<p>Finally joining the Northwestern conversation here! My son is a sophomore and absolutely loves the school. He can't wait to go back after this break, and is scheduled to fly into Midway on Southwest, arriving around 6:30 pm on Sunday. However, I just heard that Southwest is already changing/cancelling flights into Chicago this weekend! What happens if (worst case scenario) they miss the first few days of classes because they simply can't get there?</p>
<p>On a side note, we were all amused by the email that sad that although the windchill on Monday is supposed to be negative 40 or something like that they will still have class!</p>
<p>ClassicRockerDad, I’ve been reading about cancelled flights on a frequent flyer forum. On the Southwest website, they are offering to make changes to any flight going into Midway from Jan3-5 (Sunday). Do you have any tips on how to make sure the kid gets to Chicago on Sunday? This is our first time experiencing any kind of possible issue with going to school far away.</p>
<p>All faculty received an email from the school urging them to make appropriate exceptions for students who can’t make it by Monday due to weather, so no worries.</p>
<p>Like any other adult, he will have to miss class and be responsible for the work he missed. I think by Sunday things should be pretty much back to normal, especially for those scheduled to leave on Sunday. My daughter was on one of the last flights out of LaGuardia flying to O’Hare on Thursday morning and although it departed about 1 hour late, I was so relieved she got out. It sucks, but that’s life in the winter!</p>
<p>One thing we did learn from our older daughter who went to NU, is that during the winter months she always flew out of a larger airport on a larger plane, that gave her the best chances to not have a flight cancelled.</p>
<p>My D1 was three days late getting to classes a few years ago due to a hurricane that delayed her flight (I think it was fall semester). She just emailed her professors and let them know. If she had friends in a class, she asked them to take notes and let her know any info she needed (but she did not have that in every class). It all worked out fine.</p>
<p>Southwest flights are going into Midway today. </p>
<p>Also, Southwest flies to Milwaukee and there is a bus that goes directly between Milwaukee’s airport and O’hare for $28, so if you can’t get to Midway, that’s another viable option.</p>
<p>Mathfac, great news. This is going to be a tough term with Organic Chem and three Engineering classes so he wants to get a running start. Thanks ClassicRockerDad, that’s a great tip. I just checked a flight tracking site. Yesterday (Friday) all flights from Hartford to Midway were cancelled. Today, there were only two and they seem to be OK. He just heard from a friend whose Southwest flight from New Jersey to Midway was cancelled at 6:30 am toda, his parents promptly dropped him off at a train station for a 20 hour ride!</p>
<p>All but the red-eye flights on Sunday to O’Hare on a major carrier from our local airport have now been cancelled, so I’m betting there are many students (including our two) who won’t make it to the early Orgo class on Monday.</p>
<p>Thank MomCares. His flight is already listed as “delayed,” not a good sign I’m afraid. The kid taking the 20 hour train ride must be arriving soon!</p>
<p>If every student who has had a cancelled flight to Chicago emails all of his professors letting them know that he will not be able to make class on Monday (or possibly Tuesday as the airlines are still trying to re-route travelers from cancellations from the earlier storm), then the professors will at least have a heads up on how many people (could be over 75% of a class) will be absent on Monday. </p>
<p>If the great majority of students cannot show up on the first day, I’m sure the professors will be lenient. </p>
<p>Also, even if students are on campus on Monday, they face significant risks when the temperatures drop to below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Frostbite and Hypothermia. in as little as 15 minutes, an exposed part of the skin can develop frostbite.</p>
<p>The 5:10 nonstop from Boston arriving at 7pm in Milwaukee is still scheduled and has seats. Perhaps Southwest will let you use your ticket for that one. You’d better leave soon though.</p>
<p>ClassicDad- thanks for the tip, he rebooked the cancelled flight for Tuesday. I had no idea that Milwaukee was so close (What can I say? this whole midwest thing is new to me) and will try that in the spring or summer…always good to experience a new state!</p>
<p>Actually though, my son loves Chicago so much that he hopes to stay there after graduation so maybe I had better start learning the geography of the area…</p>