Considering flying for the annual family visit - are we nuts? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Considering flying for the annual family visit - are we nuts?

DreamerBob · RV-Dreams Family Member

As much as we HATE flying, we fly all the time to visit family. Almost all our family is in the east, we like being in the west - but we do get to missing family, so….we fly. I think that if the costs are close, the time savings make a lot of sense - especially for you guys with a schedule to keep. Plus, as much as we like RV'ing, its a nice change of pace staying in a hotel or with family.

Bob (a fellow spreadsheet junkie)

MarkS · RV-Dreams Family Member

Is that two separate questions? I don't think there is anything wrong with turning a quick trip. Nobody said you have to take your RV everywhere. I don't know you well enough to address the second question. Read: I have an opinion but it is only based on speculation.

Technomadia · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just because you can drive there, doesn't mean you have to.

We've parked our home for bits in the past and traveled by other modalities. We'll likely be doing that this winter, staying in the southwest and flying back to family in Florida for a visit. We just can't fathom another cross country repositioning.

Diana and Jim · RV-Dreams Family Member

Like the old saying goes, "Time is money". If nothing more, a trip through a few airports will reinforce why you like RVing so much! :). Have a safe trip and don't think twice about it.

Jim (and Diana)

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

A general rule of thumb is if your trip is 500 miles or less, driving is the way to go. between 500 and 1000 then time and distance come into play. Over a 1000 miles, flying becomes viable for short stays. Most people when making compares for drive vs. flying fail to consider door to door times in flying calculations. If one lives an hour from a major hub as a starting point, then there's the security check, the waiting to board, departure delays... on the other end you have baggage retrieval(if you checked bags by choice or not) then the drive to your final destination. It all adds up. The more people in your party, the more the calculation skews toward driving.

By way of example, we routinely drive from our house in SW Chicagoland to visit my mother in Canada. By car, it's 580 miles and takes roughly 9 1/2 hours. To fly, 1 hour drive to Ohare, 30 minutes from parking to terminal, 1.5 hours through security and boarding, 1 1/2 hours to Toronto, 45 minutes for baggage claim and customs, 45 minutes for shuttle and car rental, 2 1/2 hours to her house(on a good day)... total 8 hours. So its 1.5 hours faster by air but the costs, $200 per person (one way) for airfare(X2), car rental $100, long term(3-4 days) parking at a Chicago airport $50(cheaper than taxi) equals $550 vs driving costs of $75 for gas, an invisible $10 for wear & tear(think routine maintenance costs for the additional driving beyond the normal) and $3 for bridge toll into Canada. The difference is 462 dollars saved to drive an extra 1.5 hours, double that for the round trip, well worth it in my book. A family visit to California via car makes no sense for us due to the amount of time needed to make the trip, costs for driving are on par with airfare.

So Dale & Ruth, depending on your actual distances and times involved, your personal comfort zones for travel and economic considerations... you are not nuts! smile

JMHO, Brian

-- Edited by biggaRView on Friday 5th of September 2014 06:21:09 AM

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

Not nuts, but for us we would rather drive if remotely feasible....first off the airports are a real PITA, secondly after having our own bedding and bathroom for so long hotels can turn me off....add to that a newly acquired MILD fear of flying....and I am driving....

PIEERE · RV-Dreams Family Member

Gene: I don't fly to much; Take off is like in the good old days when I drag raced; it's the landings I don't like. Dale and Ruth it does save time; especially if you can stay at the relatives; I don't care for motels/hotels. When I went in July I stayed at my Nephew and Nieces' house in their upstairs garage apartment. Another Niece loaned me her second vehicle and I ate out as much as possible. Stayed 8 days; so not to wear out the Welcome! If the cost is feasible I will take the flight!!!! All depends on your needs.

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Gene:

I’m with you. I’ve been in an airplane once in the last 5 years and that is only because there is no bridge to the Holy Land to take the RV.

All personal preference, but I’ll take 5 days in the RV vs. one trip to the airport if time permits, and I’m a pilot. Love to fly – hate airports and being treated like cargo, which we are to the airlines. We’re SLC. That’s Self Loading Cargo.

Bill

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Another thought for you. Why do you have to be the one to make the effort to go see family? Why can't they arrange to meet you somewhere for a visit.

I think a lot of us end up having family take advantage of us since we can so often drive to see them, they don't feel they need to make an effort to maintain family ties.

Barb

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

Barbaraok wrote:
Another thought for you. Why do you have to be the one to make the effort to go see family? Why can't they arrange to meet you somewhere for a visit.

