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Silicon Valley for one quick night... advice please

Silicon Valley for one quick night... advice please

Old Aug 31, 2011, 11:30 am
  #1  
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Post Silicon Valley for one quick night... advice please

Folks... I have to be in Los Altos Hills for a wine gig and it will be a rush visit. I need to plan this fast and Im trying to do so with the most common sense... Furthemore, this stop (1 night) in the Silicon Valley Area (I think Los Altos Hills is just that, correct me if Im mistaken), needs to be followed by a quick exit to Houston for the following night.... then I must be in Kansas City the night after that. To be exact on the dates...

Tue 9/27 - must arrive in SFO by early afternoon at the latest - spend night in Los Altos Hills
Wed 9/28 - must fly out of SFO area and be in Houston by early afternoon at the latest - night in Houston
Thu 9/29 - must fly out of Houston and be in Kansas City by early afternoon at the latest - night in Kansas City

Schedule from Fri 9/30 onwards is more flexible... I will have 2-3 nights free but then need to get back to SFO and ultimatetly LAX to catch the return flight back to EZE. Some issues I need to decide upon include....

a) does it make sense for me to hire a rental car if I will just go from SFO to Los Altos Hills... and the next day early morning get back to the airport...? or should I just cab it..? monetary considerations aside, is the rental process at SFO a lenghty one..? Im afraid I lack rental car company status.

b) I can issue my EZE to California ticket and have that leave me at LAX or perhaps SFO... is OAK a good option for cheaper flights or should I just stick to SFO as my California Hub...?

c) Im trying to do most or all of my US domestic travel on American (mileage issues), but Houston is a big UA/Continental hub and I have to go through there... are there any other carriers I should consider given I need to go from California to Houston and then Kansas City and back...?

d) If someone has a tip for a 4 Points or Hampton Inn type hotel thats in the vicinity of Los Altos Hills, any info would be appreciated... Im guessing this area will not be cheap, but I would hope to be able to get something thats not much more than $150-180 per night (if possible).

Thanks very much....
Gaucho100K

Last edited by Gaucho100K; Aug 31, 2011 at 11:37 am
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 12:27 pm
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Maybe try Dinah's Hotel and Garden in Palo Alto for the hotel - the price seems to be right, and the area is good and close to Los Altos. Check Trip Advisor, though - I've never stayed there.

And I would definitely get a car. Distances are long here in Silicon Valley, and public transit is too time consuming for a quick trip. If you can, try flying in and out of San Jose (SJC), which is about the same distance as SFO to where you want to be. I think a shuttle (or train) is going to be required to rent a car at either airport, and I cannot speak to which is more convenient. I would not bother with Oakland, as it is very inconvenient to this area. Southwest Airlines will get you to Houston if you don't mind giving up the miles, and serves what may be a more convenient airport in Houston (HOU vs. IAH) - which you choose depends on your destination within Houston.

I would also recommend checking out Beltramo's wine and liquor store in Menlo Park. They have one of the largest selections of very well priced wines I have ever seen - including a very large selection of Montrachets, which I do not often see in such large quantities.
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 12:49 pm
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Originally Posted by Gaucho100K
Folks...
Tue 9/27 - must arrive in SFO by early afternoon at the latest - spend night in Los Altos Hills
Wed 9/28 - must fly out of SFO area and be in Houston by early afternoon at the latest - night in Houston
Thu 9/29 - must fly out of Houston and be in Kansas City by early afternoon at the latest - night in Kansas City

c) Im trying to do most or all of my US domestic travel on American (mileage issues), but Houston is a big UA/Continental hub and I have to go through there... are there any other carriers I should consider given I need to go from California to Houston and then Kansas City and back...?


Thanks very much....
Gaucho100K
Hi...this sounds like one of my US-domestic travel weeks..... so I'll toss-in some ideas:

It's the SFO to Houston that's tough...... Continental has a red-eye leaving SFO at 12:25am, arrives IAH at 6am if that's preferable to an early morning trip to SFO or SJC for non-stops to IAH on CO...... or there's likely an AA red-eye from SFO to DFW with a connection to with Hobby(HOU) or IAH airport in Houston

Your Houston organizers may be able to advise you whether the event is much closer to the smaller Hobby airport or the large Bush airport. If there's time for a connection to Hobby (HOU), that can be done on AA through DFW.

