Travel advice

[Jnbmom]

Ok I have NEVER flown on a plane in my life , yes you read that right 😂. We are going to fly out to Seattle to see my daughter who is finishing her masters degree in Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) 

We have our flight booked  United and I see that you can pay to park your car at a nearby hotel , is this the best bet? Also the flight does not include a bag 😡 So my DD said we can bring backpacks as long as they fit under the seat .  I have been searching and it looks like there are certain measurements that the bag must be.

just would like some tips for a first time flyer. My dh has flown  years and years ago but with his health conditions he won't be any help 😞

[wasCB14]

How far do you live from the airport? What will the hotel want in the way of parking fees?

It might be more practical to use Uber or Lyft.

[CH-7-Mission-Accomplished]

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@Jnbmom wrote:

Ok I have NEVER flown on a plane in my life , yes you read that right 😂. We are going to fly out to Seattle to see my daughter who is finishing her masters degree in Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) 

We have our flight booked  United and I see that you can pay to park your car at a nearby hotel , is this the best bet? Also the flight does not include a bag 😡 So my DD said we can bring backpacks as long as they fit under the seat .  I have been searching and it looks like there are certain measurements that the bag must be.

just would like some tips for a first time flyer. My dh has flown  years and years ago but with his health conditions he won't be any help 😞

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Where are you planning to stay while in Seattle?   I live in Seattle.   The cheaper (than at the airport) parking is usually used by people who are flying from Seattle to some other place.   They have a shuttle bus to take you to and from the airport.

You don't want to stay near the airport.   Lots of budget hotels and hookers.   Where is your daughter going to school?  UW?  If you provide some more details I can make some suggestions.

[Jnbmom]

@CH-7-Mission-Accomplished 

Thank you . We are staying with my daughter at her house , she lives in a split level with her future in-laws, in Capital Hill I think ?she is a grad student with UVA but is doing her last year and then residency in Seattle. So we are looking for cheapest place to park our car flying out of Dulles. She will pick us up at airport .  I just have never done this before and trying to figure it all out lol

[wasCB14]

*Took a call and missed OP's update - Ignore.*

[CH-7-Mission-Accomplished]

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@Jnbmom wrote:

@CH-7-Mission-Accomplished 

Thank you . We are staying with my daughter at her house , she lives in a split level with her future in-laws, in Capital Hill I think ?she is a grad student with UVA but is doing her last year and then residency in Seattle. So we are looking for cheapest place to park our car flying out of Dulles. She will pick us up at airport .  I just have never done this before and trying to figure it all out lol

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Sorry I misunderstood.   You are talking about parking at Dulles.   I don't know about that.    Can you get from your home to the airport in like 30 minutes?   If yes, that's probably a $50 Uber or cab ride.   I would for sure do this rather than leave the car at the airport (at a hotel) unless you are only gone for one or two days.   If you live a distance from the airport then parking near the airport would make sense.

In Seattle you don't want a car.   Capitol Hill has virtually no street parking.   It is a very dense urban area.   Seattle is very walkable and there is excellent public transport between buses, light rail and trolleys.   Also, Uber in town is cheap.   You can get to most places in the heart of the city from Capitol Hill for like $10-$15.   I use it a lot and I live in the city.

[Jnbmom]

@CH-7-Mission-Accomplished 

Thank you we live 2  1/2 hours from airport so we have no choice but to park the car somewhere . I loathe my dh's family so I would rather walk on hot coals and fall face first into them then ask them for a ride to airport 😂

We are flying out on a Tuesday evening and returning Saturday evening . 

[Cowboys4Life]

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@Jnbmom wrote:

Ok I have NEVER flown on a plane in my life , yes you read that right 😂. We are going to fly out to Seattle to see my daughter who is finishing her masters degree in Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) 

We have our flight booked  United and I see that you can pay to park your car at a nearby hotel , is this the best bet? Also the flight does not include a bag 😡 So my DD said we can bring backpacks as long as they fit under the seat .  I have been searching and it looks like there are certain measurements that the bag must be.

just would like some tips for a first time flyer. My dh has flown  years and years ago but with his health conditions he won't be any help 😞

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Experienced traveler here.  Use airport economy parking.  It is the least expensive and they have a free shuttle to the airport that constantly roams the lot picking up passengers.  Just don't forget to take a picture of the lane/space you are in!  The hotel option is a bad idea as thieves target those cars and not only break in but sometimes outright steal them and the hotel will tell you they aren't responsible.

