Thanksgiving Flying = $$$$$$$$$$$$

labbadabba

labbadabba

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labbadabba
So, just booked my family of four on Delta from KC to Pensacola. Holy crap, that's an expensive flight.

I really toyed with the idea of just renting a plane and flying down. It would cost about the same and door-to-door time is more or less equal. Problem is, it's November which means weather and ice. So I decided to leave it up to the pros.

But it got me thinking. How many here would do that flight GA in a rented C177? Non-turbo/non-FIKI. Knowing that if the flight doesn't happen wife and in-laws would be none too happy, I didn't want to risk it especially with time/money being about equal.
 
labbadabba said:
So, just booked my family of four on Delta from KC to Pensacola. Holy crap, that's an expensive flight.

I really toyed with the idea of just renting a plane and flying down. It would cost about the same and door-to-door time is more or less equal. Problem is, it's November which means weather and ice. So I decided to leave it up to the pros.

But it got me thinking. How many here would do that flight GA in a rented C177? Non-turbo/non-FIKI. Knowing that if the flight doesn't happen wife and in-laws would be none too happy, I didn't want to risk it especially with time/money being about equal.
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You lost me at "Wife not happy." Could care less about the other people you mentioned.
 
Holidays are something that I'd try not to miss. I'd take the commercial flight over GA if I really need to get somewhere.
 
If the inlaws being unhappy is what is bothering you; are there hotels around?
If the wife being unhappy is what is bothering you; you could put her on a commercial flight home.
If YOU have to be home at a certain time, fly commercial.
 
My wife and I have made a few winter flights from KC to Florida in a non-de-iced single. Just need a little flexibility in your timing. Really, worse-case, can't you just drive last minute?
 
JOhnH said:
If the inlaws being unhappy is what is bothering you; are there hotels around?
If the wife being unhappy is what is bothering you; you could put her on a commercial flight home.
If YOU have to be home at a certain time, fly commercial.
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Putting them on commercial and me flying myself sort of blows up the cost delta.
 
labbadabba said:
So, just booked my family of four on Delta from KC to Pensacola. Holy crap, that's an expensive flight.

I really toyed with the idea of just renting a plane and flying down. It would cost about the same and door-to-door time is more or less equal. Problem is, it's November which means weather and ice. So I decided to leave it up to the pros.

But it got me thinking. How many here would do that flight GA in a rented C177? Non-turbo/non-FIKI. Knowing that if the flight doesn't happen wife and in-laws would be none too happy, I didn't want to risk it especially with time/money being about equal.
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The question isn't whether I would do the flight. I would do it, weather permitting. The question is whether I would plan to do it, knowing that there would be a lot of uncertainty about whether I would ultimately be able to go at the desired time.
 
I would do it if I had my instrument rating. Since I don't, and wife would be upset if we didn't make it, I'd go commercial.
 
If our attendance was not absolutely critical (Thanksgiving usually isn't), or the event time isn't critical (we've been known to move T-giving form Thurs to Sat), or it's possible to either secure an airline ticket or drive in a reasonable amount of time, we'll fly ourselves. Of course I'm the owner, so I generally have a better dispatch rate than a rental, and I can go IFR. the destination makes a difference...I'm more likely to scrub a flight heading west over the mountains due to weather. Along the east coast there are more options altitude-wise to avoid clouds and ice.

We are planning on flying up to CT for Thanksgiving this year.
 
lancie00 said:
I would do it if I had my instrument rating. Since I don't, and wife would be upset if we didn't make it, I'd go commercial.
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Unfortunately, the IR doesn't help that much during that time of year. Pretty much everything (at least up in the Midwest) that isn't VMC presents icing conditions, and his rented 177 is non-FIKI.
 
At that time of the year average lows are around 30*; surface temps. You'll need high ceilings or open enough sky to get far enough south to not be as concerned about ice in the clouds; and it's still possible. Mostly that means flexibility on days. With school and work schedules that may not be possible.

Commercial will meet the plan more likely from planning now for that time of year and your location. I flew my daughter back and forth for thanksgiving break from Lexington last year, but bought her a ticket for her winter break. She was bummed, but turned out to be a good decision with the weather for both of her winter break flights.

Since you bought tickets it will be clear skies on your travel days. :p
 
Guessing that Delta has a cancellation charge and you can't use the fare at a later date.
 
Yeah, I suppose I could book through Southwest which doesn't have change or cancellation fees.
 
I flew once on Thanksgiving when we had a hard return date/time. Forecast looked great for the entire time, so we flew. And......got iced out for the return flight. Rented a car, drove half the night, got everyone home. Drove the rental car back a few days later, crashed overnight, flew the plane home. In the end I both flew AND drove that trip.

Yeah, icing season? Fly commercial or drive is my new choice.
 
lancie00 said:
I would do it if I had my instrument rating. Since I don't, and wife would be upset if we didn't make it, I'd go commercial.
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Non-FIKI in Kansas in winter?

An instrument rating won't make that much difference.

