<p>DD is around 5000 miles away and we have been following these rules which have been working great.</p>
<ol>
<li>We have always used American Airline and the benfit is that she will qualify for a return ticket to anywhere in the USA after this summer.</li>
<li>Pre-planned arival/departure for DD semester in advance. DD college post fall/spring schedule well in advance and I always book DD a weekend before college start and on the weekend of college end date. </li>
<li>Always book one-way as the ticket prices at least on American doesn’t change if book well in adavance, this way if you cancel or change you loose only one-way ticket.</li>
<li>We have given choice to DD whether she would like us to visit or she will visit once during the semester. So first semester we went for a weekend and she stays at college for thanksgiving but she got so bored that she told us she will be coming home during vacations. So she was home for spring break and mostly will come home for thanksgiving.</li>
<li>Another advantage of using American Airline (Or sticking to any Airline) is that we have setup her account with my CC which she can use to book ticket anytime she need to come home or go any where else.</li>
</ol>
<p>This is slightly off-topic, but the airlines are now very strict on a match between the name on your ID and the name on your ticket. I don’t use my first name–my driver’s license is; S. Suzie Smith. My H’s assistant booked us on a flight using the name Suzie Smith. When I checked in–I was almost unable to fly because my license didn’t exactly match the name on my ticket. This particular rule was just being implemented when I was traveling so I was allowed to go on board. Since then, I’ve been very careful when making reservations to book them so that the passenger’s name is exactly like that on his/her ID.</p>
<p>I have no problems flying both under Mary Smith and Mary A. Smith depending on who has made the reservation. A drivers’ license saying Mary Ann Smith appears to “support” both names. I agree, a different first name or initial used for first name might be more problematic.</p>
<p>Just gotta ask…where in the continental U.S. would a student be 5000 miles away. We are in CT and DD goes to school in the Bay area of CA…about 3000. Those extra 2000 miles would put her in the middle of the ocean somewhere.</p>