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-   -   RV vs Airlines (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=101673)

roadrunner20 07-08-2013 06:40 PM

RV vs Airlines
 
Anybody notice lately that flying the RV is becoming less expensive than the airlines when we talk about 2 place travel?
It used to be that when flying > 1000 miles, the airlines beat us out most of the time. Now, the roles are reversed.
I suppose there are exceptions, especially when going to a major hub.
The bonus is no TSA or elevated auto parking fees.

Michael Henning 07-08-2013 06:46 PM

I can go from Nashua, NH to Flagler Florida for less than JetBlue.... just have to get er done first.

tkatc 07-08-2013 07:06 PM

Not only that, I beat my wife door to door from Philadelphia to Jacksonville as she flew USAIR. She had to go through parking, security and the drive to and from the airport.

airguy 07-08-2013 09:47 PM

I regularly go to Tulsa (from Midland) for business, and I can beat the airlines on both time and dollars flying the 172. I can't wait until I get my RV9A in the air...

My normal routine is to make reservation on Southwest ahead of time in case the weather turns bad or something else would prevent me from flying myself, and then cancel the reservations most of the time as I'm preflighting.

Strasnuts 07-09-2013 05:26 AM

SLC to APC
 
We fly yearly from SLC to Napa California. Four of us in the RV10 and the other couples on the airline. It is exactly half the price to fly the RV out when there are two couples splitting the fuel cost. We also have the luxury of landing in Napa county where the others have to land in OAK, SMF or SFO and then drive an hour.

DickG 07-09-2013 07:16 AM

DET, MI to Rochester, NY
 
The trip is 1.6 hours in the RV6A at an all in cost $160. The commercial flight was going to be $800 via Detroit, Boston, Buffalo, then a one hour drive to Rochester. A total travel time of 8 hours. Driving would be 8 hours with one stop.

:) Love the RV. I can go to a business meeting and back by the time the airlines get me there.

Low Pass 07-09-2013 09:10 AM

Absolutely! Was seeing 32-34 NM/gal on my last DFW-Houston trip. **And** I didn't even feel like a criminal since I didn't have to go through the Gestapo TSA screening.

Canadian_JOY 07-09-2013 09:10 AM

Just wait 'til you see how this equation works out when you're trying to go somewhere in Canada... As an example, Ottawa to Kapuskasing, Ontario. About 3.5hours in the Grumman Cheetah, so about 4.5 hours from one living room to the other. To go commercial would be at least 8 hours, and the ticket cost for one passenger would exceed the round-trip cost of taking the Grumman, even factoring in a very generous engine overhaul reserve cost.

walkman 07-09-2013 11:51 AM

If you aren't going to a hub...
 
Like I'm often not it makes a lot of sense. I just looked at ATL to MSP on Delta. I could probably fly there for $100 less, and it's 6 hours in the plane so probably a couple hours slower door to door.

But where I really need to get to is Bermidji. That's another $350 for a connector and adds probably at least 3 hours to the trip on the airlines, but has negligible impact to flying myself. If I had to take another person the deal gets so much better for the RV.

J Twilbeck 07-09-2013 01:36 PM

We just got back from a commercial flight trip to Colorado Springs from Huntsville AL and my wife is probably sick of me stating that "when the plane is finished we could've made this trip faster and cheaper than the airlines" ...5 hours faster door to door and $200 cheaper, oh and the plane leaves when I want it to.


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