<p>DD is a freshman this fall. Because we live 500+ miles from campus, she has not been home since we dropped her off in August. We had planned to have her get a ride home for Thanksgiving, but a month ago I found an airfare that was low enough to fit in our budget.</p>
<p>Her schedule includes three classes on Monday then another class and lab on Tuesday. Professors in two of the classes announced in August that class would not meet the week of Thanksgiving. However, since she still had two classes, we booked her flight for Tuesday night. She just found out that her other two classes were cancelled and she could come home Friday, except that we are now stuck with a plane ticket that we cannot afford to exchange.</p>
<p>This is a frustrating situation without any good options. She can get a ride now (a full week-long break provides much more flexibility) and cancel the ticket but only get a credit for about 25% of its cost. We can change the flight but would need to pay another $200 in penalties. Or, she can sit around campus for four days without any classes.</p>
<p>Why do professors wait so long to announce class cancellations? Is this a situation that we can expect for the next three years as well? Please forgive my long-winded ranting.</p>
<p>One possible future solution would be booking tickets on an airline which allows tickets to be cancelled without penalty (no refund but the amount can be used on future tickets). Southwest comes to mind. Also American has a category of ticket which allows cancellation.</p>
<p>Our kids are not at Duke, but have the same issues which arise at breaks and finals: when is everything done. We use Airfarewatchdog (there are lots of other sites) to track prices on routes home. When fares go on sale at the “right” preliminary date, we buy and monitor for both further fare drops and certainty in dates. If a better option arises, we cash in the old ticket and get a new ticket.</p>
<p>It took a semester until we had it wired. Part of the learning curve.</p>
<p>I understand your frustration. A similar frustration is that there is the official semester finals schedule and the actual finals schedule for your student. Do you book a flight home for the holidays based on the official schedule, or wait a few months to learn your student’s actual finals schedule, only to miss the earlier, cheaper fares?</p>
<p>As Stemit suggests, one solution is to use Southwest. We’ve learned to book two flights home for Christmas, one based on a late last final and another earlier flight. When D finally learns her actual schedule, we cancel one flight with no penalty.</p>
<p>As a student, I never was burdened with the “problem” of having professors cancel classes for me before Thanksgiving! haha, but I understand the annoyance of finding out last minute. It’s really on a professor-by-professor basis. They have the ultimate power and say to do what they want individually, so it’s hard to say there’s a set expectation or rule one way or the other. I’m not sure why they wait so long - maybe they want to see where they are in the curriculum and if having a class is absolutely necessary to stay on track or not.</p>
<p>It’s a sunk cost at this point, so the fact that she can get a ride home for free and show up early is a GOOD thing. And the fact that you can get even any money back (often it’s nonrefundable, but you can use the same dollar amount towards a future fare after paying the $200 or whatever change fee), is an added bonus. So, having her professors cancel courses = daughter has a longer break, you get to see daughter sooner, AND some money in your pocket = Win. Think of it that way.</p>
<p>Unfortunately we live about two hours from the closest Southwest airport and are stuck with our high fare regional airport. Next year, I will consider using the two ticket strategy anyway.</p>
<p>I like the airfarewatchdog site concept, although it doesn’t appear to include Southwest. Perhaps your suggestion was to buy a SW ticket and monitor the others for a more convenient trip. I will see how that goes.</p>
<p>It is disappointing that our budget from Financial Aid includes a Transportation category that will be shot before the end of the fall semster.</p>
<p>Of course this is highly dependent on the individual. But I would drive anywhere within an 8hr driving radius (500-600 miles). I lived about 400 miles from Duke and it was a 6hr drive. I had my car with me starting sophomore year and only flew once in my 4 years as a student. You have unparalleled flexibility and convenience. But then again you have to have a car and be able to drive long distances. It definitely helps if you can find a carpool and split the driving duties and gas money not to mention break the monotony.</p>
<p>Rmidad. Airfarewatchdog includes southwest; when airfare alerts to a sw sale, it sends you directly to the sw website (rather then Expedia, orbitz, etc.).</p>
haha, but I understand the annoyance of finding out last minute. It’s really on a professor-by-professor basis. They have the ultimate power and say to do what they want individually, so it’s hard to say there’s a set expectation or rule one way or the other. I’m not sure why they wait so long - maybe they want to see where they are in the curriculum and if having a class is absolutely necessary to stay on track or not.</p>