The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent
vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums
here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules
document is now in effect.
Booking travel and in need of advice.
Hey, everyone. This year I will (hopefully) be attending Prime for the first time. I've done a bit of traveling to Vegas and Anaheim (from NJ), but never to Seattle. I wasn't quite expecting it to be this expensive.
Any advice for booking flights/hotels for PAX Prime? I checked Travelocity and Priceline for deals and I'm having a really hard time finding what I need (flights that don't cause me to miss most of the convention, hotels that are closer than 14 miles away, a price <1,000). I don't mind long flights or long layovers. I'm trying to leave any time Thursday, check into the hotel on Friday, check out Monday, and leave Monday afternoon after things wrap up. Any suggestions?
I've heard a lot of people recommend booking travel packages 45-56 days out. Will that be ok for Prime? Any suggestions on good travel sites?
0
Posts
As far as flights, I've personally seen flights from PIT > SEA actually lower in price by $60 in the last two weeks. So, seperately, waiting for a ticket might be a good bet.
As far as where to stay, you need to find a place asap. I don't mean right this minute, but constantly be on the lookout with onpeak (look for the hotel thread in this forum). I just looked and Airbnb has some alternatives near the convention, but as allways, ymmv. people change their mind all the time and I've seen tickets pop up on onpeak but you're going to have to be vigilant at this point unless you get a hotel further away from the event.
others with more experience may have different advice, but that's just my two cents.
edit: which airport are you leaving from?
As long as I can find a hotel with a shuttle running to/from the convention center the distance won't be that much of a problem.
it's doable, but not going to be ideal. take ToG's suggestion and look into sharing a room.
As for flights, I found Google Flights to be very useful. It gathers flights from all major airlines(except Southwest, in my experience). I got a round trip ticket from San Diego to Seattle for $150, which is $125 less than I paid when I went in 2012. Here are some flight results that may be helpful to you: Newark to Seattle, and Philly to Seattle. Some people say to wait until 60 days or less to book your flight, but I'd just jump on a ticket when you feel comfortable with the price. It's possible that my plane ticket may get a little cheaper as we get closer, but I think the $150 I paid is extremely reasonable.
PAX East: 2013
PAX East 2016:
[ X ] Badge [ X ] Hotel [ X ] Plane Ticket
Thankfully when it comes to transportation, Seattle seems to offer a bevy of public transportation. Now I cannot attest to the punctuality, cleanliness, or reliability of said public transportation, but there is a hell of a lot of it. I know that there is a light rail station that runs from SEA-TAC airport to a variety of stops. There is one a couple of blocks from the convention center that is labeled as "Westlake". Personally I plan on using that to enjoy some of the other sections of the city while I'm not at the expo. Max price I've seen is like 7 bucks one way.
Also one thing you're going to going to have to take into account, if you're planning on spending less than 1k to go to PAX, plan on making concessions. You may not have a bed of your own to sleep on if you share a room with somebody, so pack accordingly. While a car would be easier to get around with, renting one and parking will cost you $400-$500 easily, stick with public transport.
Please note that the expo opens up Friday morning at 10 am, and most check in times for hotels are in the afternoon, after they have had a chance to clean the rooms. If you're going to fly in thursday, you're going to need a place to stay. So plan for that if you aren't sharing a room and can just show up when you please. Keep lines of communication open if you do end up sharing a room. It would suck for you to appear thursday night and they be out at dinner or partying or what have you while you're stuck with your bags in the hallway.
[ X ] Badge
[ X ] Hotel
[ X ] Plane
Wish me luck!
It might be worth looking into.
Nusquam Findi Factionis
My Digital Pin Lanyard
We're first time PAX goers as well. Good luck!
EDIT:
I just checked and you might want to arrive earlier and depart later than you planned. If you arrive wednesday and leave tuesday, that is a $170 difference in air fare. Take a look at roomshares for those extra nights. It might be lower
[ X ] Badge
[ X ] Hotel
[ X ] Plane
Wish me luck!
Also you get TV, so you can sit and watch Spongebob.
Flight prices change daily, so check every single day. A $400 flight one day can drop to $200 the next seemingly at the whim of airline companies.
2015 PAX Prime Omeganaut (I will forever hate Katamari)
I book my flights as early as possible now, months in advance: I tried booking close to the trip date for Prime 2011 and got smashed with a super high ticket price. To me, the slight possibility of savings isn't worth the risk of getting stuck with a last minute, super expensive ticket if the former doesn't pan out.