OTOL Northern California RailFest 2007:
Air Travel Alternatives
by Bill Magee
Created 1/30/07
OTOL Northern California Rail Fest 2007 is an ambitious plan covering a lot of miles and taking 12 days and 11 nights. It is a great opportunity to explore the many and varied passenger rail options of the San Francisco Bay Area. However, for those coming from the East Coast, the time investment for this Fest is considerable. Recognizing that time can be a limiting factor for some, here is an alternate itinerary using air for part of the transcontinental travel segments while preserving the best of the Amtrak travel and all of the Northern California activities.
Saturday, July 14; fly to Chicago
Take an early morning flight from the East Coast to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) or Midway (MDW). Use CTA, van, or cab for transfer to Union Station. Join the Fest with the departure of the California Zephyr at 1:50pm. (Although the Saturday morning flight should work just fine, a Friday evening flight with an overnight stay in Chicago could be substituted for the Saturday Morning flight to provide a fully secure connection to the Zephyr.)
Saturday, July 14 to Friday, July 20; RailFest
Follow the Fest schedule beginning Saturday afternoon in Chicago and ending Friday evening in Sacramento.
Saturday, July 21; fly back from Sacramento Transfer to Sacramento International Airport (SMF) for a morning flight back to the East Coast. Arrive home on Saturday evening.
This option reduces the amount of vacation time required to one calendar week (five days). It also permits a single, two-zone Amtrak Guest Rewards ticket to cover all overnight Amtrak travel. The Fest duration is reduced to 8 days and 7 nights with all principal elements, including a ride on the California Zephyr, preserved. The only rail segments lost are the trips between the east coast and Chicago and the return trip on the Zephyr.
Sample Itineraries
Naturally, all information, especially fares, is subject to change.
Sample Itinerary from Philadelphia on Southwest (WN)*
- Saturday, July 14: Leave Philadelphia (PHL) 7:40am, Arrive Chicago (MDW) 9:05am, WN 318
- Saturday, July 21: Leave Sacramento (SMF) 10:00am, Arrive Philadelphia (PHL) 8:00pm, WN 177
- Estimated cost (researched 1/29/07): $260*
* Southwest flights and fares valid through May 10. Southwest bookings for July not available at this time.
Sample Itinerary from New York (LGA) on American (AA)
- Saturday, July 14: Leave New York (LGA) 7:25am, Arrive Chicago (ORD) 8:50am, AA 305
- Saturday, July 21: Leave Sacramento (SMF) 7:40am, Arrive Dallas - Fort Worth (DFW) 12:55pm, AA 1786. Leave DFW 1:45pm, Arrive LGA 6:20pm, AA 1406
- Estimated Cost (researched 1/29/07): $245.
Some airline suggestions
Continental
East coast hub at Newark (EWR). Also hubs at Cleveland (CLE). Serves Chicago (ORD), San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK), San Jose (SJC), and Sacramento (SMF). Amtrak code-share connections to EWR are available from New Haven (ZVE), Stamford (ZTF), Philadelphia (ZFV), and Wilmington DE (ZWI). Code-share trips on CO earn Amtrak points for rail and air segments. CO OnePass mileage program permits transfers of miles and points to and from Amtrak Guest Rewards in 5000 unit increments.
Southwest
East Coast service at Manchester NH (MHT), Providence (PVD), Hartford (BDL), Albany (ALB), Philadelphia (PHL), Baltimore (BWI), Washington (IAD), Pittsburgh (PIT), Cleveland (CLE). Serves Chicago (MDW), Oakland (OAK), San Jose (SJC), and Sacramento (SMF). Note WN reservations open about five months in advance of travel dates. Fest dates are not open yet. All non-refundable WN tickets are 100% creditable toward future travel with no rebooking fees.
JetBlue
East Coast hub at New York (JFK). Serves Chicago (ORD), San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK), San Jose (SJC), and Sacramento (SMF).
US Airways
East Coast hub at Philadelphia (PHL). Serves Chicago (ORD), San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK), San Jose (SJC), and Sacramento (SMF).
Delta, United, American: Service to and from all cities.