DO NOT do the back pack thing.  The clothes will be a mess and might not recover.  Invest in something this size:  https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-3214668/elite-dori-expandable-carry-on-spinner-luggage.jsp?skuid=3...

You can pack both you and your DH stuff in it including a pair of shoes each.  Make sure your toiletries are all travel size.  NOTHING over 3 ounces. Put all of them in a small sandwich size ziplock bag.  It will have to come out of the bag at the checkpoint to be xrayed.  You might carry that in your purse or backpack. That bag will fit in the overhead bin and they shouldn't charge for that.  If not they might make you gate check it but that would be free.  (little secret travel hack there)  Don't bring any liquids through security.  That includes water bottles and cups of coffee.  TSA has a stick up their butt about that.   Wear comfortable travel clothes.  No belt and shoes that slip on and off because they will have to come off at the screening point.  Nothing in your pockets either.  In a backpack I would put an IPAD or books, magazines etc. anything for entertainment on a cross country flight.  Though that long of a flight should have a movie and TV options.  Some small snacks isn't a bad idea either. The airlines have gotten cheap about those too. 

If you have more questions don't hesitate to ask. 

[iced]

From a former United 1K:

United has done away with seatback monitors on a lot of the planes (a good move really, it saves weight) and replaced it with inflight entertainment that's streamed via WiFi, which requires the United app. If you plan to bring a tablet onboard the plane to watch movies, download and update the United app before you leave home. 

If you booked a basic economy ticket, you're unlikely to score overhead bin space. Roll the dice anyway (as stated by someone else, they'll check it for free) but expect them to check anything that doesn't fit under your seat. Actually, United's so "elite" heavy that a lot of flights run out of overhead bin space by the end of boarding group 3. 

If you're flying in the morning, get the stroopwafels. Those little addicting things are better than most of the meal offerings in First. If you're not flying in the morning, that's too bad. There's not a lot of great onboard food offerings in economy. Bring something onboard with you. Your westbound flight is likely to suck more than your return flight as it's going to be about an hour longer (yay tradewinds), and if I could only upgrade in one direction, I'd almost always pick westbound.

I can't comment on the parking situation at Dulles other than generally. As a rule, I do not drive to my home airport (always take a cab or rideshare), but I also have the luxury of living 5 miles from the airport. If you live 40 miles from Dulles, those taxis may wind up costing more than economy parking for a week. If you do drive, just do the math on total cost (and how long you're in Seattle matters): if the total cost to taxi in and back is less than the total cost to park at the airport, take the taxi. I generally find the 'economy' or remote parking is only cost effective if it's also on the airport premises, and if I have to wait 30 minutes to take another 15 minute shuttle to a remote lot to save $6/day, it's not worth the loss of 90 mins round-trip.

[coldfusion]

There are a few hotels along Sully Rd (Rte 28) north of the airport as well as hotels and commercial services in Herndon that have a formal Park & Fly service that is a lot less expensive than parking at the airport.  You would park at the hotel and take their free shuttle to/from the airport. 

You'll want to make some phone calls and check for hours that the shuttle operates to make sure that they align with your departure and arrival times at IAD with some leeway if you need to get to the airport very early and especially at what time you expect to arrive back at Dulles.  

Plan on using backpacks to carry the most essential stuff onto the plane with you like DH's prescription medications and 1 change of clothes for each of you and your laptop or iPad (don't put those or jewelry in checked baggage) as well as a few snacks, everything else can go into a checked bag.   That way if there is a misrouting or other delay in getting your checked baggage you won't be totally SOL.   

I had good luck with North Face Surge backpacks - co-workers would swear by either North Face or Swissgear -  as a travel/flight backpack but anything similar-sized would do for fitting under the seat in front of you.  You do NOT want to stuff it full to bursting as you wouldn't be able to get it under the seat in front of you. 

Be aware of what you can and cannot pass through security with and carry on the plane with you like for example the 100ml limitation on liquids and gels and sharp objects that wouldn't be exempted by ADA regulations.  Diabetic lancets and syringes used to inject insulin are examples of exemptions.