Options for Independence Air ticketholders

[hotpoint.livejournal.com]

If you are holding tickets from the now-defunct Independence Air to fly to Boston for Arisia, you can make arrangements on other airlines to fly standby on the same dates. By law, other scheduled airlines are required to charge no more than $50 each way for carrying you as a standby passenger.

Southwest Airlines has announced that they will fly holders of Independence Air tickets for free, on a standby basis, which would allow you to get from BWI Airport to Providence, RI or Manchester, NH on a ticket originally issued from Washington Dulles to Boston.

Southwest Press Release

Comments

[quietann.livejournal.com]

There is train service from Providence to Boston, though it's a little tricky to get to, I think.

If you come in through Manchester, there are van shuttles to Boston that cost ~$45/person.

[hotpoint.livejournal.com]

Good point, unless you have a ride both airports can look challenging.

There are RIPTA (http://www.ripta.com) transit buses (routes 12 and 14) that go from the airport to the Kennedy Plaza transfer station in downtown Providence. They appear to go a little more frequently than once an hour mid-day. Fare is $1.50.

From Kennedy Plaza, it is a 2 block walk to the Providence train station. MBTA (http://www.mbta.com) commuter trains are $6 and 1 hour to Boston, with 6 departures after the morning rush hour on weekdays, no service on weekends. Amtrak (http://www.amtrak.com) regional and Acela trains alternate throughout the day, with fares of $18 and $38 respectively and trip times around 45 minutes. Both stop at Back Bay and South Station which bracket the Park Plaza hotel.

From Manchester Airport, the cheapest option I've found is Vermont Transit (http://www.vermonttransit.com), which stops 4 times per day at Manchester Airport on its way between Boston's South Station and Vermont. Three trips are nonstop at about 1 hour, 1 is 1 hour 45 minutes. The last time I took it 3 years ago the fare was $11.

[madfilkentist]

Here's a direct link to the MBTA Providence rail schedules.