If the Hobby airport is convenient, consider Southwest Airlines for SF-area to Houston, and Houston to KC...... and before all the arguments begin, I'm suggesting Southwest for the situation of flying on an airline without status and getting a good seat (I hate flying last-minute/high-fare on a airline I don't have status on, and being stuck in a middle seat on a long flight!). Look at the "Business Select" fares on southwest.com for your routes..... those "BS" fares get you early boarding with first 15 or so people, so you get a better selection of seats. The "BS" fares are the highest...at the other end of the cost spectrum for comparison, Southwest fares for SFO-HOU go as low as $129 and HOU-MCI(Kansas City) is $79.....both with 1 stop/plane change.

Again, AA could be used for IAH or HOU to MCI(KC) with a connection at DFW, but do watch for reasonable connection times at DFW, and your preferences on size of aircraft (AA uses relatively small RJs for HOU-DFW, as CO does for IAH-MCI morning non-stops). Connection times on Southwest at Dallas-Love(DAL) airport can safely be shorter because there's only 12 or so gates at DAL.

For MCI(KC) back to California..... plenty of AA options via DFW, but if non-stop is helpful, consider MCI-SFO on Frontier non-stop 9:25am-11:21am on a 90-seat RJ EMB 190 with 2+2 seating (no middle seats). Or Delta's non-stop MCI-LAX at 7am-8:34am is a codeshare with Alaska airlines, and I think Alaska may give AA miles.

Another idea....your contacts in KC could tell you whether it's worthwhile to see the Missouri wineries on the highway between KC and St. Louis......then fly AA non-stop from STL-LAX.

Hope this is helpful!

Last edited by peersteve; Aug 31, 2011 at 1:32 pm Reason: added AA info
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 2:35 pm
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Originally Posted by peersteve
Hi...this sounds like one of my US-domestic travel weeks..... so I'll toss-in some ideas:

It's the SFO to Houston that's tough...... Continental has a red-eye leaving SFO at 12:25am, arrives IAH at 6am if that's preferable to an early morning trip to SFO or SJC for non-stops to IAH on CO...... or there's likely an AA red-eye from SFO to DFW with a connection to with Hobby(HOU) or IAH airport in Houston

Your Houston organizers may be able to advise you whether the event is much closer to the smaller Hobby airport or the large Bush airport. If there's time for a connection to Hobby (HOU), that can be done on AA through DFW.

If the Hobby airport is convenient, consider Southwest Airlines for SF-area to Houston, and Houston to KC...... and before all the arguments begin, I'm suggesting Southwest for the situation of flying on an airline without status and getting a good seat (I hate flying last-minute/high-fare on a airline I don't have status on, and being stuck in a middle seat on a long flight!). Look at the "Business Select" fares on southwest.com for your routes..... those "BS" fares get you early boarding with first 15 or so people, so you get a better selection of seats. The "BS" fares are the highest...at the other end of the cost spectrum for comparison, Southwest fares for SFO-HOU go as low as $129 and HOU-MCI(Kansas City) is $79.....both with 1 stop/plane change.

Again, AA could be used for IAH or HOU to MCI(KC) with a connection at DFW, but do watch for reasonable connection times at DFW, and your preferences on size of aircraft (AA uses relatively small RJs for HOU-DFW, as CO does for IAH-MCI morning non-stops). Connection times on Southwest at Dallas-Love(DAL) airport can safely be shorter because there's only 12 or so gates at DAL.

For MCI(KC) back to California..... plenty of AA options via DFW, but if non-stop is helpful, consider MCI-SFO on Frontier non-stop 9:25am-11:21am on a 90-seat RJ EMB 190 with 2+2 seating (no middle seats). Or Delta's non-stop MCI-LAX at 7am-8:34am is a codeshare with Alaska airlines, and I think Alaska may give AA miles.

