A request for assistance

[unixronin]

As previously mentioned, my grandmother Harris in Devonshire is dying.  She has three great-grandchildren here who she's never met, and we've been flat broke for the last two years (for those who don't know, I got laid off in 2001 and haven't been able to find a new job since).

cymrullewes and I have a request (cymrullewes' idea).  I don't like asking for favors I don't know when I'll be able to pay back, but ... this is my last surviving grandparent, and I didn't manage to get back to England when my grandfather died about six or seven years ago.  We'd like to ask all of our online friends if you have any frequent-flyer miles you can spare to the cause of getting the five of us -- myself, cymrullewes, and the three girls -- to Devonshire in time to at least say goodbye.

I can make no promises as to when we'd be able to repay anyone.  We've been thinking for the past three years that a job's got to come along Any Time Now, and it hasn't.  (Part of this is probably that I doubt I could jobhunt my way out of a wet paper bag.)  But if any of you can spare any miles you don't expect to use, it'd be hugely appreciated, and we will repay what we can, when we can.

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Update 2004-10-16 17:22:

Our current "best fare" is a $366/seat flight from JFK to LHR Tuesday evening on Kuwait Airways, arriving Wednesday morning and returning Oct 30.  (Thanks go to novel_tharkun for finding it.)  We have an offer from ehintz for America West air-miles to get us from here (well, from RDU) to and from JFK.  We still have to figure out passport issues; I have an EU passport, but cymrullewes doesn't have one at all.  I should be able to get her an EU passport on the strength of mine plus our marriage certificate, but same-day emergency service from the British consulate is $180 plus regular passport fees.  Most or all of the girls could probably travel without passports in a family-emergency situation.

I still don't know whether this is feasible or not.  cymrullewes is more positive about it than I am.  I think I am inspired to pessimism by the repeated setbacks and failures of the past five years.

Comments

[ehintz.livejournal.com]

I looked at their site, they do partner w/Virgin & BA. But those #'s won't get you much on a hop over the pond; I'd agree they'd be better used on a hop to a cheap departure. Should be able to get 2 tix out of 40k miles I think.