Glad it worked out in the end.

Why am I not surprised that someone in Houston would underestimate the cost of something in the Bay Area?

btw, for future reference, the airlines like giving out their vouchers as opposed to vouchers where they have to pay out (i.e., funny money vs. real money). So use that to your advantage.

If you're familiar with how to get around the area (e.g., you can go OAK --> Downtown SF for about $7 on BART + Bus). When they say $300 voucher + cabfare, you can always counter with say $350 voucher, and I'll deal with the ground transportation on my own. It's a win-win all around.