Here and (getting) there, (from) everywhere: Flight tips

Hey gang, Unless you're driving or carpooling, more than likely you'll be flying in.

Here I propose that we post great airfare deals and try to 'hook up' to share hotel transfers (if your hotel doesn't offer them).

Yahoo has a new 'deal crawler' site here where they compare prices for you and you can mix and match airlines to make a better score!

 

I'll tell you this: if you plan on flying, book your flight NOW!! Airfares increase the closer to the travel date (ie booking a flight from Los Angeles to Indy will cost a lot more if you book the week prior instead of 5-6 months out) so decide early on if you're going to fly and book as soon as possible.

Also, check out the web site for the Indianapolis Airport as well as any other airports you may need to use. These sites have plenty of info about flights and available services in the airport and can save you a lot of time and headaches.

http://www.indianapolisairport.com/

 

I'll tell you this: if you plan on flying, book your flight NOW!! Airfares increase the closer to the travel date (ie booking a flight from Los Angeles to Indy will cost a lot more if you book the week prior instead of 5-6 months out) so decide early on if you're going to fly and book as soon as possible.

Very, very true! I bought mine from CheapTickets just hours before C3 tix went on sale.

 

I already got my flight AND my ride from hotel to airport.

 

Luckily I had enough miles to cover 2 of our 3 plane tickets! (glad, because otherwise, they were really expensive!)
And I suppose this is something that'll be answered closer to the con, but I thought I'd bring it up now - does anyone know if any of the hotels have shuttles from the airport to the hotel? Or, rather, how far is the convention center from the airport (would a taxi be too expensive?)

 

It looks like the convention center is just over 8 miles from the airport, or about a 15 minute drive (depending on traffic, of course)

 

Another thing to bear in mind if you're flying are the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) guidelines. These folks are particularly anal about luggage and anything which you bring on the plane. They can and will confiscate anything which does not meet their guidelines. Metal objects, costume accessories (lightsabers, blasters, clothing accessories, etc), and such may prompt the baggage screener to have your carry on searched by another TSA agent. I know from firsthand experience as this happened to me when I was leaving Orange County/Santa Ana airport earlier this year. My bag was set aside as I had an item made of pewter which was cause for them to search my bag.

If your baggage needs to be searched by hand for any reason, do as the TSA agent tells you. You'd think this would be common sense but I saw another man at the same airport get hauled off for interfering with the search of his luggage. If you're asked any questions, answer them. Don't get cute with your answers. Something as seeminly innocent as "just ignore that ticking thing in my bag" could put you in some serious trouble.

Cameras are another sticking point. If you plan on carrying film, put it in a clear bag so it can be inspected by an agent instead of x-rayed. It would also be advisable not to have any film inside of your camera as the inside of your camera may need to be inspected. Digital cameras and disks can safely pass through an x-ray machine unharmed. However, I make sure to put them in a clear bag and stow my camera bag in my carry on just to err on the side of caution. It would also be a good idea to do the same with any batteries needed for your camera as well.

One final note, if you're unsure about what you can and cannot take aboard an airplane, the TSA's site has a detailed list of prohibited items. Go over it before packing so you'll know what you can and cannot bring aboard. Also, make yourself familiar with the air travel guidelines. They may seem mundane, but knowing them can be the difference between getting to your flight on time or being late because you didn't plan ahead.


http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=175

 

Here I was all worried about the cost of flights going up and how I'm going to pay for my hotel cost (ouch!) AND I haven't even paid for my tickets yet...

Screw that, my boyfriend WON two tickets through Suncoast to C III!!! We now have paid airfare, hotel, car rental, etc. *dances*

Anyways, back to the topic. Last time I went, I virtually came with nothing, just the clothes on my back. I was so wiggy about being stopped and my stuff checked at the airport. I do know that a few people on my flight WERE stopped in costume and their backs had to be checked.

So it is good advice to just be careful about what you bring. I'd say if you buy a whole lot of stuff, just ship it to yourself via FedEx or UPS. Might cost an arm and a leg, but at least it won't get confiscated!

 

Screw that, my boyfriend WON two tickets through Suncoast to C III!!! We now have paid airfare, hotel, car rental, etc. *dances*

OH MY GOD!! How on earth did he do that?!

