Our kid is also about a thousand miles away. I booked non-stop flights for him and opted to avoid regional airports this time (usually, he has to make a connection). He’s not thrilled - it will mean an extra 4 hours of car/bus travel for him to get to our place from the major airport - but that’s the safest option at this time of year regardless. I looked into train tickets as a backup plan, but it would take him 30 hours (!) to get to the nearest station - which is still 4 hours from here. So not a viable option.
I suggested he begin more serious outreach to his friends that are more local in case he runs into any issues. He does have a good number of friends within a 2-3 hour drive of his college, so he should have options. If he really ends up stuck, we’ll fund him going out to eat somewhere nice with a friend or two if others are also stuck.
I’m hopeful that everyone comes to their senses before the holiday. If they don’t though, I hope he gets enough of a heads-up that either of his flights are being cancelled so he can find an alternative.
If all goes as planned, I think we’ll definitely be watching Trains, Planes, and Automobiles this Thanksgiving, in addition to our annual viewing of Forrest Gump.