Central Coast residents choose Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) for its convenience, easy access, and nonstop flights to many in-demand cities. A common misconception about flying out of MRY is that cost can be much more expensive. This is not always the case as it’s important for local travelers to consider the time and savings they can enjoy compared to traveling from other Bay Area airports.

To illustrate this point, let’s take a look at two hypothetical Monterey residents, Alex and Taylor, and a comparison of their scheduled flights, trip costs, and travel time breakdowns from MRY and San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC), respectively, to Denver International Airport (DEN). Both travelers had a four-week lead time to book their nonstop trip to DEN with a Thursday morning departure and Monday evening arrival. Their fares included a carry-on bag and assigned seat in the Economy cabin.

While Taylor’s airfare from SJC is slightly lower, it’s important to consider Alex’s savings in car mileage between her home and MRY and how much less time, hassle, and stress she experienced. With only 24 hours in a day, sleep is a priceless commodity. Alex was able to leave her home and park at MRY in just 20 minutes, and experience short lines at security screening. Taylor, on the other hand, departed his home almost three hours before his scheduled flight departure to allow time for traffic, parking and shuttling to the terminal from SJC’s long-term lot, security screening, and navigating to arrive at the boarding gate on time.

There are many variables to consider for air travel and its related costs. These include: how far in advance to book, long drive times, escalating costs of fueling a vehicle, airport parking rates, and long security screening lines. Whether planning business or leisure travel, these factors affect decision making. It’s important for travelers to look at the “whole picture” while booking travel, for both departing and arriving home from an airport. This illustration shows that flying from MRY can save precious time and money, and can make traveling a lot more enjoyable.

For those planning a trip to the Central Coast, know that flying into MRY means arriving at your vacation spot within minutes of landing. In comparison, flying into another Bay Area airport, such as San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or SJC, means facing at minimum a 90-minute drive before transitioning to vacation mode.

Book a nonstop flight from MRY and thank the airport team later for the extra time, sleep, and money saved.