March Madness is coming to its exciting finale at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas this weekend with the NCAA Final Four on Saturday, April 2 and the National Championship game on Monday, April 4!

The four teams who will face off are:

• The 11^th seeded Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Rams playing the 8^th seeded Butler Bulldogs at 6:09 pm ET Saturday.
• The 4^th seeded University of Kentucky Wildcats playing the 3^rd seeded University of Connecticut (UCONN) Huskies at 8:49 pm ET Saturday.
• The winner of each game will play for the championship at 9:00 pm ET Monday.

Is your team in the finals? Do you have tickets? Covington Travel is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, and with VCU still in it you can believe that there is a lot of excitement in the air! We have called in all of our best contacts and at press time, Covington Travel still has access to Final Four game tickets, air transportation and hotel packages but don’t delay! Contact us IMMEDIATELY by email or phone (804 747-7077) to secure your Final Four experience.

If you are traveling to the big games this weekend, know that flights, hotels and car rentals will be at capacity. We offer some tips for making your travel go smoothly as you join the throngs streaming to Houston.

• Check in for your airline flights online 24 hours in advance. In some cases, the earlier you check in, the better your boarding zone.
• Print your boarding passes before arriving at the airport to avoid long lines.
• Pack light and carry on ONE bag. Checking bags will require fees and more lines.
• Arrive at the airport at least two hours before flight time. TSA security lines will be long and unavoidable.
• Adhere to the 3-1-1 rule for liquids and be sure to have your government issued ID in hand.
• Take an empty, refillable water bottle to fill after security. Save time and money by packing a travel meal or snacks.
• Go immediately to the gate and be prepared to board 45 minutes before departure. Flights will likely be oversold and late comers will be bumped.
• Board by zone as they are called and be sure to take the correct seat on the plane. Stow carry-on in the overhead bin, wheels in first.

Other information to make your trip a breeze:

• Have plenty of $1 and $5 bills for gratuities, taxis and splitting group meal tabs.
• Don’t forget the phone/laptop/kindle/camera chargers.
• Ask us for a discount coupon for the Richmond Airport Park n Go.
• Make advance restaurant reservations in Houston (or other cities).

Let Covington get you into the thick of the March Madness final events. Contact us right away!

Email us or call (804) 747-7077.