[PRCo] Re: Gas Prices and Air Line Fares

[Phil Craig]

John:
 
Although this reply will not get to the PRCo list [not a member] unless you forward it, I appreciated your chiding of Fred.  You are absolutely right about why I was confronted with an unaffordable rate for holiday season travel between Newark and San Diego; I did not book early enough to get a good rate.  In fact, I could have got a $348 round trip rate (per person) for travel on Thursday evening, December 28th with a return from San Diego tomorrow, Tuesday, December 30th, until about two weeks ago.  Why didn't I book it?  Because I could not get Sue to agree fly during the holiday season until all of the cheap seats were sold out.  Timing is everything; so is decisiveness.
 
Still, I need to log 150 more miles to lock in Elite status for 2009 in Continental Airlines One Pass frequent flier program by the end of this year; I had flow 24,850 paid miles with CO during 2008 and needed to top 25,000 to keep my status.  Nagging Sue was not working.  Then I found that Continental was offerring an EWR-BOS round trip fare of $142 on its feeder airline subsidiary that would earn me 1,000 Elite-qualifying miles.  Sue has a younger sister, Ellen, who lives in the Boston suburb of Sharon.  With no shame, I played the card called "Wouldn't you like to see your sister at Chanukah without having to drive for five-to-six hours each way?  The flight will only take a little over an hour."  Sue agreed and I got the 150 miles that I needed plus another 850 for good measure.  And Continental upgraded us to first class on this morning's flight back to Newark.
 
By the way, the visit with my sister-in-law and her husband, whom we had not seen them in over five months, was very good.  And I got ride MBTA's Silver Line SL1 dual-mode diesel/trolley buses between Logan Airport to South Station and its Purple Line commuter rail service [Boston-Providence] to and from Sharon.  Door-to-door, the travel time was about equal to driving providing no delays were encountered en route but with a lot less stress.
 
Phil
 
 

--- On Mon, 12/29/08, John Swindler <j_swindler at hotmail.com> wrote:
 
From: John Swindler <j_swindler at hotmail.com>
Subject: RE: [PRCo] Gas Prices
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org, "Bruce Bente" <bbente at bellsouth.net>, "Al Schneider" <alschneider2 at juno.com>, "Philip Craig" <philgcraig204 at yahoo.com>
Date: Monday, December 29, 2008, 9:37 AM

I'm disappointed in you, Fred, for quoting a $854 price for round trip to west coast.  Trying to scare people away from traveling so you can get a better rate?

Phil's problem was that a specific holiday and specific travel days got in the way of finding a good price.  (and these are nice problems to have, particularly given Phil's current employment situation - plus visiting family)  Delta has a $187.99 price for round trip to San Diego with 14-day advance purchase from White Plains airport.   Change in Detroit outbound and change in Atlanta inbound.  And it is a real airplane west of the Mississippi.  The quote is from Travelocity.
 
For a real airport, probably looking at around $300 round trip.
 
And as for driving, I'd like to sleep in a comfortable room a few times and have a few meals while heading west.  That has to be factored in.  And my car would be due another oil change upon return.  Don't forget that cost, because maintenance is factored into the airline ticket price.  And I don't think the airlines get their planes for free - yet.
 
We were in New York over the weekend, and paid $1.45 per gallon for gas in New Jersey. The traffic was incredible until we got to Pennsylvania.  Enjoy these gas prices while they last, because these rates are not good news for those who advocate alternate energy sources.  I would not be surprised if government policy will try to raise energy costs during 2009.  Make us feel more pain in the wallet.
 
And how about those Steelers?  Great games yesterday to sort out the playoffs.  Pittsburgh probably has the best backup quarterback in the NFL.  Scored 24 unanswered points after Ben suffered his concussion.  There are some very good 'wild card' teams this year.  (just to struggle for at least a Pittsburgh connection)
 
Cheers
John
 
 

> To: bbente at bellsouth.net; pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org; alschneider2 at juno.com; philgcraig204 at yahoo.com
> From: fwschneider at comcast.net
> Subject: [PRCo] Gas Prices
> Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2008 13:40:45 -0500
> 
> Now I'm really getting scared by this "recession."
> 
> Gasoline in Lancaster is now down to $1.54, the lowest price, 
> adjusted for inflation by any means (including the CPI) in my 
> lifetime or even my father's lifetime. If we were to adjust the 8 
> gallons for a dollar from the middle of the Depression, today's price 
> is still almost 25% under that once adjusted to the Consumer Price 
> Index. If adjusted to wholesale prices, the drop since the 1930s is 
> far greater.
> 
> Phil Craig was telling me that the best price he could find to visit 
> his daughter from Newark airport to San Diego for Hanukkah holiday 
> was $854. I figure the cost of gasoline for a round trip to the 
> west coast is now an unprecedented low of $300. 
> 
> 




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