Nay, there is no such thing as Mini Airlines, but methinks Mini would like you to believe otherwise. As I filled up on black gold at my local Exxon the other day, I came across this sitting on top of the pump. (Please excuse my poor picture taking skills.)
That’s right, it’s only $39 to take your Mini up to San Francisco from down here in LA! That’s a deal at twice the price, but oh wait, you have to drive 6 hours.
Is that really bad though? Let’s look at it.
1 hour to drive to LAX in the usual traffic
30 minutes to park in long term and take the shuttle(I’m cheap)
30 minutes to check bags
15 minutes to clear security
30 minutes to board
15 minutes to taxi and takeoff
1 hour to fly to SFO
15 minutes to taxi and get off the plane
30 minutes to wait for my bag
30 minutes to drive into the City
That’s a total of 5 1/4 hours, a mere 45 minutes shorter than driving. Plus, you have your own car and nobody will penalize you for trying to leave early if you want. Oh, and saving those 45 minutes on the flight assumes all goes well and there are no delays.
If you’re paying $150 on a super cheap fare to go roundtrip vs. $78 to drive, it starts to look good. And if you have more than one person, it starts to look REALLY good.
This new requirement to check all liquids almost puts it over the top. That could have a big impact on short haul flights. Something to keep an eye on.
1 comment on “Fly Mini Airlines to San Francisco”
For short distance trips, like from LA to SF, I definitely prefer to drive. I generally hate flying because of the cramped space, loud noise, and stale recycled air. So I’ll take every opportunity to drive, if feasible. Besides, driving along the California coast is great. The scenery is just awesome.
The only negative is the traffic you encounter when you reach the city. So plan ahead and try not arrive during rush hour traffic.