I thought we already had a thread for this, but I can't seem to find one.

Looks like my trip to Virginia in May isn't going to happen, so I was rethinking the convention again. However, fares are so expensive! Must be 'cause I'm having to come halfway across the country. :angry:

Who is going and what airline are you flying? Just curious if anyone is finding any deals out there. Since I am only going for the weekend, I really don't want to spend $500 on the plane ticket. And the airline I usually fly, Southwest, doesn't fly into Charleston.

I'm curious on this now too as I may start investigating air fares if I knew I had someone to share a room with. (I hate being by myself in a strange city!)

Although I really really really want to go, its not looking so great right now....I'm just wondering if the flight plus registration plus hotel room is worth the money for one weekend....

Okay random question....what is the airport called in Charleston?

I was orginally planning to go but it was hard to choose between this and going to Japan for 6 weeks. I couldn't afford doing both (unless I win the lottery :whistle:), so I finally decieded on doing Japan because it could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and as with a convention, I can go when the opportunity arraises. So after saving for Japan, I'm planning to save to come to a BC convention in the future. It was a very hard decision :cry:.

As much as I would LOVE to meet up with more of you, I personally think that the convention is outrageously expensive and I have very little interest in the programming.

I'm going to Dragon*con in September, and I paid $45 for my ticket. Tickets are $60 now, and even if you purchase them at the door, it's still only $85 - the cost of early bird registration for the BookCrossing convention. And at Dragon*con, there are 4 days jam packed with 40+ tracks of programming and there will be times I'll be agonizing over where to go because I'll want to be 3 places at once.

Of course, that's not entirely fair, as Dragon*con is the largest convention on the East Coast and possibly in the country (ComicCon may be bigger, I don't know) and with 40,000 attendees it's easier to keep costs down, but it makes me cringe at the idea of paying close to or more than $100 for a day and a half or programming I'm not all that interested in.

So I will not be going this year. I had to pick between the BC convention and Dragon*con, and Dragon*con won, hands down. I won't be going next year either, for as much as I'd love to go to London, when I can afford to take a trip there, I'm not going to sit in a hotel and listen to anyone talk.

After that, well... I hope to be able to afford to go to the city that the convention is in, maybe get a guest pass with someone to go to one of the lunches or something, and hang out with my friends in the plethora of down time there seems to be in this supposedly three day long convention.

The airport code (the one you need to book the flight) is CHS.

Hello!!! I'm going!! Unfortunately, I probably won't know for another month whether John is going with me or not.

I've never been to Charleston so I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to sign up for the Low Country Cooking class on Friday!

Thanks! Apparently Air Canada and WestJet don't fly there....lovely.... :bash:

I have registered and am waiting to see when Lauren's exams are to see if she can go. Having said that my lovely DH's company says he might have to take his vacation in April (after having no vacation last year) and he was thinking of going to Hawaii.


Hawaii or Charleston UMMMM Let's say Hawaii would win. I would love to do both

Bree, United goes into Charleson and they are allied with AC

Nou,if I go I would love to take that cooking class also :D

Well looks like I'm not going....there aren't any direct flights from Toronto so I would be arriving after 10pm on Friday and leaving at 6am on Sunday. I can't take a day off so it looks like a no go.... :cry:

Charleston's airport is very small. A lot of people will find that they have to make connecting flights to get there if they don't want to pay $500. Or even fligh into an airport thats 50 miles away and drive the rest of the way.

United connects to Charleston through Dulles though, which is the airport I use to see my bf so maybe I can have a layover :D

I'm going to think about it over the next couple of days taking into account money, travel, vacation time, etc. I would be taking the train down there since I am absolutely terrified of flying.

Cherie, if I went, I would be looking for a roomie, too. :wink:

I wish I could go but I am going to 2 Anime Cons this year, so I would be wasting my money there. And Charleston is too far away from me.

I'm not going. :cry:

Me either.. I wanted to go to meet a bunch of you but its not in the budget so.. maybe another year!

What exactly do they do at the conventions?

