Talk About Travel

The latest on airport security, online hotel booking, Greece...

The Flight Crew, from left: John Deiner, Carol Sottili, Steve Hendrix, Anne McDonough, Gary Lee, K.C. Summers, Cindy Loose, Andrea Sachs. (Melissa Cannarozzi - for The Post)

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.

The transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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The Flight Crew: Hi everyone, and welcome to the first travel chat of the new year. We hope you made it home from your holiday travels with a minimum of teeth-gnashing. Luckily, none of us had to get to/from London or Mexico this week, but how about the rest of you -- anybody out there been delayed or worse? Has anyone been fingerprinted and photographed yet in retaliation for the U.S. move to fingerprint most foreign visitors? Anyone who thought '04 would be kindler and gentler in terms of security measures obviously hasn't been on a plane in a while...

So what did you think of our predictions in yesterday's print edition for the Top 20 destinations in 2004? Do you agree with our picks, did we inspire you to hit the road, or did we leave out your favorite up-and-coming hot spot? Discuss. Classroom monitors today include John Deiner, Steve Hendrix, Cindy Loose, Carol Sottili, Elissa Leibowitz (compiler of said list) and me, K.C. Summers. As always, we have prizes for the most helpful and/or amusing responses; today it's a grab bag of 2004 calendars: Arizona Highways, Space Imaging, Mandarin Oriental Hotels (gorgeous fans), Siegfried & Roy (sure to become a collector's item!) and -- hang onto your chest hair -- the Ultimate Men of Hedonism. Surely SOMEONE out there can think of a good use for that one.

Let's get going!

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Falls Church, Va.: On Dec. 21st the Post Travel Section asked for submissions from readers on travel companions for an upcoming feature. When will this feature appear?

The Flight Crew: Jan. 25, still time to get your submissions in. We're getting some real doozies.

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Washington, D.C.: So is it too close to the Olympics to make a trip to Greece without suffering cost increases?

The Flight Crew: Well, I recently snagged an airfare to Greece in April for about $450, so I'm thinking that it's not too close for airfares, at least. I haven't yet priced hotels and such, but don't see why the prices would be inflated well before the Olympics. If the Olympics go well, without major havoc, I think crowds will flock there and drive up prices, so I'm thinking now should be a fine time to go. just don't try to drive in Athens, I'm told. Cindy

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Arlington, Va.: do you happen to have the list of the 28 countries that will not be scrutinized by INS & the US govt? I'm very interested in those countries that will get the silver spoon treatment.

The Flight Crew: The fingerprinting and photographing of foreign visitors won't apply to 27 countries--Mexico, Canada and most European countries. This replaces the rule that required people from 25 mostly Muslim countries to register. The new way, rather than naming the countries targeted, names the countries not targeted, and thus is somehow more politically correct. Cindy

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Blacksburg, Va.: A post-holiday-travel rant and/or question: As I was rushing around on Christmas Eve night at my parents' house, scrambling to wrap all of the presents I'd brought, I got to wondering: Why, exactly, are we not supposed to bring wrapped packages on board aircraft? Are the TSA's state-of-the-art x-ray machines and scanners unable to penetrate my red-and-green Santa wrapping paper? Or maybe said paper is lead-lined? Seriously, though: Why not send packages through the x-ray machine, just like everything else? They don't have to open my purse or other carryon bags to see what's inside -- are wrapped packages really so different? It's a small annoyance, true, but it seems to me like one of those "for your own safety" measures that are put in place just to make us feel better and don't actually make us any safer. Kinda like prohibiting the use of metal butter knives on flights ...

The Flight Crew: The rule about wrapping presents, as I understand it, are set so that screeners can easily take a peek inside any package that raises questions when x-rayed. Trust me, if they've seen something in your purse or carryon that bugs them, they will open it to peek in. Cindy

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Washington, D.C.: We were trying to book a vacation package to Puerto Rico yesterday using Expedia. We found a resort we liked, and selected a direct flight out of Dulles. The price given for the flight indicated that it included taxes and airport charges. We noted the price for 5 days at the resort as well as the price of the flight, and were prepared to purchase the package. As we proceeded through Expedia's screens, the airfare and resort charges were added together, then an extra $575 was added on, reportedly for "taxes and surcharges." We could find no explanation of the taxes and surcharges on the site. Ultimately, we purchased the tickets directly from the airline, and made the reservations directly with the resort, avoiding the $575 "taxes and surcharges" fee and coming in a little bit under Expedia's package price to boot. Do you have any idea what was meant by the "taxes and surcharges" indicated?

