What are you best/silly $ saving tips for upcoming trip?

[stazmatic]

Never mind, didn't read the whole thread. Now just keep checking your flights. They change multiple times per day, and it's so easy to change a flight when it's cheaper.

 

[Nick6300]

You mentioned you are from Central Il. How far away are you from Midway Airport? Last August our family flew out of Midway and back for less than $100 round trip. If you keep checking flights and can fly on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, you can find great deals.

We're in Peoria. We flew Midway to LA last Nov., our first time flying since moving here 7/2016. Think it's roughly about 3 hours to Midway, maybe more if there's traffic since we're probably leaving around 5pm after work the night before to a Midway area motel.

The flight is super early like 5:45 am! (but I'm happy to be there early), which means we'd need to be at the check in counter around 4:15 am (I'm guessing). The SWA flights were $99 for 5:45 am departure (8/24 - Thurs) and $107 for 745pm return (Sat 9/2), about $420. It would have been $99 if returning Thurs 8/31... but we wanted to stay a little longer since we bought 8 day PH+ water. We do try to do the Tue-Thurs flights when we have the extra vacation.

We haven't figured out the motel or long term parking for 10 days yet. I know not advised... but the thought did cross my mind to drive from Peoria at 1am (because I rarely sleep the night before anyhow, and never at an overnight motel). Don't worry, I'm sure we'll book something later. We parked at Midway Park Saver (3rd party) directly across the st. from Midway for $12/night advance reservation on the LA trip (so it would be $120 for this trip, wife found parking a bit further away for about $7/day). Probably won't, but we have a friend who's brother lives in Chicago - thinking about asking if we could park at his place, uber from there to the airport - to save on the parking.

 

[Nick6300]

Never mind, didn't read the whole thread. Now just keep checking your flights. They change multiple times per day, and it's so easy to change a flight when it's cheaper.

Thanks - good thought.

We booked Southwest's "Wanna Get Away." If they do go cheaper... I think we can only get a credit and not a refund, that we'd have to use by either a year from booking or departure. We're planning on not flying next yr. But worth checking just in case.

 

[familyman123]

There are "Park, Sleep, Fly" hotels near midway. They offer free long term parking + shuttle to and from Midway. For $120, I bet you would be pretty close to the cost of one of those hotels.

 

[Nick6300]

There are "Park, Sleep, Fly" hotels near midway. They offer free long term parking + shuttle to and from Midway. For $120, I bet you would be pretty close to the cost of one of those hotels.

Thanks - we did a search (although not extensive) and found only 1 hotel that offered travel parking for $200 extra. will keep looking for better ones. The one parking lot wife found for about $70 has good reviews, 1-2mi away w/ free bus shuttle, so we could always find a nearby motel for approx. the $120 total cost of the Midway Park Saver (uber to the lot on return).

Think we're shifting focus to park days with our FP picking timeframe this month. Haven't really kept up with Pandora... started to read the thread here today (it's already 330 pages) and it looks like people are really planning it out their schedules and using uber to beat the first buses, throwaway resort, etc. I hope it dies down more than I anticipate and maybe downpour during our AK visits.