I'm wondering how we would have solved this problem before the internet.

1. Pay the $2k because you wouldn't think of booking from a nearby location;
2. Take a cab (because even an old-fashioned cab would do it for less than $2k) - maybe there are no cab operators at the airport, but it seems unlikley;
3. Book a one-way rental from BDL for a day;
4. Live in the same century as everyone else. No one "doesn't have" Skype for purposes like this - they either don't see the need, or are actively refusing to do so. It's free. Smartphones aren't literally free, but they are cheap enough that anyone who can afford to travel can afford to buy one, and can use services that are designed specifically to solve this kind of problem (and many more).