I think a lot of us end up having family take advantage of us since we can so often drive to see them, they don't feel they need to make an effort to maintain family ties.

Barb

True that........................

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Diane and I have both flown when needed instead of moving the RV. The further you are, the more reasonable this option is. Even if you hate to fly. Howard and Linda do it all the time to speak.

I also know many who have family that looks at them as babysitting service or the ones to make repairs. Not to mention the ones who force you to come back and then won't let you help, they just wanted you do know how much they sacrificed. A cousin found this out without being an RVer. She moved 2000 miles for a 3 year job and when she went back to visit family, she was babysitting, spending money helping, and not really getting a lot of quality visiting in. When she said, "why don't you come visit me?", she got all kinds of pushback, "can't afford it", "I am too busy", etc. She quit flying back to visit until her job moved her job moved her back.

Hdrider · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are not working but if we were still working and fulltime I can only speculate that we would still plan our trip to see family in our RV. Unless it was a time sensitive matter like an illness or something.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for the feedback, still considering this whole scenario. Hate not having our home with us, but then again we also hate the idea of spending an extra 3 weekends driving right before we start the busiest part of Dale's art show schedule with the spring / summer shows.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

In our case, or at least mine, I don't like to fly. Not because of fear but because I'd probably be arrested for assaulting a TSA agent. (Just kidding.) Actually, I always prefer to drive because I love seeing new country. I can't see the beauty of the landscape and all of man's creations if I'm at 30,000 feet.

Beyond that, our bed has a Select Comfort mattress and we hate sleeping on anything other than that. (If I'm not on our Select Comfort, I'm camping.)

Terry

Diana and Jim · RV-Dreams Family Member

Right with you on the Select Comfort, Terry! We had a king in our S&B, and we have a queen in our 5er! Worth every penny!

Jim (and Diana)

soos · RV-Dreams Family Member

DreamerBob wrote:
As much as we HATE flying, we fly all the time to visit family. Almost all our family is in the east, we like being in the west - but we do get to missing family, so….we fly. I think that if the costs are close, the time savings make a lot of sense - especially for you guys with a schedule to keep. Plus, as much as we like RV'ing, its a nice change of pace staying in a hotel or with family.
Bob (a fellow spreadsheet junkie)

ditto. We fly east all the time to see family, unless we want to spend time exploring that area anyway.

Fergizmo · RV-Dreams Family Member

I think that would be a good idea.... to fly. But if you drive the RV, you get to have it washed a lot. hehe

Bill and Jodee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sounds like you have more good reasons to fly than drive. Still, whichever one causes you least amount of worry is the best choice for you

Although we will have the rig by then, we have decided to fly for the Spring rally. Because we still have to be "here" until June we would have to make a rush trip. 4400 miles round trip just seems ridiculous when we can't enjoy stopping for extended periods along the way. We go to airports with realistic expectations so they are usually aren't a big deal.

Have fun!

Jodee

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well, plans changed again. We talked to Dale's Dad earlier this week and he expressed a wish that we could be there for Christmas which definitely means we're flying. With all the ice storms TX and OK have had the past few winters we're not making the drive in December. So, our first fly away trip is coming up, now trying to figure out where to park the rig in Phoenix and hire a pet sitter for Tazzy Kat.

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Dale and Ruth:

That’s a wise decision. “It depends” is always in play when talking about road conditions vs. flying conditions.

Linda and I had to travel with the rig in some very cold – below zero over night – and this is actually not safe for RV travel. Remember, pipes can freeze when traveling. 32 degrees is freezing sitting or traveling and we’re not going to get into the safety of running an LP furnace when traveling to keep the pipes and tanks warm. (Yes, there other ways but we’re not going there.) At -11 degrees; not fun and that doesn’t even address possible ice and snow on the road.

Good call in the winter.

Bill

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

There should be plenty of places that offer RV Storage, after that a kitty kennel.....If its a short time you might also just leave your rig on site plugged in and then find a nice retired person who is there to care for Tazzy....We did a cruise out of Florida, left our MH in Port Saint Lucie rv park, and dropped our cats at Chatue Poochie.....they where OK but did come back with a couple of fleas....

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

We've found a Passport America Park where we can get a discount for 7 days so we think we'll park it there and hire a pet sitter. Tazzy is rather timid and was traumatized having to spend one night at the vet when she got sick, we're thinking she would be overwhelmed at a kitty kennel for 2 long weeks