I won't get to go either. I'm sad, cause it's really within driving distance for me. What I'd really like is to meet friends from here. So, if no one much from here is going, I guess I won't be missing much. :rolleyes:

As much as I'd love to, I doubt it. I've always wanted to go to Charleston and I've always wanted to go to a BC convention. However, since I am heading to Australia for 2 weeks for work on April 28, come home for 1 week then head to Disneyworld for 7 days, treating my neice as her high school graduation present I can't see laying out the cash for a weekend in Charleston. If the money (commission) fairy smiles upon me nicely things could change, though.

Its not in the budget this spring. I so wanted to meet a bunch of you guys. ZI did go to the convention last year and had a good time. :D

There were some super cheap flights posted today on United out of Buffalo to Charleston but they got snatched up quickly. :(

I'm not planning on going this year or next. :(

I'm not going. Too far from me. Where is it going to be next year?

London, England

I am still debating.. I really do want to go but like almost everyone else $$$ could be a problem.

I keep checking the flights. They are still high. But anyhoo it's going to be some big graduation present for Turtle. And that's only part of it. Dh and are getting him a laptop. :lol: :rolleyes:

My question does anyone know there is a shuttle from airport to hotel?

And that was a thought too of taking the train for us. But it would take 12 hours to get there. We can't afford that kimd of time.

Like Sand, I won't be going this year or next.
Unless I win the lottery...which would help if I bought tickets. :P

I'm not going either... I've got a trip planned in Oct. and I'm savin for that instead. Wonder where its gonna be in 2 years? London is out of the question unless I win the lotto, I'm spending that Oct. in Salem. So the next year either I'll have no money or I might be able to go. :P

Salem, Mass right? I'm guessing that would be the one since you're going in October. I live right next door and Cherie is close by too. Maybe we could meet up when you come here.

Kel... I found this...

Southwest from San Dieago to Dullas
$169 (one way internet)
Southwest from Dullas to San Dieago
$169 (one way internet)


Then I went to travelocity.com
and found that a round trip from Dullas to CHS would be 239

So thats... $577.. Sorry, not helping much huh.

London is out too for us. Who knows bwhat the next year is going to bring. I think this the reason why I'm not really saying no this time. Hell my dh spent our extra money last year for his and Megan's cars. This year he says it's Matt and my turn ;)

Plus I think I'm getting a Mass. trip out of this too this year.

Matt says we should have the convention on the west coast in 2 years. That way we can stay at my brother's. ;)

I'm not going mostly because of the timing. It's right near the end of the semester, and I cannot take a weekend off at that time.

I also have a conference that I'm going to a couple of weeks later and need to save my money for it. Although I can drive to the conference (3 hours away), I have to pay for hotel for four nights and also have lots of money for books! (Academic books, which might not be as exciting to some people but are really exciting for me - especially the Powell's "booth" which is actually a whole room of just their medieval books - heaven!)

I was thinking about it, but I have a conference the following week, and I don't think I can skip classes for two weeks (although the students would probably like it!)
I'd either drive or take the train. Flying is just too expensive. It would be over $400 for me.

I'm probably going :)

A quick search of travelocity showed a number of fares in the $160 arena for round-trip. My final decision however will probably rest with the fact of whether I'm definitely going to Rites of Spring in May or not since due to costs, it'd be hard to do both.

So I'm still unsure and am going to work on finding out if everybody's still planning to go to Rites or whatnot.

Ok I've reserved my room. So I'm thinking I'll be there. It doesn't sound like a lot of us from here are going. For those who are, are we going to have a swapping dinner or something like that? Is anyone interested?

Yes! I've already picked out the books I want to swap!

I know what you mean apol
But with Turtle helping me between the 2 of us we will have enough books. I think :unsure: Matt and I would be intersted in a dinner.

I probably won't be going. The only reason I wanted to was to meet other Obsessers and also visit Charleston because I enjoy the Tea Mystery settings so much. :D

But, I really can't afford it. :(

I paid my registration fee this morning!

Forgot to add that I am driving, and will be passing right by Charlotte Douglas, so if it is cheaper for anyone to fly into Charlotte, I'm happy to stop and give you a ride. ;)