Getting to Bend without busting the budget?
Jun 5, 2005 | 5:21 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,107
Getting to Bend without busting the budget?
Me, the g/f, and g/f's brother ("starving students") are trying to get to Bend, Oregon for a wedding July 3rd, at 4:30 pm. Airfares to RDM are expensive (availability doesn't seem to be a problem despite the weekend - it just seems the published airfares are high). Renting a car is not an option.
Flying into PDX is cheaper but it looks like the shuttle service to Bend arrives too late (6 pm) to make the wedding.
Are there any discount codes/companion fares/other offers I should know about? I have the miles if need be but would rather not burn them for such a short hop!
Thanks for any help!
Yonatan
Edited to add: we're based in SAN but can stay for free in the Bay Area if overnighting on the way to Oregon would save money!
Flying into PDX is cheaper but it looks like the shuttle service to Bend arrives too late (6 pm) to make the wedding.
Are there any discount codes/companion fares/other offers I should know about? I have the miles if need be but would rather not burn them for such a short hop!
Thanks for any help!
Yonatan
Edited to add: we're based in SAN but can stay for free in the Bay Area if overnighting on the way to Oregon would save money!
Last edited by yonatan; Jun 5, 2005 at 5:27 am
Jun 5, 2005 | 6:11 am
#2
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 18,244
How about renting a car? For three people it should be cheaper (provided you are over 25 so they will rent you one) than the shuttle, even including gas.
Jun 5, 2005 | 2:11 pm
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Pointy End
Posts: 3,565
Hey,
As the last poster suggested, renting a car out of PDX would be much cheaper if you are 25 or older.
The problem is you're trying to travel over one of the busiest travel days of the year with one month advanced purchase
. Most airfares that were any good have long since sold out.
I found a couple of options that are fairly reasonable you might want to consider:
This one has a double connection coming back, but has times that would work for you into RDM on the outbound.
Would either of those work for you? FWIW, the driving time from PDX-Bend is supposedly about 2.5 hours. I've never tried it myself, but a friend told me that.
As the last poster suggested, renting a car out of PDX would be much cheaper if you are 25 or older.
The problem is you're trying to travel over one of the busiest travel days of the year with one month advanced purchase
. Most airfares that were any good have long since sold out.I found a couple of options that are fairly reasonable you might want to consider:
Code:
1 - Alaska to RDM $324/person
Alaska Airlines Flight AS551 on a Boeing 737 (jet) in coach class
Departs San Diego, CA (SAN) Sun, July 3 6:40a
Arrives Portland, OR (PDX) 9:15a
Layover in Portland 45 min
Alaska Airlines Flight AS2162 on a De Havilland Dash-8 (prop plane) in coach class
(operated by Horizon Air)
Departs Portland, OR (PDX) Sun, July 3 10:00a
Arrives Redmond, OR (RDM) 10:40a
Alaska Airlines Flight AS2034 on a De Havilland Dash-8 (prop plane) in coach class
(operated by Horizon Air)
Departs Redmond, OR (RDM) Mon, July 4 5:15a
Arrives Portland, OR (PDX) 6:00a
Layover in Portland 1 hr 25 min
Alaska Airlines Flight AS256 on a Boeing 737 (jet) in coach class
Departs Portland, OR (PDX) Mon, July 4 7:25a
Arrives Los Angeles, CA (LAX) 9:44a
Layover in Los Angeles 1 hr 16 min
Alaska Airlines Flight AS4692 on a SAAB SF 340 (prop plane) in coach class
(operated by American Eagle, also American Airlines Flight AA3073)
Departs Los Angeles, CA (LAX) Mon, July 4 11:00a
Arrives San Diego, CA (SAN) 12:02p
Code:
Option 2 - Alaska/Eagle to PDX --June 2nd--. Then you rent a car/take a shuttle to Bend $258/person
Alaska Airlines Flight AS4730 on an Embraer ERJ-140 (jet) in coach class
(operated by American Eagle, also American Airlines Flight AA3178)
Departs San Diego, CA (SAN) Sat, July 2 1:56p
Arrives San Jose, CA (SJC) 3:17p
Layover in San Jose 2 hrs 43 min
Alaska Airlines Flight AS301 on a MD-80 (jet) in coach class
Departs San Jose, CA (SJC) Sat, July 2 6:00p
Arrives Portland, OR (PDX) 7:39p
Alaska Airlines Flight AS418 on a MD-80 (jet) in coach class
Departs Portland, OR (PDX) Mon, July 4 3:45p
Arrives San Jose, CA (SJC) 5:28p
Layover in San Jose 2 hrs 23 min
Alaska Airlines Flight AS4722 on an Embraer ERJ-140 (jet) in coach class
(operated by American Eagle, also American Airlines Flight AA3144)
Departs San Jose, CA (SJC) Mon, July 4 7:51p
Arrives San Diego, CA (SAN) 9:11p
Jun 5, 2005 | 10:19 pm
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 46,298
I frequently get weekend rentals in Portland and they are very cheap. I generally rent from budget downtown so I don't get hit with any airport taxes, but my total bill is rarely more than $13 per day (that's for a small car, of course, but about half the time, I end up with a free upgrade).
Budget doesn't charge drop fees either, nor do they harrass about things like insurance and pre-paid gas (helps to have fastbreak).
Budget doesn't charge drop fees either, nor do they harrass about things like insurance and pre-paid gas (helps to have fastbreak).
Jun 5, 2005 | 10:31 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,107
Thanks for all the responses.
Unfortunately, car rental is NOT an option for us.
Given this constraint, it's likely that we will need to fly to Redmond. I'm curious if there's any companion fares/coupons/ etc. that we might be able to benefit from.
Thanks,
Yonatan
Unfortunately, car rental is NOT an option for us.
Given this constraint, it's likely that we will need to fly to Redmond. I'm curious if there's any companion fares/coupons/ etc. that we might be able to benefit from.
Thanks,
Yonatan
Jun 5, 2005 | 10:52 pm
#6
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 46,298
Do you have access to AS miles (or could you trade for some)? Saver awards only cost 20k miles and they have good availability on the whole.
I can emphasize with your plight because I've also been bending over backwards to get to a wedding on July 3.
I can emphasize with your plight because I've also been bending over backwards to get to a wedding on July 3.
Last edited by moondog; Jun 5, 2005 at 10:55 pm