For example, I'm guessing here... let's say you're going Hartford to Orlando... leave Wed Jan 13 or Thur Jan 14 around mid-day. $134 to Orlando on Delta or USAir. Both are non-stop.

Return Tues Jan 19 in the evening for $82 on the same airline as the way down.

Your ticket cost is now $216 (plus or minus a couple of dollars). Of course, this fare has to be available at the time of booking.

Your friend may be able to save some money by not flying directly into the destination city and have someone pick her up at that airport. I imagine she'll not be in a condition to drive.

When making your reservation, call the airlines directly and DO SAY SOMETHING to the ticket agent about the situation. The agent, if they have any compassion, will do a little more checking around than usual and perhaps can put you on an alternate flight for less money. Call around to a couple airlines to see who has the best deal, but don't take too long... tickets to Florida go fast in the winter.

There are no guarantees they'll be able to help. I believe this type of service is done sporadically by the airlines and it all depends upon who you talk to and what mood they're in.

One last option... wait until Wednesday at 5:00 PM EST to book your flight and check out the FLIGHT SPECIALS on Webflyer. They consolidate the best weekend fares from the majority of the airlines so you can pick out the best one. You *may* get lucky and pick up a $150 RT ticket. Note these usually depart Friday and return the following Monday / Tuesday. This URL is at:

http://webflyer.com/@deal/@deal.htm

Some airlines actually send these specials out on Tuesday, so check their websites if you can after that time.

Good Luck!