Another idea....your contacts in KC could tell you whether it's worthwhile to see the Missouri wineries on the highway between KC and St. Louis......then fly AA non-stop from STL-LAX.
Amazing info... thank you very much. I dont mind flying with a stop as the timetables work for me to get places on time... my only worry is that Im afraid that if I force this itinerary on AA and eat all the 1 stop flights, the fares will be much more expensive than if I take direct flights.... any thoughts...?
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 3:11 pm
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Originally Posted by Gaucho100K
Amazing info... thank you very much. I dont mind flying with a stop as the timetables work for me to get places on time... my only worry is that Im afraid that if I force this itinerary on AA and eat all the 1 stop flights, the fares will be much more expensive than if I take direct flights.... any thoughts...?
Well, in terms of time vs. cost vs. convenience, that's your decision..... as a comparsion point, here are the Southwest airlines flights with the price range from buy-on-website (low) to Business Select priority (high, but fully refundable). (Fares available at this hour today)

9/28 SFO-HOU Hobby
8am--change--3pm $129-$484
or from SJC(San Jose)-HOU Hobby
7am--change--3pm $199-$474

9/29 HOU-MCI(KC)
7am--change--10am
8am--change-11am
9am--change--1pm all $79-$328

9/30 MCI-SFO
7am--change--10am
1:10pm--change--4:35pm both $223-$474
or MCI-LAX non-stop
12:10pm--1:40 $129-$492

Hopefully, this helps you make a comparison to flying AA......

The tough part (for me, too) is getting California back to Texas area.....take a red-eye out of SFO, or get up early enough to catch a 6am departure the next morning.......

And when traveling to LA/SF.....do I take a non-stop on non-preferred airline in order to have extra beach or dining time there?

happy travels!
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 3:16 pm
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Tue 9/27 - must arrive in SFO by early afternoon at the latest - spend night in Los Altos Hills
Wed 9/28 - must fly out of SFO area and be in Houston by early afternoon at the latest - night in Houston
Thu 9/29 - must fly out of Houston and be in Kansas City by early afternoon at the latest - night in Kansas City

a) does it make sense for me to hire a rental car if I will just go from SFO to Los Altos Hills... and the next day early morning get back to the airport...? or should I just cab it..? monetary considerations aside, is the rental process at SFO a lenghty one..? Im afraid I lack rental car company status.

SFO - a train ride to the rental car facility. A cab each way will run you probably $75 each way (a guess, but probably within reason). You might consider staying by SFO and just driving back the same night, to save you some time in the morning

b) I can issue my EZE to California ticket and have that leave me at LAX or perhaps SFO... is OAK a good option for cheaper flights or should I just stick to SFO as my California Hub...?

OAK is mostly a Southwest (WN) fortress these days. And often, WN isn't a bargain anymore. Getting to/from OAK from where you'll be isn't exactly convenient, either.

c) Im trying to do most or all of my US domestic travel on American (mileage issues), but Houston is a big UA/Continental hub and I have to go through there... are there any other carriers I should consider given I need to go from California to Houston and then Kansas City and back...?

WN may be your overall best bet for some of the shorter domestic hops. Other than no assigned seating, the service is no worse (and perhaps better) than AA or UA in the back. You also get a free baggage allowance. If you have some AA or UA status or this trip will get you some (or increase it), than you're probably better with AA or UA. Just note that SFO has some of the worst weather delays in the USA, even in summer. For flying eastbound, it is important that you get out as early as possible in the AM. (The delays revolve around flow restriction on arrivals due to low visibility, so if your aircraft is on the ground, you're generally in good shape.)

d) If someone has a tip for a 4 Points or Hampton Inn type hotel thats in the vicinity of Los Altos Hills, any info would be appreciated... Im guessing this area will not be cheap, but I would hope to be able to get something thats not much more than $150-180 per night (if possible).

I can't help you here, but consider returning to SFO to sleep.
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 3:22 pm
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A cab from SFO to the Hills will be more like $100 each way. Pre-booked car will be $150 round trip, plus tip. So a rental car is clearly cheaper than either of those.

