Do you apply the same costings in the bedroom?

Having your own car gets you more fleixiblity though.

I would hate to have to book flights around a loved one being available to pick me up or drop me off, or worry about delays and having to get home after public transit closes or is dangerous. If my flight is delayed and I am looking at getting in late, I know my transport home is garunteed and that I don't have to make someone else change their schedule.

What cities were you thinking of?

Of the ones that have decent public transit to the airport, I can't think of any that get particularly dangerous at night.

YYZ! It's in the mississauga area and that bloor line, not to mention the spadina line, can get seedy at night. Of course, from YYZ you have to take a GO BUS to one of the stations.

And PHX, the light rail, not to mention the Aiport Stop (in-airport still under construction, currently shuttles drop you on Washignton Ave) after about 8 when you are carrying luggage..might want to think twice!

From near downtown Seattle, I choose one of three options.

1) If I'm taking carryon only and my flight leaves 8:30 or later, I'll take light rail from Westlake to the airport. $2.50 one way. It probably doubles the time versus driving, but it's a lot cheaper and I can read or zone out since I don't have to focus on keeping a car on the road.

2) I'm I'm leaving prior to 8:30 or carrying enough stuff to check luggage, I'll drive to the airport and part at MasterPark lot B. Great folk there. It's a 15 mile drive and the lot generally costs me $11-$13 a day.

3) For trips longer than 7 days, it makes sense to just take a cab at about $40-$45 each way.

Lately for long trips, though, I've taken to Fedex'ing one suitcase ahead using the Express Saver rate. It meets me at my hotel part way through my stay. I can swap laundry and ship it back. Then when I fly i agian have just carry one. and can take light rail to the airport

Living 2.9 miles from FLL, and most of my domestic trips running in the 2-3 day range, I drive to Park-n-Fly most of the time. For the longer international trips, cabbing it end up being quite a bit less expensive.

Our family is pretty well off.. its not like we live in an apartment or anything.. and we have to scrounge up every little bit of money.. but we see flying as a privelege, and a novelty (even though its two or three, maybe four times to the airport a year). I drive my parents, they drive us.. had my brother pick us up because they were in China while we were returning from Hawaii.

Maybe its cultural, but we find it fun and interesting to pick each other up and drop each other off at the Airport.^

I hate shared shuttles that make extra stops- inevitably I'm the first picked up and the last dropped off. I'll pay extra to get dedicated, no-waiting service. My husband and I have only one car so when I travel on business, he drops me off and picks me up (one way to MCI is generally less than an hour). We gave up on the MCI parking lot for travel together years ago- shuttles seemed to run irregularly (none for 15 minutes, then two right after each other) and make too many stops. We use The Parking Spot nearby.

You swear by it, you swear at it. There's no way I'm fit to drive after a long day of flying, especially if I've scored the upgrade or the club pass or both and therefore enjoyed an adult beverage or two. Some trips, I don't even bring my driver's license, it would just be something else to keep track of that I wouldn't use.

I much prefer to be dropped off/picked up at the airport by either my hubby or a friend. Of course, such friends should be appreciated and frequently wined and dined as a reward for their help. I'd rather take my buddy out to a nice dinner than spend the same money having my car sit in airport parking. It isn't about the money, it's about being tired and in no real shape to drive after a long trip. It wouldn't work for a lot of people, though, especially if it's a business trip. They'd be compensated for the airport parking but not for the buddy's dinner.

I love places where you can easily take a bus or other public transport to/from the airport, like HNL. That's really nifty.

There's no taxi to my house from the airport, I live across the Causeway, a 24 mile bridge, so the only serious choice is having someone pick me up if I'll be too jet-lagged to drive.

Depends on the airport
 

If at JNB or SEA, it is always family. We don't cost the time it takes to help each other out, that's why we're family! Otherwise I try to call a friend. I've never had to get a cab or pay for long-term parking.

Otherwise I usually take public transport or hire a car.

At AMS, it is always public transport. Walking from customs to the train platform takes about 2 minutes at Schiphol; walking to a parked car can take significantly longer, especially if using cheaper long-term parking. And the train links are excellent anyway, generally much faster than with a car if the dsitance is no greater than 50km or so by car. And with high train freqeuncies to just about everywhere in the country, there is no need to really wait or endeavour to catch a particular train. Plus it's dirt cheap. My record time gate to home is 25 minutes (I live in Leiden).

:confused::confused::confused:

What a bizarre image - are you using kettle as some strange code for something else???

Being 15-20 mins away from my hoem airport of GLA, it's a £15 taxi for me.

It's just a term to describe non-frequent fliers, a reference to Ma and Pa Kettle.

Yes, that was the original meaning.

More and more, it appears to be used to describe someone who's not a high-maintenance travel diva. ;)

Lol, thanks - never saw that film. Somehow less interesting than a bus full of kitchen appliances...

:rolleyes: That's ridiculous. The Light Rail stop is across the street from the Crowne Plaza and diagonal to the aloft. Washington east of ~36th Street is a fine neighborhood. I used to park my car at the aloft, walk to the light rail stop and ride the bus to the airport to kill an evening sometimes and I've never felt less than safe.