<p>We are from Chicago area, too. Son always had taken Southwest flight out of Midway, because you can get fares as low as ~$100 each way if you shop their specials and are willing to book far in advance. a more typical fare w/ SW is ~$130 each way. Southwest has been great for us because they don’t have a change fee, you can bring bags w/ no additional fees, and they are convenient and efficient. We have found the other airlines generally much more expensive, and less flexible. If you have to cancel a SW flight (or book other dates), you have up to a year to use the “Wanna Get Away” fare ticket, so even tho it is non-refundable, you can still use the funds for another flight. No charges to do this. What other airline does that for free?! Note that on SW, Midway is MDW airport code, but listed under “Chicago” (not “Midway”).</p>
<p>That said, for move-in and move-outs, we always drove down in a van, packed w/ the vast majority of the stuff. (buy consumables down there, but we brought everything else) In fact, the first year, we carted it all home, too, instead of moving into storage, because I wanted to go through it thoroughly and weed out what wasn’t used, clean everything etc. If you plan to store over the summer, you have to book storage units well in advance, and unless you are sharing, they can be pricy for the 4 months. Be sure to book a climate-controlled unit! </p>
<p>For shopping, a lot of people order things on-line and pick up in local Tuscaloosa stores…or buy a lot of things down there, but I preferred to buy it all here and know what I was getting well in advance (IKEA!!!). Shopping in Tuscaloosa can be a mad-house, especially the closer to move-in and start of classes. There are a LOT of families who wait to buy things, and while there is a reasonable selection (and, usually, enough in stock), it is your preference to do so.</p>
<p>I see you’re a relatively new poster. When you get the required 15 posts, PM (private message) me if I can answer any particular questions you have. Good luck!</p>