I stopped flying anywhere unless absolutely necessary over ten years ago. If I can drive there in 12 hours or less then I drive. It usually saves time in the long run.
About 5 years ago I drove the round rip from Knoxville, TN to Davis, CA, which is near Sacramento, and back. The travel cost for me only was about $2,400, including 10 days of dog care. Then I checked out the cost of round trip first class air fare. It turned out to be about $2,000, which only included only 2 days of dog care. I go there every Christmas and now I go first class. I “economize” by putting every expense I can over my United Airlines credit card. Throw in the fact that I’m on the TSA PreCheck list, and it’s not so bad.