Thanks, Don. Those certainly are good deals and if we decide to make the trip I will check Sidestep (wife and I noted/bookmarked this a few months back from one of your previous posts). Don't have dates yet if we go but typically for us it's around 4/15. My work doesn't allow me to be gone at the beginning of a month but I will be unemployed as of 1/15/10 so will have more flexibility (but less cash!).
We try to get non-stops from Detroit due to paranoia about losing gear, plus lost vacation time. NWA always runs one at least from winter thru spring, but now that it's Delta I will have to go back and check if we decide to go. And it's usually been in the $350 to $450 range spanning the last 6 years so I was happy with that.
Flint for us is 50 miles door-to-door vs. 40 to DTW. I've done it once and it was far better. Nice small airport that I could park right by the door for vs. major city airport involving shuttle ride to/from parking lot, shuttle ride, moving sidewalk, etc. That was pre-9/11. It did stop at DTW, though, which is a 15 minute flight. Then I had a delay in DTW on the return, so close to home, but my car was in Flint! Still, we always check Flint but it rarely turns out to be a good option. If it was I'd be all over it with it's reduced hassle factor.
Sidestep/Kayak is a useful tool with so many options to learn, i.e. check dates
+ 3 days, check nearby airports, etc. and mistakes. Sometimes I specify CZM only and still get CUN choices, and sometimes the hotel locations are totally wrong - like Villa Blanca being 30 miles east of the island in the sea.
It's a good starting place, but I always try to find the same prices at the actual provider's site.
Non-stop would be cool. I've only done that once on a dive trip to the Flower Gardens, but they still lost my bud's bags. They offered to forward them to our first stop, but we didn't have a stop. I stressed the importance of us having his bags that afternoon and didn't leave the office until they went out to look for them - finding where they had feel off of the trailer, before they could be picked up for whatever procedures happen to orphan bags. All in all I've had pretty good luck with bags making it, but if they don't...
I get a commitment from the airline then and there for how much they will reimburse me per day for my bags being delayed; and
File a claim with my trip insurance for daily delays...
So at $250 a day combined benefit, I can make do with well inspected rental gear.
I have 2 regs, 2 puters, 2 masks, etc in my roll-on purchased to fit the maximum allowed size by the airline, and my breakable and essentials in my laptop backpack.
Flint does sound better. Did you let your wife take a cab home from Detroit that time, with you bringing the bags and car later? They're supposed to pull bags off for anyone who does not reboard, but who knows.
You might try going through some of the sites with price guarantees like Orbitz. If the price goes down, they refund the difference. Read the fine print though.
That has a feel good sound to it. Have you ever seen anyone take the same flights from your origin to your destination and return? I have, but only on group trips.
Orbitz to automatically refund customers if airfare drops - This Just In - Budget Travel
Orbitz to automatically refund customers if airfare drops
With its new Price Assurance program, the online travel agency is giving travelers a powerful new incentive to book flights early and through Orbitz.com. Here’s the gist: As of the beta launch on June 6, if you book a flight and another Orbitz customer subsequently books the same class seat on the same flight for a lower price, Orbitz will reimburse you for the difference—anywhere from $5 to $250.
The company tracks prices from the moment you book until the day you travel and will notify you by email if you’re going to receive a refund (you can also login to check the My Trips web page). If the fare you booked falls from, say, $500 to $450 and then again to $400, you’ll get a $100 refund. Expect a check to arrive about 30 days after you return.
The immediate appeal of the Price Assurance is that it takes the onus off the customer. Unlike other best-price guarantees, you don’t have to monitor fares yourself or scramble to find a lower fare within a brief time period or even request a reimbursement. It also helps relieve that sneaking suspicion that the passenger seated next to you somehow got a better deal.
One noteworthy caveat: the policy just applies to airfare-only purchases. So, if you book a flight along with a rental car or hotel stay, you won’t be eligible for a refund. As always, read the full conditions and terms to avoid any surprises.
There’s no limit to how early you can book a fare, and chances are the earlier you book, the greater the refund potential. But don’t assume a refund will be coming. While Tom Russell, VP of brand marketing, told me that Orbitz anticipates mailing thousands of checks monthly, that estimate may drop if cash-strapped airlines continue to raise fares.
More: Now covers hotels
Travel and Vacation Orbitz
Now, some airlines are allowing rebooking with only a $50 fee rather than $150 in the past, if you book on their site and rebook within 30 days. Still good to have Sidestep/Kayak track your fares daily so you can claims that if it happens. See
Continental Air issues refund credits if fares go down after purchasing?!
