Flying Reno to LAX
 

Just started checking for August, so I know it's very early. Trying to compare getting a car to drive from Tahoe to LAX, where we'd turn in the car right away to get a cheaper one for a month in LA, as opposed to flying from Reno and just picking up our car at LAX for the month. Southwest quotes about $84 each. Are there likely to be specials between now and then? Any one else I should check? I know I once did old Reno Air for something like $19, but I guess those days are gone.

It's a good question. If time isn't an issue, it's a nice drive down 395 through the backside of Yosemite and Mammoth.

Since American bought and killed Reno Air, Southwest is kind of the only game in town again. You might look into United, Alaska or AmericaWest, but SWA is likely to beat all of these. $84 is pretty good these days, but you might want to subscribe to their email newsletter because they could have reno or LAX be a "featured destination" some week.

Just out of curiousity, were the RENO-LAX flights you looked at direct or via Vegas and/or San Jose?

Direct flight. I think there was a one stop flight that was a little cheaper, or maybe I'm thinking of America West for that.

Actually we've done that drive several times, and are just thinking we'd as soon not to the "quickie" marathon drive all the way down I-5 either. Flying sounds kind of attractive.

And most of those other airlines don't even offer one way fares. Guess Southwest is the only game, but at least after looking at a lot of dates between now and then, I guess that fare of mid 80's should stick, if not cheaper. So won't book for now.

Thanks for the tip about registering. I think I will. Also will later need a flight from LAX to Las Vegas, one way.

Southwest does have specials from reno to Lax. You just have to keep watching their specials. They should be coming up soon. Did some last year about this time for $49 each way, not including taxes.

It sounds like you are wanting to drive straight through - that is not a fun drive in August. Unless you were allowing 2 or 3 days for the drive to see some sights - definitely drive.

The Southwest site will send you notice of a good fare if you sign up with them. Most city pairs show up as a special reduced fare every 2 or 3 months so you'll have plenty of time to buy tix. Or you could drive down to Sacramento and fly to Ontario, LAX or Burbank. I'd just wait for a good WN sale to one of those cities.

Janis, we've done the drive a number of times -- several times straight through, and a couple of times in August. We leave Truckee about 9 AM, stop for a late lunch at Harris Ranch and arrive West Hollywood about 4 or 5. It's OK, just tired of it. Not really interested in hitting Yosemite again (especially in August) or doing anything along the way. So if we pick up a car in Truckee, we'll drive straight down to LA, otherwise we'll fly from Reno. No point in renting a car to drive to Sacramento, turning it in and flying from there. The one way car rental for a few hours would eat up any savings on plane tickets. So guess I'll just keep my eyes open for Southwest specials.

Wow - did I ever miss a mistake in my post - I meant to say "Unless you were allowing 2 or 3 days for the drive to see some sights - definitely FLY." Talk about screwing up a post :-)

Flying WN is definitely your best option. When I suggested using SMF, I just assumed you would have a car while at Tahoe. If you were just renting a car for the drive then you are right, Sacramento doesn't make much sense.

Excuse me for being so uneducated, but "
Flying WN is definitely your best option."

What is WN? From experience I do know that SMF is Sacramento "International" Airport (for those of you who might not know) (Having lived in Sacramento for 20 some years, never figured out the "International" part of the name).

Curious

Curious.......WN=Southwest Airlines.....as AA=AmericanAirlines,etc..

To explain the car thing, we will be meeting my partner's brother and his wife at Ashland, Oregon and returning with them for a few days to their home at Northstar at Lake Tahoe. So we won't have a car there. They don't mind driving us to Reno for a plane as they go at least once a week anyway to "shop".
Ironically, this morning I discovered we can rent a car from Hertz right at the Truckee airport, just a couple miles from their house for less than $60 including the drop off the next day at LAX where we're to pick up a monthly rental car. So now, I'm back to being a little tempted to drive again.

In the meantime, I was checking out Flyer Talk and checked their definition of WN. It is Southwest. If you weren't familiar with Flyer Talk and their particular "lingo" you would never know.

On the regular travel sights, Southwest is SWA.

