4 a.m. Logistics

Foot permitting, I'm visiting Bliz later this month. The catch being how am I getting there. 

Living in the almost center of the United States, St. Louis is one of those almost-far enough away cities where flying doesn't always make that much sense. 

If I fly from Texarkana, I have two issues: the cost: $800, round trip, basic economy (non refundable) on Texarkana's only airline--American. And let's just pretend that wasn't exorbitant. The other issue is the flight leaves at 6 a.m. ONLY if the plane is there and the weather permits. At least once a week, that flight doesn't take off. So, I have a 1 in 7 chance of missing my flight. 

My Dallas leg takes off at 9:30 a.m. (there are later Dallas flights I could book but they are even more expensive up-front, and I'd have to wait around the airport). Doing some quick backwards math, if weather related, I'd probably find out the flight isn't making around 4:30 a.m., and then have to drive the three hours to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport--in the weather--park, get through security, etc., to catch my flight. If I miss it, I have to pay more. 

If I just book my flight out of Dallas, I would be spending the three hours driving to Dallas, the two-plus hours flitting around the airport, for my one and half-ish hour flight. In that time I could have driven to Bliz's house.

If I fly from Little Rock: the one hour nonstop* flights take off at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m. The morning flight doesn't cut it for me. Assuming a boarding time of around 5:30 a.m., I'd have to leave my home around 2:30 a.m. Clinton Airport is awesome, I can walk from long-term parking to the terminal in less time than it takes me to catch their shuttle. In fact, I think my best time from parking, through security to the gate is less than 30 minutes. Conversely, I can spend the night in Little Rock to catch that morning flight, but if I'm driving to Little Rock the night before, why not keep driving? 

The 6 p.m. flight is much more reasonable. However, if I were to drive, I expect I'd arrive in St. Louis by 2 in the afternoon. 

I certainly don't mind driving. The route is easy: I cut diagonal across Arkansas, then up to St. Louis. There'd be a lot more flexibility with my trip and I can arrive earlier in the day. I can leave when I want--or when Bliz gets sick of me. And, I can load my car up with St. Louis-type stuff we can't find locally or in Little Rock. I'd probably spend about the same amount on gasoline as I would on air fare, thanks to Southwest's Tuesday Web specials. The unknown is my still broken foot. Will it be up to a 500 mile drive?

*Why nonstop? Every other flight from Little Rock to St. Louis is more than six hours. By that time, I could have driven.