Help needed for college visit to Wilmington!
 

My daughter wants to visit the University of North Carolina in Wilmington over the holiday weekend in January.Any suggestions as to where to stay and how to get to it from Chicago? I do not want to take one of those smaller commuter jets.Would you fly into Raleigh and drive? of someplace else? Thanks for any info-favorite hotels that are reasonable?

I would think Raleigh is the closest major airport. It is about a two-hour drive from Wilmington.

If you fly into Charlotte, USAirways does fly regular-size planes into Wilmington. You could check with reservations to see when those are scheduled.

Airtran from Midway to Myrtle Beach via Atlanta. Daughter qualifies for their GenX fares at $47+tax each segment (standby flights; must be under 23 with ID; pay cash at the airport). Contact the airline for more info.

Do you want to stay near the school, at the beach, or downtown? There are a lot of hotels--you won't need a reservation that time of year, so you could just see what looks good! My daughter is a freshman at UNCW--any questions, just let me know! Kathrine

Thank you all for your help.I quess that we will try the Raleigh flights as I would never fly Air Tran(old Valuejet and I am chicken!).Katherine-may I write you personally to get some perspective on this school? My daughter wants to go into marine biology so that was why there was an interest. Thanks!

As a recent grad from UNCW your daughter has chosen a great school. I would suggest the Raleigh flight because I-40 takes you straight into Wilmington. A boring drive but very convenient. Extended Stay America is a recently new hotel and right near the school. The rooms are spacious with a kitchenette. If you have money to spend you could stay at the Hilton downtown. It sits right on the Cape Fear River and downtown is beautiful. After five years in Wilmington I unfortunatly moved away. Many people who leave always find their way back.

I can all but guarantee that Delta has matched the fare to Myrtle Beach. Both via Atlanta. Pity... Airtran's 717s are actually newer (brand new, actually) than Delta's equipment which will probably be a 20-30 year old DC9--which, ironically, is what Airtran used to fly. Good luck with your visit!

FYI-Delta has not had DC9's for many years.The 1011's are gone and only a few 727's are still with them. the majority of their fleet is very new.I personally would rather fly them than Air Tran (Value Jet) as their pilots have the experience and the majority have military experience which one wants in this day and age of flying.