UPDATE #2:
So you won't believe this, but the trip is back on again. It started with me getting an email from Skyscanner saying they had a price reduction on American Airlines out of Manchester, NH. I was going to delete it but I had some time and figured what the hell? Mind you, this was not a huge price reduction, but anyway since I have been feeling guilty and kind sensing my brother was being a bit distant in his text messages, though that is not unusual for him sometimes, I started searching around again- Expedia packages, Momondo, etc. Here we go again. I got suckered into it.
Then I went directly onto the American Airlines website and ended up booking flights. The departing flight my brother originally wanted us to take had gone up $200 more each round trip, so I scratched that one! Was slim pickings, but I did get refundable tickets. Depart on a Saturday and home on Thursday. Only drawback is the the connecting time for the flight going down is only 58 minutes in Charlotte, NC. Yes, I am nervous about that but holding out hope it will be ok. And also the flight arrives in JAX at almost 8pm, but then I thought- why not just get a hotel there by the airport and leave the next morning for Palm Coast?
I had to call AA because after I booked I realized I didn't request a wheelchair and so the really nice rep added it and he said we could have better seats on all flights towards the front without paying extra! I was really happy about that because the aisle seats I initially picked were way in the back because you had to pay more to be upfront. So we also got aisle seats up front now, which is what we like. The rep also noticed I made a typo on my husband's first name by one letter so he ended up having to cancel my original booking and re-booked it with the correct spelling- all the same price, with the wheelchair and better seating. Phew! $1312.42. Refundable to my credit card if cancel.
I then booked at the Hyatt near the airport for the night with free breakfast. That was $152.09. Can cancel up until 4/10. After would be $148.38.
I then booked that Legacy Resort Timeshare at Palm Coast for 4 nights at $700.25. Can cancel up until the day before. After would have to pay $179.20.
Car rental from Auto Slash - Alamo- we will pick up when we land at JAX at $343.69 (was $20 more than my original booking last time) Free cancellation up until pick up. Pay at pick up.
And then we will have just the parking at Manchester Airport. The garage runs $87. If we park in the lot it runs $147. Can be booked on line with cancellation up until the day before but I want to check into it further to see what is best. Never been there.
So total cost would be $2595. Plus spending money, of course, which should be minimal except for meals out. A lot better than the $4500 I originally booked last time! 6 days, 5 nights- which was what I thought would be good from the start.
I could have my brother pick us up on Sunday at the hotel and then even stay with him and that would save us the resort money and the car rental but I still think 4 nights at his house would be too much. I figured we'd drive to his house on Sunday after we check out of the Hyatt and spend the day with him since we cannot check into the resort until 4 pm. Then before or after check in we will head to Publix to buy some breakfast food. The rest of the Monday, Tuesday and Wed we will spend with him and my sisterinlaw, including going to St. Augustine and seeing my aunt there.
My brother liked (the outside of) the resort when he went to check it out. He said his favorite trail is there and he wants his ashes thrown there when he dies! So definitely a good pick location wise.
I am pretty sure we don't need any kind of Travel insurance for this trip- meaning the hotels, since the flights are refundable and the car doesn't have to be paid until we get there. Total costs of the hotels is $852 and just checking on Generali it would be $74 to insure that. If we cancelled the hotels ahead of time we would lose $300 cancellation fees, but if trip was interrupted once going or being there we would lose the other $600 resort charge. Not sure how the refundable airfare works if you make one or two flights but not the others? Am I missing something?
And yes I overthink everything. It's a bad flaw of mine I know. I am not a worldly traveler and i make myself crazy.
The interesting thing about all this is I realized after booking this, and it took me all afternoon, that today is my mom's birthday. She passed back in 2011. I thought I bet she is telling me "go see your brother"!
BTW- I did not tell my brother about any costs involved, but his first reaction was No! Don't book something to Palm Coast for only 5 days that costs as much as our business class flights to California. He wanted to know what it was costing and if they were direct flights and I told him not to worry about it. It is a lot less expensive than what I booked last time. I told him no matter what, airfare is expensive and no direct flights out of Manchester.
So that's the very loooooong story. Thanks for reading. I know it seems ridiculous someone would go through all this just to go to Florida. LOL!
