Navigating the Ups and Downs of Air Travel

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In some markets the fastest and least expensive way to get to the airport is using the NY subway, Bart or Marta in New York, San Francisco and Atlanta, respectively.
In Austin, TX, there is a bus line which is part of the Capitol Metro system that services the airport. It is called the Airport Flyer #100. For one dollar, yes $1, you can ride to and from the airport to the downtown area with stops at some of the finer hotels and the University of Texas.
Once downtown you can use a transfer to continue your travel using any of the system routes that converge and will get you to your destination, or at least closer if you have plans for someone to pick you up or use a taxi cab. With cell phones it is easy to coordinate--"Honey I'm Home--come pick me up at the bus stop, etc."

Frances Morey of TX 9:58AM June 30, 2010

There's always that intangible time vs money part of the equation. When I flew to New Orleans in January I chose to fly out of Manchester instead of Boston. It was probably about 30 bucks more based on the airfare + fees, but when you factor in the hassle of getting into boston and either parking my car or taking the bus to/from logan airport, I probably broke even. Plus, I was 15-20 minutes from home meaning I could call from the tarmac when I landed and have someone there before my luggage was sorted.
I would say that driving to the larger airport is only a money saver IF you have someone to drop you off and pick you up, as the parking costs will eat up whatever you saved on airfare.

veronica of NH 1:34PM May 11, 2010