Ok, we're with you. We see the email pop in our inbox, "California! Fly for $39," and immediately start thinking it's time to plan a vacation.
But is the Southwest Airlines fare sale really that good of a deal?
To start with, there are the expected restrictions:
- The price is only good on flights to four locations from Sacramento: Burbank, Ontario, Long Beach and Los Angeles.
- The low price is only available on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
- Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are blacked out.
But even if your travel fits within those restrictions, should you buy into this sale? Our answer is no...not unless you are traveling by yourself or don't have a car.
Let's do the math for a family of four, looking to spend a week in Southern California. Should they fly or drive?
Cost to fly - $382+
Airfare: $312 for four roundtrip tickets at $78 each. And remember, you will need to fly on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Parking at SMF: For $10/day in the economy lot, the total comes to $70.
Transportation in Southern California: You will probably need to pay for a rental car or ride once you arrive at the airport.
Cost to drive - $140
Gas Cost: The cost should be $140 for about 800 miles roundtrip, in a car that gets 20 miles per gallon, with the current AAA fuel price average in Sacramento of $3.48/gallon.
What about my time?
Ok, so we realize the drive down to Southern California is not always the most enjoyable. But, how much time do you save flying?
The drive from Sacramento to Los Angeles takes 6 to 6.5 hours. A flight takes 90 minutes, but you also need to include in two hours for the suggested early arrival at the airport. There's another 30 minutes to deplane and get your bags at baggage claim and once you arrive, there is probably another hour either getting a rental car or catching a ride, and then driving to your destination.
That adds up to about five hours from the time you leave your house to the time you get where you are going. So, the total time saved is an hour to an hour and a half. Is that really worth paying another $242?
We don't want you to give up dreaming about that vacation, but hopefully, now you can leave with a couple hundred bucks in your wallet.
Do you disagree? Join the conversation on our ABC 10 Facebook page.
