I have to brag a little about how we got an amazing deal on our flights to California. It happened back in May, when E and I were headed to Texas for my brother-in-law's high school graduation. We were traveling from Chicago on different flights because that's how we found the best deal (airlines are weird). So E was scheduled to spend about 2 hours on layover at the Memphis airport and arrive in DFW at noon; I was supposed to spend 1 hour in Kansas City before flying into DFW around 11:00, where I would wait for E for another hour.
Well, as I was settling in for my layover in Kansas City, I heard the wonderful announcement: "Passengers flying to Dallas, we have an overbooked flight. Anyone willing to take a later flight and arrive in Dallas at noon will receive a $400 voucher." FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS! To do what fit my schedule better anyway! (As it turns out, Kansas City International even has free wifi! DFW does not. Which would you rather be stuck in?)
So I took the voucher, combined it with some leftover frequent flyer miles from a previous Texas trip, and cashed in a few credit card rewards points (who ever gets to use those?!). We were able to buy round trip tickets from our tiny central Illinois town to San Diego for less than $150 - total!
As an added bonus, somewhere along the way we received 2 one-time admissions to the Admiral's Lounge at O'Hare. Between our short flight to Chicago and the longer flight out west we got to spend a couple hours enjoying the lifestyle of the rich and famous - or at least the lifestyle of the frequent flyer. I'm talking cushy chairs, peace and quiet, and pretty decent airport food! Before I even boarded the plane, I already felt like I was on vacation : )
