Carol Moncado

 

(Scroll to the bottom for details on a SALE!)

Okay – so that plane looks a little LOSTish and I have no desire to end up on a desert island with a smoke monster, a mysterious hatch, crazy Others, Benry, and Desmond.

BUT…

Matt and I talked the other night and it looks like I’m going to two new conferences next year! YAY! They’re the StoryMaster’s conferences in Toronto (May) and Houston (June). Both look fantastic and I hope to learn a lot.

My issue is transportation.

Clearly, driving to Toronto is out. It’s about a 16 hour drive. I’d thought to buy tickets out of St. Louis, Kansas City, or Tulsa, because they have much bigger airports, and I have family in all three who could likely help with transportation to and from if needed.
But then I looked at tickets out of my local regional airport. I can get a round trip to Toronto (and Houston, which isn’t quite as far) for about $400. That’s not much more than flights out of those other cities and MUCH closer to home.

Both directions have one layover, but with the same airline (or regional counterparts). However, there is with one airline and back is with another. Even when I choose the same airline for both sides of the trip (which wouldn’t work out time wise), I get this note on

Expedia:

Your flight is a combination of two one-way fares, each subject to its own rules and restrictions.

When I click more details I get this:

If one of your flights is changed or canceled, it will not automatically alter the other flight. Changes to the other flight may incur a charge.

Question 1: does that mean the leg to Toronto is a one way fare and the way back is a separate one? Or that my flight to Chicago and from Chicago are two separate one way fares combined to make one longer trip and if my flight to Chicago is delayed and I miss my connection, I have to pay out the nose (probably) to get on another flight? How does that work?

When I looked at buying a one way ticket, that note disappeared and the prices were (ballpark) half of what the round trip was. So I’m guessing it’s that the two directions aren’t connected rather than the two legs on the way there or back, if that makes sense.

Does anyone know for sure? Is there any other potential issue? I mean, presumably, it just might affect the time of day for my flights as it appears there’s multiple flights at different times.

Question 2: I’m still six months out from these trips, but these prices astound me. Do I buy them now, or will they be cheaper later?

Keep in mind, I’ve flown exactly once since 1998… :p

SALE!

All of the books in the Brides of Belles Montagnes series are on sale for .99!!!! If you’ve been waiting to pick them up, now is a GREAT time!

Hand-Me-Down Princess
Winning the Queen’s Heart
Protecting the Prince (long novella)
Prince from her Past