Thanks BeachBoi, I'm elite on AA and also a frequent flyer on SWA.

C

Patrick,

I'd hold off on the decision...I'd almost guarantee that if you sign up for the Southwest email updates that you'd catch a $39 or $49 fare before August.

Oh, but when you see that fare jump on it RIGHT AWAY cuz those rates sell out fast--sometimes in a matter of hours.

Well, a new turn of events. When we got to LA we were actually thinking of spending three nights in Santa Barbara first, followed by two nights in Laguna for Pageant of the Masters -- then we have a month in LA. I just discovered those are the dates of the big "fiesta week" in Santa Barbara, which is nothing I want to be a part of. New question. Would Southwest offer similar pricing on city pairs specials from Reno to San Diego? Right now the fares from RNO to LAX are the same as RNO to San Diego. Otherwise, we could leave Truckee driving late morning, stopping for dinner and the night at the Harris Ranch and then driving on to San Diego the next day.

I dont think waiting for the $49 special fares on SWA (aka WN) will do you any good. If I understand you want a one way. When SWA does those specials its the one way fare WHEN you buy a RT. I learned from experience on $29 fares from SNA to OAK (thats Orange Co to Oakland -- just wanted to be an elitist for a second)and trying to do one ways to get folks down here next month. You grab the lowest one way while you can and I think they are refundable or reusable as credit -- check their site. Its all about how much your time is worth for the day long drive thru the hell that is our central valley as seen from I5.

Thanks for that information, bigdog. Yes, it would just be for one-way, so guess those specials won't do much good. Actually the current one way price (available anytime on internet) is something like $79, but with taxes, etc, ends up being about $98.

Since we aren't on a schedule, it's not so much how much our time is worth, just do we want to do that drive through "HELL" as you put it, another time? For two of us, guess we'd save about $100 altogether driving rather than flying. Hmmm.

I wasn't aware that the "one-way fares" were higher if you're not doing roundtrip. Learn something new every day...

However, if you're driving to San Diego, there's no way around the LA traffic, unless you drive through in the middle of the night. I don't envy you if you decide to drive...then again, I'm driving cross-country with two toddlers in a couple of months, so I probably should keep my mouth shut!

When I got my special from Reno to Lax on SW, I also got a one way ticket for my sister and paid the same for her to fly from Reno to Lax, as I did reno to Lax, only I booked a return fare also for myself.

Patrick,

As far as the drive, it sounds like you've done highway 5 -- but I was talking about 395, on the other side of the Sierras. It's a great drive & from Reno, can actually be faster than 5 -- depending on your destination in LA.

I'm sorry - but Bigdog is wrong there. Southwest does sell one-way tix w/o a RT requirement. I've done it several times. That is one thing that makes WN so great - you can buy 1-way or RT and there is no penalty. I wish other airlines would price that way.

Patrick - depending on the originating city, the SoCal airports that are LEAST common on the WN specials are San Diego, John Wayne and LAX. But both do show up from time to time. Burbank and Ontario are there almost every week. You have plenty of time - I'd just hold off til later and see if a bargain is publisged for LAX or San Diego. If not - rent the car and drive . . . .

Maybe take that Truckee car to Oakland airport and hop on jetBlue to LGB and, later, LGB to LAX.

So let me get this straight. I rent a car for $60 just to drive to Oakland (about 4 or more hours plus allow two or more hours to turn the car in and then be at the gate the required hour and a half before boarding. Then when I get to my destination after buying Jet Blue tickets (how cheap are they?) I rent a second car. Somehow, I don't get the idea of all this. Obviously it isn't for saving money. And total, I might save an hour or two at the most.

My husband and I go from LA to Carson City about 4 times a year, and have flown numerous times. In the past year or so, the airfares to Reno have not been cheap, even though they may be on sale. So we have been driving (long drive).

Since it is only a one way flight, I'd stick with the original plan. Reno Airport is a small, easy access airport, and then to on to LAX. A hour flight.

My suggestion if you fly Southwest, is to look for a N/S flight, or at least, one where you don't have to change planes in Oakland, San Jose, or Las Vegas. That eats up your time and convenience. Check with United for a sale, too.