I didn't see this until now.
The reason why Michelle's plane ticket didn't cost near $500 is because she travelled longer then 4 days. Didn't she travel for 2 weeks or something like that? My other question is, what day did she fly out? Before New Year's Eve? Did she fly directly to Orlando, FL or Alex., VA? Those details matter to lower the price as well. We shopped for Magfest tickets since August '09 and they ranged between $350 to $500 for the dates Dec. 31st to Jan. 4th. We can't travel for longer then 4 days. Jordan has a job whereas Michelle doesn't (if I recall) and he doesn't get vacation days like most of you with comfy jobs. With me unemployed for 8 months last year and just recently laid off again (I didn't even get to work a full 30 days and they laid me off damn it), we can't afford that plus hotel, food, and merchandise if we want to get some. For those who work retail (which Jordan doesn't thank goddness) most people can't request New Year's because it's a much more important holiday then MLK.
AND I was just about to say this, but Nick did me the favor. New Year's DOUBLES and MLK does not. Most students can get Fridays off in their schedule. You have the choice to do it VERY early because it's a year in advanced. =P When we showed up for New Year's Eve in Magfest 7, it was really just a "set-up day." We actually regretted flying on New Year's Eve. We could've saved some money.