly narrow band of the state. The roads are going to be at a standstill; my company in Portland has already given everyone permission to work from home that day. And, thanks to the risk of clouds in the valley, a good number of them are heading to central and eastern Oregon, where there's plenty of space but rarely roads with more than two lanes.
Eclipse experts say that historically, long stretches of 2-lane highways can take 2-3 times the regular duration to travel during an eclipse. That means the drive to Madras from Portland could take 4-6 hours! Then there's people running out of gas, blocking the roads, cars overheating...
I'm praying for clear skies in the Salem area so I (and the rest of the 1,000,000 people with the central/eastern Oregon back-up plan) don't have to drive very far and can take back roads if push comes to shove. If not, I think the state will be crippled for an entire day...
#54
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There's a bus from Eugene to Bend (just 15 miles south of RDM), but it appears to be sold out on 8/19 (surprise!).
Amtrak still sells tickets for $51 from Eugene to RDM (train to Chemult, 2 1/2 hr bus ride to RDM).
I wonder if there are car pool options from Eugene to central Oregon. Might be worth checking Craigslist before paying a cab $300. Scenic drive, though
#55
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Doesn't take a million people, just a few idiots ignoring the camp fire ban. Or someone pulling over their car to the side of the road and setting dry grass on fire. With roads clogged, fire engines won't get through, and there already are enough wildfires to keep the available firefighting aircraft busy.
#56
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Drive from where? Rental cars from SEA seem to be in the $1150 range for pickup on 8/19, return 8/22
There's a bus from Eugene to Bend (just 15 miles south of RDM), but it appears to be sold out on 8/19 (surprise!).
Amtrak still sells tickets for $51 from Eugene to RDM (train to Chemult, 2 1/2 hr bus ride to RDM).
I wonder if there are car pool options from Eugene to central Oregon. Might be worth checking Craigslist before paying a cab $300. Scenic drive, though
There's a bus from Eugene to Bend (just 15 miles south of RDM), but it appears to be sold out on 8/19 (surprise!).
Amtrak still sells tickets for $51 from Eugene to RDM (train to Chemult, 2 1/2 hr bus ride to RDM).
I wonder if there are car pool options from Eugene to central Oregon. Might be worth checking Craigslist before paying a cab $300. Scenic drive, though
#57
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
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Posts: 16,854
#58
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,610
I was supposed to be flying from SEA to RDM Saturday afternoon (19th) but the flight was cancelled by Alaska a couple of weeks ago. The best solution we could find considering all flights to RDM were already sold out was re-booking onto an alternative flight to EUG at a similar time and then take a taxi to RDM to pick up the rental car (no other options really as rental cars are all fully booked throughout the area).
The taxi will cost about $300. Does anyone know Alaska's policy regarding compensation for this? I have sent them a message but no reply yet after two weeks. Feels bad being out of pocket for $300 through no fault of my own!
The taxi will cost about $300. Does anyone know Alaska's policy regarding compensation for this? I have sent them a message but no reply yet after two weeks. Feels bad being out of pocket for $300 through no fault of my own!
Get a car rental from Seattle (Sixt still has availability from Seatac). Or, assuming you have a place to stay booked in redmond, use your Facebook to offer a friend a free night in exchange of their car services.
#59
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
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#60
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: Alaska Mileage Plan
Posts: 21
I suspect this is shaping up to be y2k like silliness - more hype and gloom and doom forecasts than reality. Rental cars are often doublebooked so i bet some availability will open up and there are local stations that can provide extra. Arrival capacity is limited by normal airline operations so a million folks are not gonna suddenly land in pdx.
Traffic jams are certainly a possibility so plan accordingly but it shoudnt be all that hard to scatter across rather wide area..
Traffic jams are certainly a possibility so plan accordingly but it shoudnt be all that hard to scatter across rather wide area..