The Flight Crew: Wash, this sounds pretty egregious but we'd need more info to comment. Can you send deets to travel@washpost.com, and we'll look into it? KC

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Indiana: I will be in Amsterdam for a week in April, and need to find a hotel. Because I expect the Euro to stay strong against the dollar, I want to keep the price modest, but I want reasonable security, a reasonable neighborhood since I will be traveling alone, and convenient access to public transport. (That last should be no problem)Any help will be greatly appreciated.

The Flight Crew: I might suggest you look at The Rough Guides, either online at travel.roughguides.com. I always find their suggestions for accommodations to be extremely honest, particularly about whether a place is in an unsafe or unseemly neighborhood. It also lists a variety of options: hostels, hotels, B&Bs, even houseboats. I'd pick a neighborhood first and then look at the hotels listed there. Rough Guide also gives you a pretty good idea of the area in its intro sections. Good luck!

--Elissa

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Washington, DC: We traveled to Venice last April. We began researching our flight in late February and were socked with $700+ fares. We're planning another exciting trip for this April. Thinking ourselves pretty clever, we began searching this year right after Christmas.

While there are sales galore (c. $350), none of the sales work for April - indeed most sales have terms in which travel must commence by March 25th. We know that April is a busy travel month, but booking more than four months ahead should save us money, right? Not true!; Current quotes hover around $750. That's DOUBLE the current fares!;

Should we hold out and wait for a sale? Do such April sales occur annually? If so, when should we expect to see them? I think I'm now on every email newsletter from the major airlines -- will such emails be the best way to learn of any potential sales?

Thank you.

The Flight Crew: Sottili here: $750 sounds high for April, but Venice is always more expensive than many European cities, including London and Amsterdam. I'd hold out for awhile, but you need to keep checking for short-lived sales. You can register with travelocity to inform you if fares go down. Try a consolidator or discounter, such as www.1800flyeurope.com. Or, if you have flexibility, try www.hotwire.com or www.priceline.com.

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washingtonpost.com: Athens Summer Games 101, (Post, June 15, 2003)

The Flight Crew: For the Athens-bound traveler, take a look at this article that we published in June.

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US-VISIT security program: In light of the new security screenings of foreign visitors at airport and cruise ships, how much time will this add to the security screening before international flights? (i.e., even if I am a US citizen should I plan to come now even more earlier to the airport?). Also, are resident aliens (i.e., those with green cards in USA) also subject to the fingerprinting and photographing?

The Flight Crew: The rule does apply to green card holders--the deciding factor as I understand it is the passport. I haven't heard that it will require U.S. citizens to come earlier to the airport. Mostly the new rule will slow down the lines for non-citizens coming into the U.S. Cindy

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Goin' to Hawaii: Flight Crew,

Love your chats - submitting a Q early today. Have you or any readers booked a trip on Expedia? I'm looking at air, hotel and car packages to Hawaii and the price is right on the surface (and cheaper than going ala carte) but is there anything I should be wary of? Small print says surcharges and taxes but I'm looking for any tips from folks who got more coming to them than expected. Thanks and Happy New Year!;

The Flight Crew: We've all booked on Expedia and had no problems. Along with Travelocity and Orbitz, you pretty much can't avoid them. On the other hand, see previous posting re Expedia. -- KC

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Washington, D.C.: How does one get from Sao Paulo Brazil to Cusco, Peru? I'll be in Brazil late spring for business and would like to try and see Cusco and Machu Pichu as an add on. The ticket sites keep coming up with fares of about $1500 and 24 hour itineraries just for the SP - Cusco leg. (Ultimately, I want an open-jaw ticket from DC-Sao Paulo-Lima/Cusco-DC). I must be doing something wrong, or missing something obvious. Help!

The Flight Crew: Hey, DC.

I'm going to take a guess here (because Gary Lee is really the person who would know the answer to this), and then everyone can correct me if they have a better idea. Did you try to price the whole thing flying in and out of Lima, a big ol' hub, and using domestic carriers to shuttle around from there?

When I went to Ecuador/Peru last year, we flew into Lima on American, then to the Galapagos using a domestic carrier, then back to Lima, then to Cuzco on a domestic, then back to Lima. By piecemealing the package together ourselves, I think we saved a good amount. It was, unfortunately, a lot o' flying.

On the other hand, I'd also suggest going to a travel agent with expertise in south american travel to see if they can lower that price.

