That’s a long drive. Just fly.
Frontier shows $128 each way, and Greyhound is $133 in each direction.
Jai said:
Frontier shows $128 each way, and Greyhound is $133 in each direction.
Since you’re going for a wedding, you’ll have bags for clothes, so Frontier isn’t ideal.
You should just go for the direct Alaska Airlines flight. It’s about $450 round trip, but it will save a lot of time.
@Westin
You don’t necessarily need bags for clothes. I flew to a wedding and just ironed my clothes at the hotel. You’ll only need 2-3 outfits that fit in a backpack.
@Westin
Alternatively, you could ship your clothes via UPS ground to the hotel.
For a more adventurous option, consider a road trip. It’s about a 24-hour drive each way, so factor in gas, accommodation (unless you drive straight through), and snacks because road trip snacks are a must! You could also check out Amtrak; the Empire Builder route goes from Seattle to Omaha with a transfer in Chicago. It takes longer, but if you’re not rushed, it’s cheaper than flying and train travel is pretty underrated.
@Tristan
I love train trips; that sounds like my pick.
Just walk.
If you’re a AAA member, you can have the young driver fee waived when booking with Hertz through their website. Membership costs about $55.
Regarding sitting together, it seems like a small issue compared to being in the car together for 25 hours. However, usually, you can be seated together with third-party tickets by checking in a bit early and asking at the counter. You can also politely ask other passengers if they’re willing to swap seats.
Delta and Alaska usually have the best fares since Seattle is a hub for both.
If you open an Alaska credit card, they have a program where a friend can fly free. Do check the details, though - one person will need to get the card.
If you have the time and money, consider getting an airline rewards credit card; many offer sign-up bonuses that can equal a free flight. I forgot the subreddit, but there’s a community for travel points and credit cards.
I’d suggest Greyhound, but when you factor in food costs for 2-3 days each way and taking off work for 4 extra days, you might as well fly and rent a car.
Flying from Seattle to Kansas City is about $250-300, and then it’s only a 3-hour drive from KC to Omaha.
All the other airports like STL, DEN, and ORD are really out of the way and will take about 8 hours or more driving.
If you book third-party together, you should be seated together.
As many have mentioned, better flight deals are available than what you’re seeing right now. If you aren’t familiar with buying airline tickets, it can be tough to spot the bargains. I recommend using Google Flights and checking their date graph which shows costs for different dates. Once you find a good flight, grab it right away. Google Flights is not a third-party site; they connect you directly to the airline for booking. Prices can change frequently, so check often, and you can use their price tracking feature. There’s enough time before June, so more options may come up. For those suggesting you fly to a different city, you wouldn’t save any money when you factor in the costs of traveling from that city to Omaha unless you need to rent a car anyway. The closest major city with nonstop flights is Kansas City. Chicago, Minneapolis, and St. Louis make no sense as places to fly to for Omaha.
Walking is the cheapest way to travel, but that isn’t practical.
If possible, consider heading to Vancouver, BC. My wife and I have been searching for an international trip for our anniversary, and flight/hotel deals are around $250 less per person when flying from Vancouver compared to Seattle. It might not make a huge difference where you go, but it’s worth looking into!
Check out the app Rome2Rio. You can input your starting point, destination, and travel date to see all possible transport options with their costs and times. It’s a great starting point. By the way, it indicates that flying is the cheapest and fastest option for your journey.
Consider hitchhiking.