It's about $200 cheaper if I fly from Birmingham, AL than from Atlanta!!

So I guess I may go that way!

Travel fares
 

I just checked Southwest fares into San Antonio...granted, MCO is a large airport, but flights are as low as $109 each way right now! I've asked when VST will need to arrive, then hope to book as quickly and inexpensively as possible. Any other options that y'all have found?

I received my convention packet today :).

If you are VST, please consider arriving early enough to attend one of the A+ Facilitation Skills workshops on Wednesday.

There are great optional workshops on Thursday, too, for advisors and alumnae. Some of these are not explained as in detail in the program, but hopefully the titles will make them self explanatory.

I'm excited! :D:D

Not to mention, us VST have a lot of fun before the collegiates arrive :D I will be there early for sure!

I got my packet today. LionMI, if you still need cost info, PM or email me!

Glad I'm not driving. It's $21 a day to park!

Rooms can be about $160 a night for 3-4 people.

Convention reg. is about $605.

This means I'll be getting my packet probably by Friday! AGDee or DoctorD, can either of you PM me and give me the scoop on VST stuff for Convention, please?

will do

Cheapest flight I'm seeing so far is $286.. which is still more than $200 less than my flight for Palm Springs!

I'm not seeing cheap fares at all. Nada. This does not make me happy.

Admittedly, I prefer one up and one down.... so that impacts the price some, but not much.

Dr. D--try Bham.

I'm already almost 2 hours from Atlanta... Just can't justify the time it would take for me to drive to Birmingham from where I live.

Time is money! :)

Doctor D. have you looked into Amtrak? There are trains that go from Georgia through New Orleans to San Antonio. We considered the train but there isn't a direct route for us that doesn't involve Chicago or Los Angeles., so we're going to fly.

But...I've been informed of a fabulous educational opporunity that is kind of a one time only deal (an archaeology dig) and if it conflicts I may do that instead. I want to go to convention, but I really want to be on this dig so I need to make choices. :(

A bunch of us from Michigan took Amtrak to the Chicago convention and I'll never do that again! When I booked the tickets, there was all this info about checking luggage and everything. So, I packed heavy... a 12 pack of Diet Pepsi, all my files, many shoes, etc. One large suitcase, one garment bag and a large carry on. I arrive, go to check my luggage "There is no baggage check for this route". <blink> I haul everything back to my car and start chucking things into my trunk. I get it down to my garment bag and the carry on, which both now weigh a ton. Then I realize I have to haul this junk up the stairs to boarding area, through Chicago's Union Station, etc. One of my zippers broke and I lost a bottle of medication. I had to find a spot to stash all this on the train and ended up with my feet on my carry on. I'll take the train to Chicago again, but only with a day or two's worth of clothes, not Convention luggage! I actually had bruises on my shoulders and upper arms from my garment bag.. it was THAT heavy!

As I'm shopping for Convention clothes this year, I'm trying to pick things that can all go with the same pair of shoes. I can't take 5 or 6 pairs of shoes again.. there's just not room!

They said that the hotel would offer a special rate before and after the convention for those who wanted a "real" vacation. If I end up going, we are planning to say in SA but at those prices, not that hotel.

non-convention hotels
 

Of course there are plenty of other hotels in the SA area, with many within walking distance of the convention spot, the Riverwalk, etc. For work, I stayed a couple months ago, at a Hampton Inn. It was less than a 5 min. walk to the RiverCenter area. It was free parking, it was clean and modern, and had the typical Hampton Inn breakfast items (juice, coffee, bagels, donuts, cereal, muffins, and usually a hot item like sausage, bacon, or hash browns). It would be my recommendation if you don't want to spend the convention hotel rate (although $160+taxes for that Marriott is quite decent, I've stayed there for a football bowl game trip).