When I was young Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was often our family's choice of vacationing for our 2 weeks in August. It was typical of our family and related family members to do the same.
It was typically a 2-day trek from Toronto, Ontario to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with a stop in between to close the first day of non-stop driving. It can be done in slightly less than 24 hours but we were always reservation-less and found vacant hotels when we arrived ... and this was easier when we arrived mid day as opposed to midnight.
My last trip was probably in 1988 so it was with a bit of excitement when I organized my family's trip almost 20 years later. With a sixteen-month old I was not about to make the trek by car so it was the choice of air for us. As most Canadians know the trip out of Canada is full of extra taxes ... often flights with less than 1hr travel times by flight can cost $20, the taxes the Canadian government can slap on are as high as $300 per person. Quite the deal killer.
Our choice was to fly out of Buffalo, more specifically the Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG). The trip to Buffalo was about 1.5 hours, but with the wait at the Queenston-Lewiston border it was probably close to 3 hours. The Niagara Falls airport is just around the corner from the former Prime Outlets - now called Fashion Outlets so that gives many Canadian travellers as to its proximity to the actual border.
The airport is quite shocking to look at after you've seen the monstrosity referred to as Pearson International Airport. A very simple building with free parking and friendly staff to serve you. This isn't your regular overpriced parking, overpriced shopping, and overpriced dining experience. Great for arrivals and departures, but not for stopovers. No big deal.
Our flight was with an airline called Myrtle Beach Direct Air ... one of the few airlines that flies directly into Myrtle Beach non stop (most other airlines require a change of planes in Charlotte, North Carolina and I believe Spirit Airlines flying out of Detroit, Michigan is the only other direct flight). I would have to say that the direct option accounted for 50% of my decision to fly ... the fact that the flight was $99 each way for an adult was the other driving factor. Factor in about $35 of extra fees ($5 seat pre-selection, $15 baggage fee, $10 convenience fee, the rest in misc. taxes each way) and And I'm sure many other Canadian travellers can agree as it seems to be a common occurrence for families of more than 2. The cost of a family of 5 is significantly reduced. I'm sure the Canadian government won't take any action in reducing their fees. And this doesn't rest solely in the hands of the GTAA - the operation that is responsible for Pearson being one of the most expensive airports to land at in North America.
Myrtle Beach Direct Air has been flying this route for about a year and a half and is probably best known to Canadian golfers flying out to the abundance of golf courses in and around Myrtle Beach. The airline is supposedly affiliated with JetBlue in some way ... probably sharing revenue or chartering their flights. We happened to fly a JetBlue Airbus A320 jet on the trip there. Free refreshments and snacks. leather seats, full satellite tv per seat (although I was disappointed our first row of seats 1D, 1E, and 1F were not working) ... all the amenities of a JetBlue flight. Super friendly steward staff and a very enjoyable flight overall.
If anybody has the opportunity to reserve their seats, the first row is a nice-to-have because you have extra legroom and nobody to deal with in front of you.
No comments:
Post a Comment