August 23rd, 2007
Talk About Travel; Special: Gulf Coast Travel in the Wake of Katrina
The Post’s Travel Section Flight Crew will take your comments, questions, suspicions, warnings, gripes, sad tales and happy endings springing from the world of… the world. Of course, the Flight Crew will be happy to answer your travel questions — but the best thing about this forum, we insist, is that it lets travelers exchange information with other travelers who’ve been there, done that or otherwise have insights, ideas and information to share. Different members of the Crew will rotate through the captain’s chair every week, but the one constant is you, our valued passengers.
We know you have a choice in online travel forums, and speaking for the entire Flight Crew, we want to thank you for flying with us.
You may also browse an archive of previous live travel discussions.
Did you have travel plans to the Gulf coast? Check out our
Katrina Q&A
for an update.
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Cindy Loose: We usually skip the weekly travel chat when it falls on a holiday Monday. But in the midst of concern and grief over the still-unfolding tragedy along the Gulf Coast, it seemed like chatting shouldn’t be skipped this week.
The chat host today, Cindy Loose, is joined by K.C. Summers, John Deiner, Anne McDonough, Andrea Sachs, Carol Sottili, Gary Lee and Steve Hendrix. The lines, so to speak, are open.
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NW Washington, DC: No question, but I wanted to say how meaningful I found your essay on New Orleans as American icon. I’ve been going to New Orleans at least once a year for 12 years (I’d live there if there was job for me). You summed up the beauty of the city perfectly and for the first time all week I actually cried as I read it.
I have plans to go next March and I’m not cancelling yet.
Steve Hendrix: Many thanks, NW. I have no idea what you’ll find in New Orleans next March, but I hope to see you there soon.
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Travel to St. Louis: Hi Crew,
I know you are mostly taking questions about the hurricane, but I have a middle-america travel question. I am looking for a good fare to St. Louis the weekend after Thanksgiving. Do you know what a good fare would be? They seem to be hovering around $200, which seemed high for a down week…
Thanks!
Carol Sottili: That’s about the going rate to St. Louis. $200, if it includes taxes, is really quite good. Sign up for Southwest’s “Ding” feature, and you might get a better deal. American also has frequent esavers to St. Louis of about $139 round trip, but it’s hit or miss - if you need to be there for a specific weekend, you can’t count on it.
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I should know this…: What is the current status of New Orleans? Is the mandatory evacuation still in place? I have a non-refundable reservation for next week, and while I know it’s no place for a vacation, I can’t figure out whether or not I am officially eligable for a refund. I can’t even reach the bed and breakfast.
Any tips? I don’t want to stick them with charge-back fees from the credit card company.
Thanks,
Cindy Loose: There is no way travelers will be welcome into New Orleans next week, or weeks to come. You should have no problem getting back money for a nonrefundable airline ticket–first of all, they must give back money if flights are cancelled, and beyond that, the airlines have all made allowances for refunds or credits for non-refundable tickets. If you were stayin in a major hotel chain I’m sure you could call to get a refund. But there will be no way to get through to a B&B–phone lines are down, and who knows when they’ll reopen. Your options are to wait until the B&B reopens, if it does, and ask for your money then, or to ask the credit card company to return your deposit, seeing as how it’s pretty clear you won’t get the service for which you paid.
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Annandale, Va.: Sorry, I had no other way to ask this question, but could you possibly know and therefore give me, Steve Hendrix’s e-mail address. I want to compliment him on that wonderful article he did about New Orleans. Thank you, gloria Dunlap
Anne McDonough: He just may shoot me for doing this, but Steve’s email is hendrixs@washpost.com. Just kidding: We welcome and any and all feedback to our stories.
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Haymarket, Va.: Several months ago, I booked a package (air-hotel-transfers-insurance) thru Expedia.com for a convention in Nov. in New Orleans. The convention was cancelled, and Expedia told me I’d get everything back but the $25 I paid for travel insurance. When pressed, Expedia admitted that those who did NOT buy insurance but cancelled got all of their money back. So, I’m being punished for being prudent. Does this seem fair to you? I’ll never book Expedia again, nor will I buy this scam insurance ever again.