Crime & Safety
Asiana Crash: Hotel Rates Near SFO Double in Price
Hotel availability near SFO is scarce after a fiery plane crash Saturday morning.
Hotels near San Francisco International Airport are charging higher rates as rooms are booking up fast, according to Hotels.com.
Many flights from San Francisco International Airport have been delayed or canceled, with some diverted after an inbound Asiana Airlines flight crashed while landing, killing two and injuring dozens.
The following prices are for Saturday, July 6 vs. one week later on Saturday, July 13.
- Best Western Plus El Rancho Inn & Suites; $400 vs. $180
- Travelodge San Francisco Airport-North; $329 vs. $89
- Budget Motel; $200 vs. $75
- Super 8 Motel - San Mateo/Sf Intl. Arpt Se; $180 vs. $100
Art Schwass, General Manager at Best Western, said those rates were set at a "Park and Fly" package a week and a half ago. This means customers can park their cars at the hotel, a package that was so popular, Schwass said, that the hotel had to raise rates to control the demand.
He said four customers were desperate for a room that night and booked at the $400 price. However, they will receive a $250 refund.
"We're not in the business to make money off of people in a terrible situation," Schwass said. "We worked with United Airlines to offer 'distressed inventory'-- to make 20 rooms available at a very discounted rate."
San Francisco International Airport has reopened two runways after airport operations were shut down late Saturday morning, but not all flights plan to leave as scheduled.
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