A Cardinal isn't the best choice for potential icing weather. Not the strongest airplane out there.

Honestly, I don't travel at Thanksgiving. Period. It's the single most unpleasant time all year, far worse than Christmas. Every flight is packed to the gills with lost amateurs. Lots of delays due to weather. And very short time windows; it all goes to hell in a hurry.
 
First flight of the day on Thanksgiving is usually easier to book (plane gets full much later if at all) and is likely to be less expensive. We have lucked out with that strategy several years in a row LGA-ORD.
 
If you have a schedule you need to make in icing season and don't have a de-iced plane, take commercial.

However if you have a de-iced plane in icing season, chances are you have a much better on time rate than the airlines.
 
I'd fly myself. Weather usually not bad in Nov, at least here in the south. If you have a flexible time to get back, say a couple of days, you could wait the weather out and spend an extra day or two with the inlaws! Brillant!
 
Given that the airplane isn't FIKI equipped and Wx could keep you grounded, I'd say you made a wise decision booking commercial.

Surprisingly, Delta doesn't charge any cancellation fee's depending on the reason. Sister's little boy got sick a day or two before flying to LA, called Delta and told them the scenario and they now give them up to a year to rebook. I was impressed.
 
flying commercial may take the guessing game out of the equation. You could always present it as a fun family time with no guarantees, but that probably wouldn't go over well

For me I purposely work holidays, I could have thanksgiving and christmas off yet I chose to work. I don't have to worry about this stuff that way.
 
I flew Spirit Airlines PA to FL a couple Thanksgivings ago. Wife and daughter flew out on Tues. @ $175/person. I flew out Wednesday @ $325. Same exact flight, almost double the price. Never been able to figure that out.
 
For what its worth I fly my plane vfr for business all the time, for events where I really must be there, no joke. Have not taken a domestic flight for years.

There is no place that you can fly in a plane that does 100 or so knots that you cannot drive to in twice the time.

Say the job is in FL which is two 3 hr hops away. If the wx is bad. I can drive there in 12 hrs and make the job easy.

The only hitch is coming back, to be honest have been stuck a time or two and ditched the plane and driven back in a rental car.

This for basically all of the USA east of the Mississippi.
 
It sucks...

It's the low point of the year schedule wise and a high point of the year passenger wise.
 
Nothing magic about late November. Move the holiday. When I lived too far away to fly myself, I'd even move Christmas.
 
ScottK said:
I flew Spirit Airlines PA to FL a couple Thanksgivings ago. Wife and daughter flew out on Tues. @ $175/person. I flew out Wednesday @ $325. Same exact flight, almost double the price. Never been able to figure that out.
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Good ol' supply and demand I'm afraid... That or price gouging...
 
Skip Miller said:
First flight of the day on Thanksgiving is usually easier to book (plane gets full much later if at all) and is likely to be less expensive. We have lucked out with that strategy several years in a row LGA-ORD.
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Yeah, that's my Christmas strategy. Used to fly out of NYC every Christmas morning and come back New Years morning. Never had an issue.
 
labbadabba said:
Good ol' supply and demand I'm afraid... That or price gouging...
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They say Wed before Turkey Day and the Sunday after are the biggest travel days of the year. Flights are always full, so the market sets the price.
 
Im flying FL->CA and back with a non fiki non turbo plane, Ill be spending some quality time checking weather the week before TG.
 
mscard88 said:
They say Wed before Turkey Day and the Sunday after are the biggest travel days of the year. Flights are always full, so the market sets the price.
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Which is why I'm flying on Tuesday and Saturday, lol
 
Hell everyday of the year the planes are full, or close to it. When I was w/ the airline Sat used to be a great day to nonrev as the planes were wide open. No more.
 
jordane93 said:
Holidays are something that I'd try not to miss. I'd take the commercial flight over GA if I really need to get somewhere.
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This coming from a junior part 121 pilot. ruh roh, somebody didn't read the fine print....
 
hindsight2020 said:
This coming from a junior part 121 pilot. ruh roh, somebody didn't read the fine print....
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October will be 2 months in and I have 15 days off and every weekend off. Not bad. We'll see what happens during the holiday seasons.
 
I never plan to fly myself at Thanksgiving anymore. I have had weather issues every time I tried to do it, so I just stopped trying. It's a very unpredictable time for weather.
 
The real question is why are you renting when you can own a share cheaper. Forget Renting a plane and forget flying commercial for domestic trips. Buy a share of a plane. Fly the heck out of it, and then when you decide to upgrade sell your share for what you paid for it. I own 1/3 shares of two planes, and still have all my value in them. On top of it with only three members it is basically yours anytime you want it.

As far as flying from KC to FL, that is not a question you need others to answer for you. It is your own level of risk/comfort you have to answer for yourself. I fly VFR in many conditions that others may not even consider doing, but my level of risk and comfortability is higher so it works for me. But I would never encourage another pilot to do it just because I do. You have to decide that for yourself.
 
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