Need Flight Advice

[MikeyG1965]

Okay..I've done a lot of flying; however, always been on someone else's dime.

Towards the end of September, my brother is getting married in Lake Tahoe. My mom and I plan on being there and trying to figure out the flight stuff.

American is the only airline that has a direct, non-stop flight into Reno.

I've priced tickets and for the Economy Class tickets, comes out to about $350 per person....which is great. Of course, this is the lowest level you can buy them at and you have to read all of the fine print, (no refunds, no priority rebooking, etc.).

Next level up price is about $500 each, but I guess they treat you a little better.

Any advice? Not worried about the cheapest fare, but don't want to spend extra if we didn't have to.

[L Stegall]

My brother used to live in Tahoe and I've been a number of times to ski. I've never flown direct via AA. Instead, I've always used SW, which, from Dallas requires a stop somewhere. Even with one stop, flying SW to get to Reno is not a bad trip at all and definitely less than the AA fare.

Tahoe is gorgeous - I hope you guys get a chance to see some of the area.

[Sentinel Chicken]

Watch out for the fees, too, particularly with checked baggage. That can add up and tip the balance one way or another.

[Cornbread]

Originally Posted by L Stegall

My brother used to live in Tahoe and I've been a number of times to ski. I've never flown direct via AA. Instead, I've always used SW, which, from Dallas requires a stop somewhere. Even with one stop, flying SW to get to Reno is not a bad trip at all and definitely less than the AA fare.

Tahoe is gorgeous - I hope you guys get a chance to see some of the area.

Originally Posted by Sentinel Chicken

Watch out for the fees, too, particularly with checked baggage. That can add up and tip the balance one way or another.

This is where Southwest comes in handy. When they say there are no hidden fees, they mean it.

Also, if you would like to pre-board a Southwest flight to avoid the cattle-herding style boarding, you can just ask the agent at the gate. I'll let you know how it goes for me. I'm flying out on May 1 and I am going to ask to pre-board.

[L Stegall]

Yes, as a frequent SW flier, I can second the thumbs up to no hidden fees for luggage (assuming your luggage is not over their weight limit). They do not charge for checking bags (I think you can check 2 per person, but it may be 3). I don't know about your mom, but when I book my parents, I do specify on line when I'm booking that I need a wheelchair for one of them and they have had no problems in flying on SW.

[Bella]

I don't know if you need a hotel or not as well, but FWIW, my husband and I recently had to book a last minute trip to Chicago due to a death in the family. Our round-trip airfare was $400 per person. We booked an air and hotel package through Orbitz and it was $350 per person for both! (and the hotel was really nice, on the Magnifcent Mile). I know Southwest doesn't work with Orbitz, but they do have packages available on their site. Good luck with the arrangements.

Cindy

[hbwise]

I'm a FF on both AA and SW. You might try a connection through someplace like SF or LA on AA. You also might try Frontier through Denver.