Please help me find a reasonably priced way to get a kid from Alabama state to Ewr thanksgiving

[LuvOrlando]

Please help me find a reasonably priced way to get a student from Alabama state to Newark airport Thanksgiving week.

My friends husband just left her Fourth of July weekend bankrupt and with the house going into default. He hasn't given her any more than $200 she's got three adult sons, one is hanging out with his deadbeat dad on a boat at the Jersey shore So right before the smartest son was leaving for Alabama State last week the doctors put him on ADD medicine because he was suffering from insomnia and this plus I guess the drinking or whatever he's doing triggered a manic episode so now the kid is in a mental health facility It was a big mess they had to get campus police involved but the father won't help my friend so she and her oldest son drove all the way down there. I think they are hoping he'll be fine once the medicines out of the system but still- Anyway I'm trying to figure out how to fly this kid home for Thanksgiving because the father won't help I think it would be helpful for him if he had something to look forward to, it's just a desperate situation. It seems really expensive but then I was thinking maybe if he flew between one of the airports nearest Alabama state and the Orlando airport he might catch connecting flights and then I thought maybe the people on here would know better and me since I have no idea what I'm doing. Guessing he could use a mix of flights and buses if it's doable but I am totally unfamiliar if anybody has a mind to help please do.

As an aside it seems the number of men abandoning their families in the suburbs is rampant - I can't stand it

 

[gottalovepluto]

Sounds like a very tragic situation, I'll keep the family in my prayers. I can't offer any advice on how to find cheap flights but I think mixing flights and adding buses/trains/whatever is a recipe for travel disaster if something gets cancelled/delayed. It sounds like they can't afford the flight much less extra flights/buses/trains if 1 thing gets delayed and he misses everything subsequent they will be out all the money and have to pony up new money to get him to NJ or back to Alabama if it happens mid-travel. No mixing and matching airlines, one airline is not responsible for another's delay! And I'd be wary of depending on a bus to get him to another airport, because if something goes wrong with the bus he'll miss his flight and there's no coming back from that.

I'm sorry to be such a Debbie-downer but sometimes the cheapest options can get really expensive really fast so just be aware.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Thanks but I was thinking I would take care of paying for it, the kid is suicidal right now so I want to try to find him something to look forward to & he needs his mom.

Are there a lot of delays down that way I know lots in the Northeast tend to Have a lot of weather issues & some airports are worse than others

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Someone is put on an ADD medication (usually a stimulant) because of insomnia? Something isn't right here. This family's problems are a lot worse than trying to find a flight home for Thanksgiving. If this young man is temporarily in a mental hospital and is suicidal, he is not going back to school when he is released. He needs an evaluation and treatment. I'm not trying to be mean, because a young relative of mine went through a similar situation, but you really need to step back and let the family deal with this. Be a supportive friend, but do not get too involved.

 

[kydisneyfans]

Thanksgiving flights are crazy expensive.
Not sure where in Alabama but it MAY be possible to find an affordable flight from Atlanta to Newark, if they have a way to Atlanta.

 

[mjkacmom]

My sister used to save a little money flying on thanksgiving, but it's still going to be expensive. How about holding thanksgiving on a different weekend?

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Thanks but I was thinking I would take care of paying for it, the kid is suicidal right now so I want to try to find him something to look forward to & he needs his mom.

Are there a lot of delays down that way I know lots in the Northeast tend to Have a lot of weather issues & some airports are worse than others

If he is suicidal, then he should probably not be worried about school at this point in time. They might want to consider getting him a deferral for his classes and bringing him home to New Jersey to get him help. He could resume his classes at Alabama once he is in a better place or even consider transferring to a school closer to home. But honestly, his family needs to work this out. You paying for a flight home over Thanksgiving is very kind, but there are much deeper issues and being home for a single holiday weekend is not going remedy them.

 

[kymom99]

I think the issue may be that he has to leave campus on Thanksgiving. My son's school requires that students leave and campus closes down. I think only international students can stay. I would think maybe it would be better for some of the family to go there and get a hotel to spend time with him.

 

[pershing]

Fare compare, kayak, price lining a ticket, try trip advisor and Hotwire too.

But yeah,

No matter how old kids are, parents splitting up is at tremendously emotional situation and then to put him on a new medication and send them to college, is crazy.

I know your friend is going through a lot to right now but suicidal is suicidal. I sons life is worth more than a house or *****ing at her husband. She needs to drop all that and bring her son home he can always go back next year, but first she needs to make sure her son is stable.

 

[PlutoPony]

I think the issue may be that he has to leave campus on Thanksgiving. My son's school requires that students leave and campus closes down. I think only international students can stay. I would think maybe it would be better for some of the family to go there and get a hotel to spend time with him.

Think there's general concern that a student who is suicidal today won't be in university at Thanksgiving. It will likely take a while for him to become healthy enough to go back to school. And catching up after missing a few weeks of school (probably the absolute best case scenario here) isn't practical. If in reality he's in a mental hospital now, the prudent thing to do is to do a medical withdrawal from school NOW - it's the best thing for the student and gives him the best chance of getting $$ back given that med withdrawals are prorated to day of withdrawal. Plus it doesn't leave a black mark academically on his record.

Hope he's able to concentrate on getting healthy and put school on a back burner.

 

[marymouse]

Alabama State is only about 2 hours from the Atlanta Airport. The University of Alabama and Auburn University both offer shuttles to Atlanta on peak travel days like that. You might look into that or even him taking the bus or tagging along with a friend to Atlanta?

 

[Albort]

If the dates are flexible, since Atlanta is a Delta hub, i see some tickets as low as $206 per round trip. Some are like $265-$300 roundtrip. isnt too bad.

 

[cvjw]

I am from Alabama, but currently live in Atlanta. You never fly out of an Alabama airport if Money is an issue. You drive to Atlanta and hop on a plane there.

As the mother of a college student, this poor kid does not need to be that far from his family. He needs to transfer to a much closer school. Now rather than later if possible. If he is in such a bad state, it is doubtful that his grades will be good this semester, and those grades will be part of his permanent record. If it were my son, I would drop him out and let him re enroll in a much closer school when his mental health was more stable.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Just wanted to stop in and let you all know that I split paying for a ticket with another mutual friend of ours and we're flying him from Birmingham to Newark. as far as I know this young man is doing OK