Found great deal on JetBlue BOS to LGB. We want to start in LA and end in San Diego. Would it make more sense to pay the extra $$ and give up the direct flight to fly home from SAN? We're travelling with a toddler, so direct would be wonderful. But it almost seems easier to just leave from SAN. Any advice?

The difference in price is $150 more, plus switching planes at Dulles. I guess it really depends on the drive from SD to LGB. If it's quick and traffic free, then maybe LGB is the way to go... The flight to BOS leaves early am so we could drive there the night before and stay near the airport, too. Hmm... suggestions?

Ooops, the flight home leaves at 9pm on a Friday. Would that drive be a bad idea? For $15 more, we could leave at 7am and sleep near LGB the night before. That is, if these flights are still available when I book.

The drive between SAN and LGB is a tough one, especially during rush hour. That 9p flight on a Friday night means a lot of time sitting in your car. If you have the time though, you might as well take the nonstop from LGB anyway. It probably still beats having to switch planes with a toddler.

If you do take the LGB flight, one time saver is to use the 73 toll road. LGB is off the 405, and you'll need to take that down until it merges with the 5, which will take you to SAN. You can avoid that painful merge by using the 73 cutoff right near SNA. It'll cost a few bucks, but it's DEFINITELY worth it.

The JetBlue nonstop BOS-LGB is very convenient, and you'll love the whole JetBlue experience. However, the sticking point is, indeed, the drive down to San Diego. It's not long in distance-- a bit over 100 miles-- but traffic can make it quite a long slog. I know-- I live in Long Beach, about a mile and a half from LGB.

The CA-73 toll road <i>can</i> save a little time on the trips between the two cities. But really, the time of day is the main determinant. If you start driving from LGB on a weekday between, say, 10 AM and 3:30 PM, you should stay on the ( 405/( 5. It will take roughly 1 hour 40 minutes, barring accidents. Add an hour if you drive during Rush Hours, or take the CA-73 tollroad and shave off a half-hour.

That 9 PM flight gets in at roughly 6 AM the following day, right? The advantage there would be that your kid could sleep through it (hopefully). You might find it easier to book the next-morning flight and get a room at the LGB Marriott (Lakewood and Spring, a long block from LGB-- but they have a shuttle). Keep the car and drive to Belmont Shore or downtown Long Beach for dinner (believe it or not, some of the best restaurants in southern California are in Long Beach!); or, if you're in the mood for great fast Mexican, Baja Sonora is a half-mile or so from the hotel (at Clark and Spring). Just a thought to give you a bit of rest before the flight.

Hah! Those funny smileys came up when I was trying to indicate that &quot;the 405&quot; and &quot;the 5&quot; refer to the Interstate freeways-- that is, I-405 and I-5. But I think you get the gist.

Thanks for the quick replies!!! I'm hoping to get hotels on P'line, and I may have to flip the trip around because of hotel availability in SD. So we may start in SD and end in LA. That would probably help with the driving issue.

We sometimes stop in LA to visit a museum or two on our way to San Diego. American Eagle has commuter flights between the two, but we prefer to take Amtrak. Its a much more comfortable ride, and often quicker than a flight, when you consider the time getting to the airport and through security

I just hate red-eyes. Whether it's US-Europe or W. Coast - E. Coast. Flight time is under 5 hours, especially in winter. And you really can't get much rest in coach.