Flying to Tally is not cheap

Hurry and you might catch the air fare bargain of the year.

Tampa to Tallahassee and back for a mere $270. Yesterday, the deal was good only for Wednesday and Thursday of next week. After that, the cheapest seat shoots up to $401. Any earlier and you'd pay something north of $600.

"You could take a trip to Europe and back for that," says state Sen. Michael Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who makes the flight each week while the Legislature is in session. "New York is much cheaper. You can fly for half that amount to Washington, D.C."

Read about the reason why.

Comments

City of Tallahassee could've done more to incentivize Air Tran operating there. You could go Tallahasseee to TPA and on to MIA for $180 r/t.

Proof that the market really does work.

And now with the new airport being constructed in Panama City the airport is going to have to do something to drop the rates.

I can't afford any more subsidies to the airlines! Let the House and the Senate cough it up out of their money instead of expecting Tallahassee city residents to pay for this!!!!!

Signed - someone who lives in Tallahassee.

9:20

can you afford having more travelers in your city, spending more money on your hotels and restaurants?

If the revenue generated there exceeds the cost of an incentive, it's worth it.

I've never seen the airfare as cheap as it is now from South Florida.

Fasano could drive. It's only a 4 hour trip and a rental car and a tank of gas is cheaper than that.

How about the legislature subsidize terminal fees for airlines in Tallahassee...

Tallahassee residents shouldn't be on the hook for this... and in case you didn't realize, while Tallahassee is the seat of state government and home to two state universities, there really isn't much more drawing people to the area (except what us residents already know about the benefits of living here)...

8:52 - Why don't you call your hero Pelosi in DC and have her limit what airlines can charge...

Quite frankly, I don't care what legislators have to pay to get here...

9:33 - amen!

The time he takes driving to the airport - getting there enough ahead of time to meet homeland security requirements, flying, renting a car in Tallahassee and driving to the capitol, it is actually quicker for him to drive.

Fasano and company - please do the comparison - is the hour saved worth $450?

DRIVING

Total Cost about $200 (for rental car)

Google Maps (and it is about 45 minutes longer than actual on time)

From: New Port Richey, FL to Tallahassee, FL

Drive: 215 mi – about 4 hours 20 mins

FLYING

Total Cost approaches $650
(mileage to airport in Tampa, Flight, mileage in tallahassee, plus rental car for week)

Google Maps -

From: New Port Richey, FL to Tampa, FL

Drive: 38.0 mi – about 50 mins

Plus 1 hour for Homeland Security

Flight - 55 minutes

Pick up rental car in Tallahassee - 20 minutes

Drive to Capitol - 20 minutes

Total Time - 3 hours 25 minutes

9:51- As someone who has driven from NPR to Tallahassee regularly, it is only 4 hours and 20 minutes if you drive like you are in Boca.

Four hours, tops, really closer to three hours and thirty minutes, unless you stop to get some of those really bad wings at one of those Hooter's knock-offs on U.S. #19.

Come on Pasco County, get a decent restaurant.

FSU has a bus service, TMT Transport, that offers weekend round trips to hometowns for its students. If Fasano brought a keg of beer, he could probably get free trips on weekends to New Port Richey.

11:07...they could cut 8 miles east, pick up the Suncoast, and avoid all that 19 crap trffic until Crystal River

Yes, 11:20, you are right. Suncoast is a great road (even though you have to miss the sights of Hudson and Weeki Wachee, and for all of his help with the drivers manual last year, they might even give him a free Sunpass.

9:28 - State employees are the lowest paid in the nation. Tallahassee utilities charge the highest rates in the State. Pay your own darn fare!!! Quit expecting me to subsidize you!!!!!

Besides, now that the lobbyists can't pay for the members' meals and other "gifts" (it is more back door now) the city economy is suffering!!!!

Washington heavily subsidizes its transit and airfares are very competitive...I'd be interested to see the ratio of local workforce to visitors and visitors who use the system, plus the economic benefit of hgaving them come

I'm with you 12:06 and don't forget all of these state buildings - including the universities - that are exempt from paying property taxes, which is why our utility rates are so high.

If Mayor Marks got off his butt and did something about the price of tickets instead of a pessimistic comment like, "I don't expect that to last." (in reference to American's cheaper service to Tallahassee) - maybe we could lure a discount carrier to Tallahassee. Does his law firm work for any airlines?

good 12:06 and 12:21

Panama City will build its airfield and you'll get to pay $600 tickets at TLH or drive 2 hours.