There are no hotels in Los Altos Hills. In fact, there are no businesses at all in Los Altos Hills, that's the way they like it. Nearest economy/midrange hotels are along El Camino Real in either Palo Alto or Mountain View. Nearest luxury-type hotel would probably be the Rosewood at Sand Hill road and I280.
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 4:32 pm
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Originally Posted by RichardInSF
A cab from SFO to the Hills will be more like $100 each way. Pre-booked car will be $150 round trip, plus tip. So a rental car is clearly cheaper than either of those.

There are no hotels in Los Altos Hills. In fact, there are no businesses at all in Los Altos Hills, that's the way they like it. Nearest economy/midrange hotels are along El Camino Real in either Palo Alto or Mountain View. Nearest luxury-type hotel would probably be the Rosewood at Sand Hill road and I280.
Thanks for the Cab info... will for sure do a rental car.
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 4:35 pm
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Originally Posted by Eastbay1K
Tue 9/27 - must arrive in SFO by early afternoon at the latest - spend night in Los Altos Hills
Wed 9/28 - must fly out of SFO area and be in Houston by early afternoon at the latest - night in Houston
Thu 9/29 - must fly out of Houston and be in Kansas City by early afternoon at the latest - night in Kansas City

a) does it make sense for me to hire a rental car if I will just go from SFO to Los Altos Hills... and the next day early morning get back to the airport...? or should I just cab it..? monetary considerations aside, is the rental process at SFO a lenghty one..? Im afraid I lack rental car company status.

SFO - a train ride to the rental car facility. A cab each way will run you probably $75 each way (a guess, but probably within reason). You might consider staying by SFO and just driving back the same night, to save you some time in the morning

b) I can issue my EZE to California ticket and have that leave me at LAX or perhaps SFO... is OAK a good option for cheaper flights or should I just stick to SFO as my California Hub...?

OAK is mostly a Southwest (WN) fortress these days. And often, WN isn't a bargain anymore. Getting to/from OAK from where you'll be isn't exactly convenient, either.

c) Im trying to do most or all of my US domestic travel on American (mileage issues), but Houston is a big UA/Continental hub and I have to go through there... are there any other carriers I should consider given I need to go from California to Houston and then Kansas City and back...?

WN may be your overall best bet for some of the shorter domestic hops. Other than no assigned seating, the service is no worse (and perhaps better) than AA or UA in the back. You also get a free baggage allowance. If you have some AA or UA status or this trip will get you some (or increase it), than you're probably better with AA or UA. Just note that SFO has some of the worst weather delays in the USA, even in summer. For flying eastbound, it is important that you get out as early as possible in the AM. (The delays revolve around flow restriction on arrivals due to low visibility, so if your aircraft is on the ground, you're generally in good shape.)

d) If someone has a tip for a 4 Points or Hampton Inn type hotel thats in the vicinity of Los Altos Hills, any info would be appreciated... Im guessing this area will not be cheap, but I would hope to be able to get something thats not much more than $150-180 per night (if possible).

I can't help you here, but consider returning to SFO to sleep.
Thanks for taking time to reply... based on this and also on what others have commented on, I think I will just get a room at one of the hotels near SFO and drive back the same night. Follow up question would be... Im guessing I should perhaps return the rental car that same evening and not be hassled in the morning to do that and head from the hotel to the airport directly, or...??
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 4:37 pm
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Originally Posted by peersteve
Well, in terms of time vs. cost vs. convenience, that's your decision..... as a comparsion point, here are the Southwest airlines flights with the price range from buy-on-website (low) to Business Select priority (high, but fully refundable). (Fares available at this hour today)

9/28 SFO-HOU Hobby
8am--change--3pm $129-$484
or from SJC(San Jose)-HOU Hobby
7am--change--3pm $199-$474

9/29 HOU-MCI(KC)
7am--change--10am
8am--change-11am
9am--change--1pm all $79-$328

9/30 MCI-SFO
7am--change--10am
1:10pm--change--4:35pm both $223-$474
or MCI-LAX non-stop
12:10pm--1:40 $129-$492

