I Flew From Charlottesville, VA, to D.C. via Florida?!?

Ever so often, I need to get home from my school, the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia, to my home in Northern Virginia. As a first-year, I could not have a car at school (nor would my parents have given me one). This meant that I had a few options to get home, including getting a ride from a friend or taking Amtrak. However, on this trip home, I flew from Charlottesville, VA, to D.C. via Florida.

My Options

I needed to go home in early May for a family event. However, I could not plan ahead because I was not sure of the specific plan until pretty close to the actual dates. 

First, I asked if I could get a ride from anyone. However, it was late in the semester, close to finals, so no one was headed north toward D.C. that particular day. Similarly, my parents wanted to avoid driving a 5-hour round trip to pick me up, which was reasonable enough.

Of course, I could fly from Charlottesville to Washington Dulles on United, but that ticket cost nearly $200. Not a chance. 

I looked at Amtrak tickets which were on the pricey side. Typically, I can book this ticket for $20. However, on this date, it was $74. Without a doubt, it was my best option and likely what I would do until I connected the dots. 

Why I booked Charlottesville, VA, to D.C. via Florida

I realized that the Avelo inaugural flight from Charlottesville to Orlando was scheduled for the day I needed to go home. I had received access to the inaugural festivities on this flight, so it was already on my calendar for that day. 

Then I realized I could buy tickets on the flight down to Orlando for $31. That seemed reasonable enough, especially considering I love a good inaugural flight. 

After searching for flights home, I found affordable flights on Spirit and Frontier to Baltimore (sub-$35). While that was an option, getting from Baltimore to Northern Virginia is somewhat of a pain. 

However, I found a Southwest flight for $84 with great times that flew into Washington Reagan. I had some credit with Southwest due to previous compensation they issued after a flight delay. 

In the end, I flew from Charlottesville (CHO) to Washington Reagan (DCA) via Orlando (MCO) to get home from school.

The Last Point

The total cost of flying home was $31, and $84 worth of Southwest Airlines credits. Sure, this was more than the Amtrak ticket, but flying on an inaugural flight was a lot of fun. I could never complain about an opportunity to board a plane, so I took it. Getting home took me just over six hours, but it was 100% worth it. 

Am I crazy? Would you fly from Charlottesville, VA, to D.C., via Florida?