-john

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Washington, D.C.: Is there a "casino bus" company here taking folks to Atlantic City like they have from all points in Jersey? We're getting a group together to go and actually think this sounds like fun! Thanks!

The Flight Crew: Actually there are a number of options. You can get them at from the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority, 888-222-3683, www.atlanticcitynj.com.

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Dillwyn Va: Hi Flight Crew...need your thoughts about finding a reliable Business Class ticket discounter for flights from LAX to Australia. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thx
Mike E.

The Flight Crew: Sottili here: Try www.1st-air.net.

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Washington, D.C.: I think it is unfair to airport personnel to wrap your gifts. Put yourself in their place. They see something they think they should check out. But they feel awful asking you to unwrap your gifts. It puts them in an uncomfortable situation (which might ultimaly compromise security). So, please don't wrap your gifts. And if you do, and must unwrap them, please thank the worker for looking out for our safety.

The Flight Crew: Thanks.

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Frederick, Md.: We're trying to find a 7-10 day cruise of the Greek Isles this fall (late October - early November) for our honeymoon. We're both young (late 20s/early 30s), but don't want the party-all-night-long atmosphere some islands have. We'd like to see Santorini, Delos, and possibly Rhodes and prefer a mix of hiking and some beachside leisure. Anything in the area you can recommend? Should I look for a package deal?

The Flight Crew: We would DEFINITELY recommend a package deal for this type of trip. It will protect you from infinite hassles. Check out the deals offered by Ulysses Tours and Greek Island Tours (800-431-1424, www.greekislandtours.com). They don't seem to run "party boats," you can put together your itinerary and get to visit all the places you want to see. And the prices aren't so bad.

--Elissa

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Washington, DC: I have a gripe. We were in France for the holidays and bought a rail pass and reservations from Rail Europe. When we got to France we discovered that the reservations were for first class. Our pass was second class and the bill stated the reservations were also. Needless to say, the reservations were worthless. Further, for our trip to the Alps, the tickets were all sold out by the time we went to correct it. We had to buy all new tickets in smoking cars on a schedule that was inconvenient. All Rail Europe is willing to do it refund what we paid them for the reservations and only if we return the actual tickets. The TGV reservations were taken by the station. ARG!; I'd also add that I spend Christmas Eve at Paris Lyon while my family was out touring.

The Flight Crew: Can you email me directly with this problem---loosec@washpost.com. Doesn't sound fair to me, and I'd like to talk to Rail Europe about it. Cindy

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Arlington, Va.: I just managed to snag a frequent flier ticket to Montreal for the end of May and am working on making my other arrangements. Having traveled to Canada on several occasions in the last few years I must say the tumble of the value of the US dollar is pretty shocking to see. I guess I got spoiled by the hugely favorable exchange rate, and while it's still decent it's certainly not what it was. With the Euro hitting all time highs every day I wonder if currency rates are having much effect on the travel industry. Are people still going to Europe and just gritting their teeth as they buy their Euros or are people starting to avoid travel to Europe and elsewhere because it's so much less affordable? How worried is the travel/tourism industry about our decreased buying power?

The Flight Crew: Arl, we don't have any hard stats on this but it's our gut feeling that the dollar's performance IS beginning to affect travel to Europe. We hear this anecdotally, in questions such as this, and from friends and colleagues as well. And all indications are that the dollar is only going to do worse. For our part, we're researching a special issue on non-Euro destinations. Any nominations? -- KC

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Chicago, Ill.: My best friend and I will graduate from college in June and want to go to Europe from July to August. And now the eternal question: How do we find the best airfares? The big travel Web sites like Travelocity and Orbitz are offering $1000+ fares. I didn't know it would be that expensive!; Help, please... Thanks!;

The Flight Crew: Sottili here: Try www.studentuniverse.com. I did a quick search there and found a round-trip fare to Paris July/August timeframe for $737.

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Washington, DC: re: US-VISIT security program and green card holders.

Are you sure the passport is the deciding factor? Green card holders, at least until the new changes, used to go through the same lines as U.S. citizens at immigration, so it wasn't an issue of passport or citizenship but permanent immigration status. I would really like to double check on this as it could directly impact me (and I didn't think U.S. VISIT would)-- I don't suppose the gurus have the link handy?

The Flight Crew: I'll follow up on this, and if you don't see the answer in the Coming and Going column Sunday, email me directly at loosec@washpost.com. Cindy

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Holden Beach, N.C.: Just moved from D.C. to the beach. Not being near any major airports is definitely making life interesting! I'm looking for advice on getting to Bali. I was hoping to use frequent flyer mileage for two business class tickets but don't seem to have enough miles. Any suggestions on how to find reasonably priced flights (yes, I've tried all the major search engines and airline web sites)or how to use miles to upgrade without buying a full-fare economy ticket?
Thanks.

