<p>Try to plan at least the “BOOK END FLIGHTS”.</p>
<p>We are in the same boat: trying to plan a coast-to-coast trip, when all the decisions aren’t in yet. I decided in January to purchase the “book-end” flights in and out of a big airport hub (Dulles), and one flight in the middle of my D’s 9 day break to attend an accepted student-day at one of the match schools my daughter has already been accepted to but has yet to visit. I had been watching the fare for this basic itinerary go up $100/day since Christmas, and decided it was time to buy.</p>
<p>The plan leaves us the flexibility to revisit the safeties that she’s gotten into now if there are no more fat envelopes to come, or ditch them if some of her more top choice schools accept her come April 1. We can fly or perhaps even drive from the Big Airport to those other match and reaches, if necessary. Her break begins April 3rd, and we just couldn’t wait til April 1 to plan the whole thing, because it would have been outrageously expensive.</p>