 

Here's the background on it: Suncoast, which is a mall store that sells DVD's, used to be owned by the same company that owned Best Buy. Suncoast was a big sponser at the last Celebration. Even with the split of companies, Lucasfilm and/or GenCon still has some ties with Suncoast. So! Suncoast was holding a contest for ALL stores (300+) and their Store Manager. James, my sweety, is the Store Manager for a North Carolina store. Well, the contest was in conjunction with the release of the OT on DVD. The stores were to decorate, set up, be in costume, get fan help, etc. and take pictures and send them in to the head office. The winning store who decorated the best and put in the best effort would win a dinner for all employees anywhere, but the Store Manager would get two tickets, airfare, hotel, car rental, SPENDING MONEY, etc. to C III. He knows I'm a SW nut, so he put his heart in soul into it... and he WON!!! Is that not the sweetest thing?! He probably wouldn't have done it if I wasn't such a nut. Wow, do I love him!! If you see two blissfully in love people at C III, that's probably us. LOL

 

I'll be travelling by plane from Vienna (Austria) to Indy. The problem is that the cheapest offer I could find so far costs friggin' $700 bucks!!!! And I thought air travel was cheaper than ever before.

 

Here's the background on it: Suncoast, which is a mall store that sells DVD's, used to be owned by the same company that owned Best Buy. Suncoast was a big sponser at the last Celebration. Even with the split of companies, Lucasfilm and/or GenCon still has some ties with Suncoast. So! Suncoast was holding a contest for ALL stores (300+) and their Store Manager. James, my sweety, is the Store Manager for a North Carolina store. Well, the contest was in conjunction with the release of the OT on DVD. The stores were to decorate, set up, be in costume, get fan help, etc. and take pictures and send them in to the head office. The winning store who decorated the best and put in the best effort would win a dinner for all employees anywhere, but the Store Manager would get two tickets, airfare, hotel, car rental, SPENDING MONEY, etc. to C III. He knows I'm a SW nut, so he put his heart in soul into it... and he WON!!! Is that not the sweetest thing?! He probably wouldn't have done it if I wasn't such a nut. Wow, do I love him!! If you see two blissfully in love people at C III, that's probably us. LOL

WOW!! Man, I wish I'd known about that! Guess I should have been visiting Suncoast a little more often. Oh well, at least I've got all my stuff taken care of.

 

$700 from Vienna to Indy is a good deal. I just did a quick search of several airlines and found that most would cost $850 or more.

 

Yeah, I too couldn't find anything below $700 apart from a couple of AA from Vienna which would only cost $500. But when adding the taxes to costs just as much as the $700 one and has two connections.

 

I thinks that's a pretty good deal from Vienna. I'm flying from Stockholm, Sweden, and paying approx. $750. Booked the ticket the week after the C3 ticktes were released.

 

I'm flying from Ireland and paid about the same ($700-750) depending on fluctuating exchange rates.

 

Another friendly reminder to book your flight(s) now. They'll only go up in price the closer it gets to C3.

 

I booked mine,same week as registration. Got a return flight from Heathrow for £230, so not too bad.

 

Just wanted to alert everyone to check Northwest Airline. They're starting a promotion in January featuring bonus miles for direct flights to Indianapolis. Here's the link to the info: http://www.nwa.com/offers/ind05/ . You need to be sure to register for Worldperks and register for this offer. Along with this promotion their fares have dropped. When I first learned they would be offering direct flights from Raleigh-Durham, NC the fare was ~$200. It's now $118 (includes all taxes & fees). This is a great price for a direct round-trip and the flight times are very good.

 

I feel a little dumb asking this, but since I've never, ever flown before I was wondering what happens when a flight is delayed.

 

I was wondering what happens when a flight is delayed.

Funny you should mention it. Me and a nice crowd of SW fans were delayed last time. I wish there was something exciting that happened, but you really just sit around until the plane comes.

 

Yeah, delays mean you just wait. Cancellations are another problem all together and things may depend on what airline you fly on and their policies. This is one reason why it's a good idea to read the fine print BEFORE you purchase your ticket. You may be getting a ticket at a rock bottom price, but if something bad or unexpected were to lead to the cancellation of the flight, you may wind up purchasing another ticket and possibly paying more than you had paid originally. Some airlines will make you pay the entire cost while others may make you pay the difference between the two. Regardless, check cancellation policies before you book your flight.

Also, on a somewhat related note, make sure you make plans with an airline which is, erm, financially stable and doesn't have labor disputes. Flight attendants at US Airways had a mass sickout on Dec 24th and this lead to the cancellation of some flights. Whether this was union related (it has all appearances of that) or something planned at the last minute, it left many holiday travellers stranded for 24-36 hours or having to book flights on other carriers. Point is this: do research. You don't have to get the quartely report of a company, just look around online and/or ask other people who may know. The last thing you want is to be stuck at the airport when the airline folds and you're left high and dry.

 

Crap, I asked my question wrong--I meant to ask what happens when a flight is cancelled lol.

 

Like I said in my last post, when a flight is cancelled it's just that - cancelled. You'll need to book a new flight which may or may not involve paying something extra. It all depends on the policies of the carrier you fly on which is why you should read the fine print before you book your flight.

 

Here is a great URL to help you pick your seat on the plane:
http://www.seatguru.com/

Unlucky me, I had picked two red seats on my planes. Went back in and changed them to better ones.