PreCruise
The night prior to our flight we stayed at Four Points by Sheraton at the Philadelphia International airport, using their Park and Fly program. For $89 ($96.07 w/tax) we got a nice room for the night, and were able to leave our car there while cruising for no additional cost. The hotel supplies a shuttle to the airport...and then back from the airport to the hotel after the cruise. I like doing this because we tend to book early flights. By staying close to the airport there is no need to deal with rush hour traffic or unexpected delays, on what is usually already such a hectic day. We booked Four Points using www.stay123.com. This was our second time using them. Their service is good and their prices are very good. Four Points Sheraton has a restaurant (Cafe Rusto), lounge, and outdoor pool on site. Neighboring Sheraton Suites (Atrium Cafe for continental cuisine, indoor pool and fitness center) is a short walk.
We had three flights in the morning, all on SouthWest: Phili to Chicago, Chicago to Kansas City, and Kansas City to San Diego. Our first flight began at 7:10 - the day ran smoothly and without incident - and we were in San Diego by 1:30 or so PST. The roughest part of the day was managing all our bags at the San Diego airport. In order to pick up the hotel shuttle we had to maneuver to the second floor, go across an overpass, and back down to the street. A long haul with lots of baggage in tow, and in very warm weather.