Flights to and from college.
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Anonymous
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DD will be attending college in Chicago this fall and I’ve been looking at flights.
I did not realize how expensive it will be to have her (and us) flying back and forth all the time. With drop off in September, family day in October, thanksgiving and then Christmas, I will be purchasing a round trip ticket every month. I thought it would be fun to have her younger sister and both parents attend family day, but after looking at the cost of flights and hotels I’m thinking of having one parent fly out or maybe we won’t go at all. This is truly going to cut into our vacation budget! Does anyone have any tips to manage the expense? |
Anonymous
| Frequent flyer points. |
Anonymous
| How much is it? Round trip tickets to my DC’s school is about $500-$600. We took this into account, it definitely adds up. But it is what it is. |
Anonymous
| You'll only do family day freshman year. |
Anonymous
| We skipped family weekend. |
Anonymous
| Train |
Anonymous
| You could always drive for drop-off. It’s not a fun drive but is doable in one day. |
Anonymous
The train from DC to Chicago takes 18 hours but can be quite affordable if you go coach. It leaves in the afternoon and arrives the next morning. I've done it a couple of times. It's fun if you like trains and a lot less stressful than the airport. |
Anonymous
| UVA |
Anonymous
| Southwest flies from National Airport to Midway in Chicago for about $300 round trip. Look into flying into Midway. It can be more reasonable than O'Hare. |
Anonymous
| If you use a credit card a lot, look into getting a Southwest card and taking advantage of the companion pass. |
Anonymous
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Freshman year is the worst as you/they are traveling once a month. Open Marriott Bonvoy card and get a couple hotel nights free once you hit your spending number. Drop off can be done by car, long drive but worth the time with the kiddo. Maybe Chicago will become your next vacation hot spot!
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Anonymous
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I have/had 2 kids across the country. We never attended family day for either. We did go to a football game each year for one and just to visit for the other.
You just suck it up and consider it a cost of college. Our flights are about $500 ish if we buy way in advance. Closer to $700 if we don't. Sometimes we used miles if it made sense dollar wise. |
Anonymous
This. |
Anonymous
| UDC |