Given my tendency to try and save money while traveling (ok, I could save a lot more money if I did not go anywhere at all…..) it should not surprise you to learn that by the time I finally made the reservations for Reno the flight choices were what you might call interesting.
A round trip from New York to Reno and back – direct and no changes was more than $600/per person more expensive than taking a strange route (LGA to MPLS to Reno on the way out and Reno to Salt Lake City to JFK via red eye on the way back). The cost of the second run also included the hotel as a package; go figure. Putting everything we needed to be checked in one bag (when did US airlines start wanting to stuff the cabins and keep the holds empty anyway?) we were off.
Ignoring all the offers to delay, forget and otherwise get airline vouchers (no cash was offered)
we made it to Reno on time and were given the opportunity to wait 45 mintes for luggage and another 35 for the hotel shuttle. Seemed like a good 1/3 of the plane was Con goers.
We will catch the shuttle bus pick up our badges and see about food before hitting the dealers room.