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Wed 16 Apr, 2003 08:26 pm
I am going to Newark, New Jersey, for a weekend in May. Now, the boy thought we should be able to get fairly cheap tickets, so I've been looking for tickets. Then I'll get to use that fancy new exit on the Expressway....
Well guess what? It seems that Boston to Newark is such a hot trip that the cheapest ticket is $236 round trip. You read it right.
So I thought 'Hey, I don't need them! I'll go to South Station and take a train!' For a cool $300 round trip it seems.
People, this is frickin NEWARK. NEW JERSEY. I can drive there in under 4 hours. Why the hell would I pay over $200 to be harrassed at the airport which, by the time I get there early for boarding and they inevitably delay my flight, it will take me 4 hours to get there anyway?! No wonder these people are going out of business.
I've checked Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, and the airlines themselves. Does someone know something I don't know?
why not just drive? it might be fun.
btw, i like the blog
I was going to drive and I will if I have to,no big deal really. However, there's a bit of a silliness factor to it as I am going to see my brother who got recalled for 'National Security' by the USCG to patrol lovely NY Harbor and respective bridges. As they have no room left at the base, they are keeping 175 USCG at the Sheraton at the Newark Airport.
So I'd be driving from here to there to stay at the airport.
amtrak is 64 to penn station. you can take the commuter rail or a bus from there for peanuts. i do it every so often.
And the amtrak ride is a nice one. Used to stop in Newark, too, but I don't recall if it still does. And they sometimes offer package deals on ride with hotels (but you have to ask them what kinds of deals are available). I love train travel, and think we should do more of it. My second choice would be to drive. Why would you want to fly that trip?
Sugar--
Last month I flew out of Allentown, PA for Boston. My fare was just about what you quoted. Because of a family emergency I couldn't make my return flight as scheduled. I couldn't slap down my $100 for a change-of-date because emergencies don't run on timetables.
When all was peaceful again, I called my travel agent and found a one way flight south would cost me $560!
Needless to say I'm out of sympathy right now with government subsidies for our poor, suffering airlines.
(By the by, Gulf War II had started and the airline was having many, many cancellations).
Sugar - Continental should have somewhat cheap, shuttle-y type fares. At least they used to, back when I was doing a lot of travelling. The suggestion to head to Penn Sta via Amtrak and then take Path is probably the most sound, financially.
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