The Flight Crew: Well, Carol Sottili ran a Bali package in her deals column yesterday (ten days for $1,149 from DC via www.sayangholidays.com--economy air alone is typically about $1,290). Also, I see in the tiny Consolidator ads in recent Travel sections Bali airfare for about $500 (travelinterface.com--no one here has used this consoliator, but our experience with consolidators generally has been good). I can't think of anyway to upgrade a package or consolidator fare to biz using miles, though. Anyone else know of such a scam?

Steve

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Hyattsville, Md.: Since you asked, we had the misfortunate to be booked on the first British Airways (now famous) flight 223 to fly after the fighter escort and delays.

We transfered from another European city where we originally boarded the flight, and ultimately, including our eventual arrival in DC had our documents checked 10, count em 10 times. While this was not suprising given the presence of lots of firepower at the gate, and the bomb sniffing British corgi spaniels, our hand baggage was NEVER manually searched. Also, even though our names were visibly checked against flight lists at least twice before our 3.5 hour delayed departure, I was somewhat chagrined when the US INS entry officer quizzed my about my birthdate, as he apparently had a different day of the month on the "list" than appeared on my passport. You would think this would have been noticed somewhere earlier.

All of this made our first Heathrow transfer on Dec. 29, seem a walk in the park. Then, we had just checked in our luggage, and the entire terminal 2 was evacuated for 2 hours.
We were forced to stand out in the 35 degree drizzle until the terminal had been "cleared" of fumes caused by a supposed burning luggage tractor. Our luggage of course didnt arrive at our other European destination. One suitcase mysteriously arrived about 24 hours later, the others took 36 hours, and one was soaked.

Outside of that we had a mavelous time, though the 25% decline in the euro since last year did make the continent seem a little pricey. (we were in Spain)

I still wouldnt discourage anyone from travelling to Europe (or elsewhere) I guess this makes up for the many uneventful flights we had in the past. And it was great fun meeting all the reporters and photographers that were around and on the plane.

The Flight Crew: Hyatt, thanks for that ground-level report. (Also noted your comment on the euro -- clearly a groundswell is forming!) A calendar awaits you -- just send your contact info to summersk@washpost.com and we'll get it out to you.

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Baltimore, Md. - Smarting from TSA: Its a sad story. I make chocolates and truffles as holiday gifts. I was meeting my fiance's family over Christmas, but since we were flying seperately, he carried them - packed in clear plastic gladware, plastic saran wrap as cushioning, with gift bags in a seperate suitcase. He checked them (he shouldnt have). TSA opened them and crushed each by hand (truffles), and broke many chocolates. I called TSA, they said the agents aren't required to wear gloves, so the few that remained were inedible. The agent also helpfully suggested they don't reimburse "stuff like that" (I WILL be filing a claim anyway - I estimate without labor I lost $70). I got three explainations - the chocolates are dense and hard to see through, chocolates chemically are the same as plastic explosives, and the packaging required more search. TSA also fingered and broke a couple of the cookies he hand carried. Ironically, I managed to handcarry chocolates and cookies Christmas day with no trouble (after an all-nighter making little tiny chocolates, I should have been suspicious). I'm also Arab-looking, and he's white, which I thought was interesting. What could I have done better?

The Flight Crew: I think taking them as carryon--as you originally did--is the key. Although I'd read many times that the density of chocolate makes it appear suspicious on x-ray, I figured that would be the solid type. At any rate, if you really care about something and it's not big, carry it on. As for filing for reimbursement--why waste your time? Cindy

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Fairfax, Va.: My 22-year old daughter and I are planning a trip to Eastern Europe this summer. We would like to limit time spent in major cities (e.g., Vienna and Prague)--preferring, instead, to focus on the countryside. Are there any tours/tour operators you could recommend to us? Thank you.

The Flight Crew: Most tours do hop from major city to major city, with perhaps a stop in smaller towns for bus refueling and potty breaks or to see off-the-beaten-track castles. Are you OK with independent travel? You could plan your own trip and perhaps hire a car from the major cities to take you out into the countryside. Hotel concierges can make those arrangements. Or, you could put together a customized, private tour. Quest Tours (800-621-8687, www.romtour.com) sets them up (and also lists some of its intriguing tours).

