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Prepare for takeoff
With a little planning, you won't have to dread that holiday trip to
the airport
By Cynthia Hubert -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Sunday, October 23, 2005

Getting on an airplane this holiday season?

Be prepared for turbulence. And that's before you buckle your seat
belt.

What to pack? How to get to the airport? Where to park? How to avoid
security hassles? It's enough to bring out the Grinch in even the
happiest little elves.

Does holiday travel have to be a nightmare? Of course not. The secret
is summed up in one word: planning. We've tried to help by offering
first-class strategies to help you, your luggage and your traveling
party get to the gate on time.

We checked in with the three airports most likely to be carrying the
majority of Sacramento travelers during the annual crush that begins
Thanksgiving week, and gathered advice and practical tips.

First and foremost: "Pack your patience," says Gina Swankie,
spokeswoman for Sacramento International Airport.

"It's going to be very, very busy, and it's important to have a game
plan," she says. How busy? Last year, more than 1.6 million passengers
used the Sacramento airport during the holiday season. This year, that
number could grow by 100,000, according to airport officials.

Swankie and fellow airport gurus in San Francisco and Oakland speak
with one voice about the best ways to ensure a smooth trip.

If at all possible, they say, avoid flying on the day before
Thanksgiving, which is the busiest travel day of the year. Check in
with your carrier before leaving for the airport, as delays are more
common during the holidays. Arrive at least 90 minutes before your
flight is scheduled to leave. Pack light, and never take wrapped
gifts. And when you finally make it to the security line, help move
things along by emptying your pockets, taking off your belt and
slipping off your shoes.

If you have planned correctly, you should have some time on your hands
before your flight leaves. Each of the airports offers special perks,
from musical entertainment to Wi-Fi access, to help you make that time
fun and productive.

So, off you go. Have a fabulous trip.

SACRAMENTO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
www.sacairports.org

Getting there: Assuming you don't have a friend or relative ready to
drop you off, here are some choices:

Taxis cost $2.80 for the first mile, $2.20 for each additional mile.
One-way trips between the airport and downtown run $25 to $27. Call
(916) 457-4862 for reservations and information.

Yolobus has daily public bus service to the airport - even on Sundays
and holidays. Catch it at Seventh and L streets in Sacramento and ride
to the airport for $1.50.

Now that light rail connects with Folsom in addition to other burbs
(and the trains stop within blocks of Yolobus), you have an
interesting, fairly inexpensive though time-consuming public
transportation option. Folsom residents, for instance, could find a
way to a light-rail station, take the train to Eighth and O streets or
Seventh and Capitol and wait for the Yolobus. Call Yolobus at
(530)666-2877. Call Sacramento Regional Transit at (916) 321-2877 or
visit www.sacrt.com. Note: If you're schlepping lots of luggage, this
may not be for you.

Super Shuttle offers on-call van service at the airport to anywhere in
Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, Placer, San Joaquin, Yuba, Butte, Solano,
Sutter and Nevada counties. Cost: $13 from downtown-area destinations
($8 more for each extra rider in your party), more than $50 from burbs
such as Cameron Park. Call (800) 258-3826 for information, or visit
www.supershuttle.com to get a quote from your address to your airport.
Note: This could be more time-consuming than a cab ride because you
won't be the only one aboard.

Other shuttle options to consider include: North Valley Shuttle, (800)
832-4223, with service to Chico and the Marysville area; Davis
Airporter, (530) 756-6715, with service from Yolo County areas
including Davis, Dixon, Winters and Woodland to Sacramento (starting
at $20) and some service to San Francisco International Airport
(starting at $90); Foothills Flyer, (800) 464-0808, serving Placer,
Nevada, and El Dorado Counties, www.foothillflyer.com.

Parking: If you drive, you've got to park it. Listen to radio 530 AM
within five miles of the airport to develop a good parking strategy.

The airport is offering discounted parking Nov. 23-Nov. 28 and Dec.
22-Jan. 4 "as a thank-you to our customers," Swankie says.

Economy parking, regularly $7 per day, will be $6. Terminal B daily
parking, regularly $10 per day, will be $8. Terminal A garage daily
parking, regularly $12 per day, down to $10. Terminal B hourly
parking, regularly $24 per day, will be $21. Terminal A hourly
parking, regularly $26 per day, will be $23.

People picking up friends or family members get 30 minutes of free
parking in hourly lots, so think about going inside the terminal
instead of circling the airport, wasting gas and contributing to
traffic congestion at the curb.

Travelers also can stay in one of the Park and Fly hotels in the
airport's vicinity. Among the options are the Hilton Garden Inn
Sacramento, 2540 Venture Oaks Way, Sacramento. Cost: starting at $89
with seven days of parking. Call (916) 568-5400 or visit
www.hiltongarden inn.com. For other options, visit
www.parksleepfly.com.

Using your down time: During December, the airport will entertain you
with free holiday concerts. You can also get a free chair massage.
Pull out your computer and take advantage of wireless Internet service
throughout public areas in both terminals for $6.95 per day. "Every
public zone is a hot spot," says Swankie. Have a beer and watch
football at Home Turf sports grill in Terminal A or Pyramid sports pub
in Terminal B. Grab a cup of coffee and a Cinnabon in either terminal.
Pick up some last-minute gifts at KidZoo, Capitol Marketplace or
SkyShades.

OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
www.oaklandairport.com

Getting there: If you're driving from Sacramento, give yourself two
hours of road time. To avoid having to park in Oakland, consider
renting a compact car for about $55 per day in Sacramento and dropping
it off at the Oakland airport. Note: Compare the one-way drop charges
with the least expensive daily parking fee you'd accumulate (below).

Other options: Check the yellow pages under Airport Transportation for
information on shuttles between Sacramento and Oakland. Also, Amtrak's
Capitol Corridor train can get you to Oakland Coliseum and then, via
shuttle bus, to the airport for $17. Note: Not all trains stop at the
Coliseum. Budget four hours for the entire train-bus journey. For
routes and prices, call (800) 872-7245 or visit www.amtrak.com.

Parking: Look at www.LongTermParking.com for off-site options. Parking
at one of these lots located a few minutes from the airport can save
you big bucks. All locations offer free tire inflations and battery
boosts. Some even offer car washes, newspapers, coffee and cocoa. At
the airport, a day in the hourly lot is $32. Economy lots are $19
daily.

Be prepared to navigate a construction zone, although spokeswoman
Rosemary Barnes says plenty of parking should be available. Traffic
and parking-space information will be broadcast on 1700 AM during the
holidays.

Or leave the hassle of parking to someone else. Take your car to one
of the hotels that offer Park and Fly deals, such as the Oakland
Quality Inn, 8471 Enterprise Way, (510) 562-4888. Sleep at the hotel,
leave your car there, and a shuttle will take you to the airport the
next day. Cost: Daily rate of $89 (plus tax, for one bed) or $99 (two
beds) includes up to 15 days of parking and a bus ride to the airport.

Inside Oakland International's new Park & Call Zone, meeters and
greeters who can connect to their passenger by cell phone can wait for
free in the lot for 30 minutes. Look for banners with the Park & Call
icon.

Using your down time: Until recently, Oakland International had
limited Wi-Fi access, but by the holidays "we'll fire up all areas of
the airport," Barnes says. Available through Sprint, the rate will be
$9.95 per day. In the entrance to Terminal 1, you can check out an art
display. "Miniature Masterpiece," a collection of Chinese snuff boxes,
will be featured through Jan. 11. African textiles will be exhibited
in the walkway connecting terminals 1 and 2 during the same time
period. The show includes pieces from Gambia, Ivory Coast, Mali and
Tunisia.

The airport has "plenty of good eats," says Barnes, who recommends 360
Degree Burrito in Terminal 1. Gift shops feature, among other things,
logo clothing from Bay Area sports teams and "Governator" bobblehead
dolls.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
www.flysfo.com

Getting there: Call (510) 817-1717 for help getting to and from the
airport, or visit www.511.org to create a customized itinerary for
public transportation. Your options: Drive and park; rent a car or
limousine one-way; board Amtrak, which will take you to Emeryville,
where you can get a bus or a taxi to San Francisco International; or
take Amtrak to Richmond and then take BART to the airport.

Or, drive to an outlying BART station, such as Pittsburg/Bay Point in
Contra Costa County, and take the train to the airport (about a $6
ride). Or, take advantage of a Park and Fly deal at various hotels,
including La Quinta Inn, 20 Airport Blvd., near the airport. A daily
rate of $159 buys you a bed, a breakfast, up to 21 days of free
parking and a 10-minute shuttle to the airport. Call (650) 583-2223.

Parking: San Francisco International will offer coupons for 30 minutes
of free parking in its terminal garages when roadways become
congested.

"We advise all meeters and greeters to park in the garage to avoid
congestion," says spokeswoman Jane Sullivan. Long-term parking is off
the Highway 101/San Bruno Avenue East exit. Free shuttle service is
provided to and from the terminals every seven to 10 minutes during
peak hours.

If long-term lots fill, the airport will offer coupons to park at the
same rate in the terminal garages. SFO's newest parking option is
ParkFAST, which offers covered parking in a reserved area and
automated entry and exit. You have to sign up ahead of time, though;
do so at the airport's Web site.

Long-term rates are $13 a day for the first seven days, $11 thereafter
(up to 30 days); hourly rates in all lots are $5. Valet parking for
all terminals and airlines is in the domestic terminal garage. Cost is
$38 for the first 24 hours, $45 for each additional 24 hours.

Using your down time: For the first time, the airport will offer
"holiday passports" filled with deals from SFO's shops, restaurants
and airlines. They will be available at information booths and on the
Web site. SFO may offer some of the most delicious and healthful
airport food in the country. Local favorites include Anchor Steam and
SF Soup. The Coach store and Compass Books might be good places to
pick up a gift.

The airport also has a spa, a "reflection room" for quiet thought, a
hair salon and Wi-Fi access, starting at $6 for 60 minutes (regardless
of whether you use them all) or $9.99 a day. The Aviation Museum and
Library has exhibits related to the commercial aviation history of
SFO, and area museums offer rotating shows as well. Altitunes is a
free movie screening room in the international terminal lobby.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/travel/bee/story/13747171p-14588923c.html

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     "I don't care (if I get booed).  I don't know any of those people.  As long as my kids tell me that they love me, I'm fine.  My motto is, when people talk about me, I say, 'Who are they?  They're not God.'  If God was out there booing me, I'd be upset."
             -- Bonzi Wells, Sacramento Kings
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