Hopefully, this helps you make a comparison to flying AA......
Amazing info.. thanks for the quotes. Ive been looking at fares on AA.com and while the above economics comes out to a little less, I think I will go with American as missing out on the miles for an overall savings of just under $100 is not worth it. Thanks again for the assistance....
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 5:18 pm
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Originally Posted by Gaucho100K
Thanks for taking time to reply... based on this and also on what others have commented on, I think I will just get a room at one of the hotels near SFO and drive back the same night. Follow up question would be... Im guessing I should perhaps return the rental car that same evening and not be hassled in the morning to do that and head from the hotel to the airport directly, or...??
I'd probably return the car super early in the morning. (Several but not all hotels have free parking.) Late night return will mean car return, train to SFO, wait for hotel shuttle (15, 20 or 30 mins, depending on the hotel, and some might require a call late night), and then to hotel. AM return means right to hotel, drive to rental car lot, train directly to airport after return.
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 5:32 pm
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Originally Posted by Gaucho100K
Amazing info.. I think I will go with American as missing out on the miles for an overall savings of just under $100 is not worth it. Thanks again for the assistance....
That's good to hear......when I can use my preferred airline at close-to-Southwest fares, it feels good that I'm not paying a premium price for similar coach service..... glad to help you make an informed decision!

What did you decide for SFO-to-Houston to get there in time?

If you are staying the night near SFO, perhaps stay at the Marriott or Hyatt on Old Bayshore Road in Burlingame (town adjacent to SFO) which have a Hertz desk. I like returning the car at night (or leaving paperwork), then using the hotel shuttle to go to SFO in the morning --saves at least 30mins of returning car in morning.

***Please double-check me on this.... the SF area folks may suggest other hotel/rental car return options on Old Bayshore Road. ***

And if you haven't been to Kansas City, the main airport (MCI) is a long distance from downtown, or even further from the affluent southern suburbs. So, dpending on how early your flight leaves MCI, consider the Marriott on the airport property. Maybe they will pick you up from the rental car building that night?

happy travels!
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 5:57 pm
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You would save yourself much time, aggravation and money flying in/out of SJC instead of SFO. It's closer to Los Altos Hills, has lower taxes and fees, and the rental cars are right across the street from the terminal. Don't know CO's schedule there but Southwest and AA seem to have a big presence. Downtown SJ also has a few upscale hotels, I know of the Fairmont for sure, not sure about others.
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 6:58 pm
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Originally Posted by CDTraveler
You would save yourself much time, aggravation and money flying in/out of SJC instead of SFO. It's closer to Los Altos Hills, has lower taxes and fees, and the rental cars are right across the street from the terminal. Don't know CO's schedule there but Southwest and AA seem to have a big presence. Downtown SJ also has a few upscale hotels, I know of the Fairmont for sure, not sure about others.
I had thought of this... but have the following additional considerations. My South America to US long haul flies in & out of SFO. I wonder if its feasible for me to start my US domestic leg from California to Houston from SJC.... but then, I would have to do the return leg to SFO as a final else I would need to transit back from SJC to SFO to catch my LAN flight back to EZE... what are the transport options from SJC to SFO that are not a rental car and how long does that take...???
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Old Aug 31, 2011, 7:00 pm
  #15  
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Originally Posted by peersteve
That's good to hear......when I can use my preferred airline at close-to-Southwest fares, it feels good that I'm not paying a premium price for similar coach service..... glad to help you make an informed decision!

What did you decide for SFO-to-Houston to get there in time?

If you are staying the night near SFO, perhaps stay at the Marriott or Hyatt on Old Bayshore Road in Burlingame (town adjacent to SFO) which have a Hertz desk. I like returning the car at night (or leaving paperwork), then using the hotel shuttle to go to SFO in the morning --saves at least 30mins of returning car in morning.

***Please double-check me on this.... the SF area folks may suggest other hotel/rental car return options on Old Bayshore Road. ***

And if you haven't been to Kansas City, the main airport (MCI) is a long distance from downtown, or even further from the affluent southern suburbs. So, dpending on how early your flight leaves MCI, consider the Marriott on the airport property. Maybe they will pick you up from the rental car building that night?
Not to sound tooo picky... but Im trying to keep hotels to Starwood as much as I can.... any ideas in that chain of hotels..?
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