Super Bowl dreaming? Not too soon to plan trip to Phoenix

With the Seahawks just one win away from a return trip to the Super Bowl, a lot of 12s are looking at ways to swing a trip to the big game.

“The fact that it’s in Phoenix gives people a lot of opportunities and back doors to getting there,” says Steve Danishek, a veteran Seattle-based travel consultant. “We have lots of air options.”

A number of airlines fly from Seattle to Phoenix both non-stop and with connections including Alaska, United, American and US Air.

A check of Expedia Sunday evening showed round-trip fares as low as $449 with a stop in Los Angeles, and $517 non-stop.

It’s also worth checking out one-way fares as well, says Danishek. “It may be cheaper to fly down on one airline and back on another.”

Fares are expected to quickly climb over the next two weeks. Danishek says it’s not a bad idea to consider flying into Tucson, Las Vegas or even Los Angeles and renting a car.

Expedia has flights from Seattle to Vegas for as low as $290.

Most fares are non-refundable. In the highly unlikely event the Seahawks don’t make the Super Bowl, be prepared to pay change fees for a future flight if you opt out of a trip to Phoenix on Super Bowl weekend.

As for hotels, the Phoenix area has a wide variety of accommodations to fit every budget, although prices are high across the Valley of the Sun throughout the winter months.

A night at the Extended Stay America in Peoria – home of the Mariners spring training complex and just a few miles from University of Phoenix Stadium in nearby Glendale – is going for around $330. Even the Travelodge Suites in Mesa is charging $170 a night during Super Bowl weekend. By comparison, the rate plummets to $45 a night the following weekend.

“It’s worth looking further out for lower rates,” says Danishek. “Phoenix is huge and the freeway system works, so it’s not like we’re competing with rush hours to get to the stadium.”

Another option is staying in a private home or apartment. A number of rentals from rooms to entire houses or condos are available on sites like Airbnb, VRBO and Craigslist.

There’s good news and bad news when it comes to actual tickets to the game. The good news is there are over 3,000 tickets available on Stub Hub. The bad news is 400-level end zone seats start at around $2,400.

Ticketmaster also has a number of seats starting at $2,730 in the upper level. If you want to sit in the lower level, tickets are running from around $4,000 for seats in the end zone, while seats on the 50-yard-line start at $9600.

You can also buy packages offering hotel and tickets from the official Super Bowl provider NFL on Location. Starting at $4,749, the packages include game tickets, three nights in a hotel and a variety of special events and perks including access to an exclusive club outside the stadium, player and cheerleader meet-and-greets, preferred parking and VIP access to the stadium.

Ticket prices on the official outlets aren’t likely to drop much or at all as the game approaches. But Danishek says a number of better seats tend to be made available by NFL teams who dump their allotments on the secondary market after they’re eliminated from contention (expect a big batch from Denver and Dallas.)

You can get more information about all of the Super Bowl activities, tickets and more at the official website for the event.