Oakland vs. SFO

<p>I'm getting tickets for Thanksgiving break. I've always flown out of Oakland, but I'm wondering, would it be faster and easier to fly out of Oakland or SFO if I'm taking BART?</p>

<p>It's much easier to fly out of Oakland. BART ride to SFO is around 1.5 hrs, not to mention check-in at SFO will take longer than it would at Oakland. Good luck finding tickets now, by the way...I had a really tough time finding Thanksgiving tickets a month ago :( Also, just a suggestion, but if you don't mind, flying in Thursday early morning is much cheaper than flying Wednesday afternoon/night :)</p>

<p>oakland. It's less crowded.</p>

<p>btw. do a lot of students go home during thanksgiving? I'm thinking whether or not to fly back... hmm</p>

<p>
[quote]
Good luck finding tickets now, by the way...I had a really tough time finding Thanksgiving tickets a month ago

[/quote]

This may have been because you were looking like four and a half months before you were intending on flying.</p>

<p>Shouldn't have any problem at all getting thanksgiving tickets atm. I just checked and can get a round trip from oakland to SD for $100, which, if anything, is cheaper than usual. There won't be serious ticket issues even just six weeks before thanksgiving.</p>

<p>Anyone have experience with flying to the central coast?</p>

<p>Well it's different for us living in LA. I bought my tickets some weeks ago (Oakland to Burbank roundtrip for the most popular days of Wed. and Sun.). I paid $300 for Southwest...I thought that purchasing tickets in early August was early enough but clearly it's not.</p>

<p>Sometimes SFO is a better alternative if you're not in a hurry and you want to save more money.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Well it's different for us living in LA. I bought my tickets some weeks ago (Oakland to Burbank roundtrip for the most popular days of Wed. and Sun.). I paid $300 for Southwest...I thought that purchasing tickets in early August was early enough but clearly it's not.</p>

<p>Sometimes SFO is a better alternative if you're not in a hurry and you want to save more money.

[/quote]

Or -- as I suggested -- it's because you guys went looking too early, and the cheapest tickets are not available monumentally far in advance. </p>

<p>ATM, looking at travel sites, I can get Oakland --> Long Beach on those dates for $125, including taxes. Yeah I know it's on the other side of LA from Burbank, but still. Can do Oakland --> LAX for $175, and Oakland --> Burbank for $215.</p>

<p>Wowwww good thing I only live 2 hours away from UCB and can take a cheap bus home :) - helllllllla cool !!!!!!</p>

<p>It's true that you can get flights for that lower price range, but I'm planning on attending all my classes that day. Evening flights are much pricier. I'd rather not risk missing classes that unforgivable teachers will still hold and make students responsible for.</p>

<p>
[quote]
It's true that you can get flights for that lower price range, but I'm planning on attending all my classes that day. Evening flights are much pricier. I'd rather not risk missing classes that unforgivable teachers will still hold and make students responsible for

[/quote]

Seriously, the cheapest tickets are not available monumentally in advance. Even shooting at a flight in the evening, it's possible to get to LA on that wednesday for $110, and I wouldn't be shocked if cheaper tickets open up in the future still. Paying $300 for tickets to LA is silly -- and certainly did not happen because early August was not early enough.</p>

<p>You could also go OAK-BUR thursday at 6am -- which realistically doesn't have you missing much time with your family -- for $69 for that leg.</p>

<p>It's amazing how booked all the flights are. I ended up getting tickets out of Oakland - I'll leave on Thursday morning. Thanks for the advice :)</p>

<p>
[quote]
ATM, looking at travel sites, I can get Oakland --> Long Beach on those dates for $125, including taxes. Yeah I know it's on the other side of LA from Burbank, but still. Can do Oakland --> LAX for $175, and Oakland --> Burbank for $215.

[/quote]

I hope I don't sound retarded asking this, but when you say Oakland-->LAX for $175, do you mean one-way or round-trip?</p>

<p>
[quote]
It's amazing how booked all the flights are. I ended up getting tickets out of Oakland - I'll leave on Thursday morning. Thanks for the advice

[/quote]

Yeah, it's pretty scary...I hope tickets at the end of the semester aren't this booked. Glad you found a flight. I'm flying out the same morning...</p>

<p>oh crap.. a lot of seats are booked.. omg. shizz!</p>

<p>when should we start booking tickets for holiday breaks? like... 4 weeks in advance or so?</p>

<p>
[quote]
I hope I don't sound retarded asking this, but when you say Oakland-->LAX for $175, do you mean one-way or round-trip?

[/quote]

Round trip.</p>

<p>holy xxxx, thank god i saw this post, oakland - onterio for 170 without tax or surcharges. man i thought i had plenty of time, but the fact of the matter is its too late now. =( did anyone book their winter break ticket yet?</p>

<p>Book your tickets on Southwest the very minute they are available, if you do not know your exact exam schedule, book the most likely leg. Then we you want to make changes, you can do so with no fees and get "DING" the little daily special offer and if anything better comes along for prices, rebook it and use the credit for your next travel.</p>

<p>We have been doing this for 6-7 years and it never has worked well to wait, it is much better to book it ASAP, but sometimes we do get cheaper fares along the way with DING</p>

<p>k, btw i just booked my thanksgiving tickets, and i believe i will get a free round trip since i have taken enough flights. so can i book the winter break tickets now pay the money and later replace it with the free round trip stuff?</p>

<p>You don't need to book too early for winter break unless you're leaving around Christmas. The demand for the time around your last final shouldn't be too high like Thanksgiving. Just book the tickets like you would for regular ones giving it maybe a month or a few weeks less in advance. Nevertheless, it's always cheaper to buy earlier. </p>

<p>If you have a free roundtrip on Southwest, you just choose the available dates you want and pay the taxes (less than $5, I think).</p>