Jet America comes to Lansing

From Yahoo: 

Clearwater, Fla.-based JetAmerica said 34 nonstop passenger flights a week will start July 13 at Toledo, Ohio; South Bend, Ind.; Melbourne, Fla.; Newark, N.J.; Minneapolis and Lansing, Mich. Twenty-eight flights start or end at Newark Liberty International Airport. The carrier will add six more flights -- from Toledo to Minneapolis -- starting Aug. 14.

JetAmerica is targeting small and midsize cities like Lansing, which has seen the number of daily flights at its Capital Region International Airport fall from 35 to 12 the past five years. The decline is part of a national trend that has seen airfares increase at those airports as daily flights have decreased.

Robert Selig, head of the Capital Region Airport Authority, said JetAmerica will give Lansing business travelers direct access to New York City and carry leisure travelers to central Florida.

There will be a few $9 tickets on each flight.   I wouldn't go to NYC for $9 but I might go to Florida.

Nashville and Indy

If you love music.. then, by golly, get your butt to Nashville... Jen and I saw some great acts over the weekend.  We saw an act at the Fiddle and Steel Guitar bar in Printer's Alley that had GREAT stamped all over them. Their lead guitar was incredibly good and their singer was terrific, too. 

And CHEAP... once you get there...  it's about 530 miles from Lansing, (no construction though...) the bars downtown, don't charge cover.  They pass a tip jar around and you toss a couple bucks in.  Beer isn't too expensive.   One place, Robert's Western Wear  (bar, stage and footwear.. no lie)  has a Recession special ; PBR, fried bologna sandwich & a moon pie  $5!

Saturday night we went to the Bluebird Cafe, and listened to four guys you have never heard of that were wonderful   $10 cover.. over 2 hours of GREAT tunes. 

The photo is the lobby of the Frist Center for Visual Arts, a magnificent Art Deco building that was, at one time, a Post office.  The lobby alone is worth the price of admission (FREE!) 

Another little trick

We're going to go to Nashville next weekend  (Memorial day) for a two night stay.  We'll head to Indy on Thursday night to knock out about half the drive.   I got a Radisson Hotel in Indy near the airport for $45 plus fees  $14.    Not bad.     

 Big holiday weekends are LOW business traveler periods.   The best time of year to take advantage of this fact is the time between Christmas and New Year's.   Hotels almost PAY you to stay with them. 

Also.. we'll rent a car vs. my Buick  Rendesvous.   in addition to gettin much better mileage, I'll be putting miles a LOT of them.. on a car I don't own.   $15/day.. or about a half tank of gas.   If I get 30 mph vs. 20 mph..  I'll save about   $60/gas and spend  $81 for the rental .   that doesn't factor in wear and tear on the car. 

Thanks Hotwire

I took my mom to Chicago Friday night   ("took my momma to the hop last night" with apologies to Sam Cooke)  and we used Hotwire to book our hotel.  There wasn't a real need or desire (read.. too expensive)  to stay downtown.. so we stayed out near Oak Brook Shopping Center.   

You couldn't beat it.. the hotel was a Holiday Inn .. which, of course, they don't tell you when you book until you pony up the credit card.   $41/night.   With taxes and fee.. $51.   Great hotel.. nice comfy pillowtop mattress, quiet, good location.. especially if you want to shop  (I don't!) 

Taxes and fees... if you ever take a look at your bill after a trip (rental cars are the worst) you'll see taxes and fees make up a sizable portion of your expense.  Local taxing authorities LOVE to tax travelers..  that's how they pay for baseball stadiums or other huge projects to don't benefit the traveler at all. 

Chicago's room tax.. which is used to fund their marketing for the city.. is about 15%.  In addition, some of the booking groups charge a fee to use their system.  

I thought I was getting a heck of a deal on a flight from Lansing to Orlando a couple years back.. the 'fees' were $50 a ticket.. I bought two.. if I'd known that.. I would have just booked it thru Northwest and taken the frequent flyer miles. 

Lesson learned.. check your fees before you hit "BUY"     and if you're my sister, make sure you book your tickets on the weekend you actually want to fly.. you'll save yourself some HUGE problems. 

Last minute hotels

My previously mentioned buddy, Greg...  sent me a text one morning that he was on his way to Miami Beach.  I love that area and I have run down there, last minute to hang for a weekend with him.   (Two pudgy, middle aged, pasty white guys from the north.. we didn't stand out) 

So I asked him.. where you staying?     His reply was,  I won't know until I get there. 

That's how last minute his plans were. He landed at the airport and booked his hotel.  MOST people, would freak out at that though... but if you want ROCK bottom price on a hotel, that's the way to do it. Especially on Hotwire or Priceline.   

I would ask my son if he wanted to go to Chicago for the weekend.. if I could get a hotel for under $80, we'd go.   I'd book it on Thursday night and off we'd go after school on Friday.   We're guys..  give us about five minutes and we're packed and ready to go. 

I mentioned earlier, we were able to wake up on a Saturday morning in Indianapolis, during the NCAA regional finals and get a hotel for $57 downtown.  The HILTON, no less.. not some lesser hotel.  That was pretty neat. 

I did look one time, on Expedia, for a hotel in Santa Fe NM... and got a terrific rate.  I asked the front desk clerk if they could honor that rate.. she said she was sorry, but she couldn't.  It was $30 or so more...  but she did volunteer that they had wireless and I could book it online, from the lobby.  Which is what I did. 

It was almost instantly sent to the hotel.   

Last minute is the way to go.   I'm sure to be burned at some point.. getting shut out by HIGHER than normal prices.    I've found that at about 7 days out.. that would appear to be the best time to book at a reasonable price.  I'm not saying that will always be the case.. and, if you don't like the rate.. you don't have to go.