--Elissa

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Washington, DC: Any recommendations for hotels on Malta? Also, if I were planning an October trip there, when would you advise booking the tickets?

The Flight Crew: Hey, DC.

I had great luck using a packager, Academic Tours of New York (www.academictours.com), when I went last year, though you can certainly book a la carte--it's a really easy place to get around. That said, I can't tell you when to book tickets as those darned airfares are constantly in flux. I paid about $700 for air/hotel for a spring visit, which was way off season. I'd just keep my eyes on the fares and pounce on one when it seems decent. Remember that few airlines actually fly there, so packagers can frequently get better deals than mere mortals.

As far as hotels, you'd be best off in the Sliema or Valletta area; one winner seemed to be the Kennedy Nova in Sliema, which is right near the little shuttle boats that take folks to Valletta. Remember that there's a big diff between three, four or five star hotels in Malta. If you're fussy, avoid the three stars at all cost; if you can't settle for less than first class, go the five-star route. I was in four-starrers the whole time and loved them.

-john

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Somewhere USA: What -- no Women of Hedonism calendar? Blatant sex discrimination, if you ask me!;

Either that, or the "Ultimate Men of Hedonism" calendar consists of 12 middle-aged, balding guys with tires around their guts who take the right to "free expression" WAY too far.

The Flight Crew: They are sooooo disgusting. Maybe one of the 12 is borderline tolerable. But clearly, they all think they are hot hot hot. Who wants this thing?!?

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Washington, D.C.: friends currently posted in Moscow have been hounding us to visit...is it worth 11+ hours on a plane? would be husband/wife/2 daughters, ages 12 and 16. which air carriers are best and how much time on-the-ground in moscow should we allot? thx.

The Flight Crew: I'd say it would be well worth visiting Moscow, but at the same time, after an 11 hours trip, I'd definately want to see more than Moscow alone.

As to which carriers are best---I just wouldn't take Aeroflot. Cindy

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Re: Sao Paolo - Cuzco: Definitely agree with the suggestion of using a domestic carrier between Lima and Cuzco - I was there last year and as I recall, the round trip flight between the two wasn't too much over $100. In terms of the 24 hour itinerary - flights to Cuzco only go in the morning, so you may have a long layover depending on your arrival time from Sao Paolo. Regardless, Cuzco is a fabulous town to visit - well worth the hassles of getting there!;

The Flight Crew: Cool..thanks for the validation. Cuzco is a great town to visit, and the elevation is so high that you really need to chill there for a little while.
-john

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Springfield, Va.: Regarding the Virgin Airlines pilot who was drunk: he wanted to be allowed to return to England because he has a heart condition and his doctor is there. I read that he's had a triple bypass. I thought once a pilot had any kind of a heart issue, he was grounded. Yes? No?

The Flight Crew: Sottili here: I don't know what England's requirements are. Our own Federal Aviation Administration states that commercial pilots must have:
(a) No established medical history or clinical diagnosis of
any of the following:
(1) Myocardial infarction;
(2) Angina pectoris;
(3) Coronary heart disease that has required treatment or, if untreated, that has been symptomatic or clinically significant;
(4) Cardiac valve replacement;
(5) Permanent cardiac pacemaker implantation; or
(6) Heart replacement

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Arlington, Va.: so NOT naming the 28 countries not scrutinized by US is politically correct? And it's politically correct to assume all other countries not on the list of 28 countries are associated with terrorism?

The Flight Crew: I'm not saying this is the way it should be seen---I'm simply saying that's how I read the current thinking. This is the logic I'm assuming officials used: We got in trouble for naming countries we considered high risk, so we'll try it another way and just name the places we aren't going to worry about as much. At the same time, I don't think anyone should get all excercised about acknowledging that the certain countries are producing more terrorists than are other countries. Of course that doesn't mean that everyone from a certain place is a terrorist--but let's not pretend that there's alot of Mexican jihad. Cindy

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Rockville, Md.: A friend of ours is getting married in Madrid in June. A couple of us are thinking about renting a house instead of getting several hotel rooms. Any idea of where to find a service that rents houses in Spain?

The Flight Crew: The Tourist Office of Spain could recommend some reputable agencies, perhaps even some with offices in the U.S. Info: 212-265-8822, www.okspain.org

There also are many services listed on the Internet. Do a search under "Spain villa rental" and they'll pop up. In Madrid, you'll probably mostly see apartment rentals. If you want your own house, consider staying closer to Toledo, which is a 45-minute bus or train ride to Madrid. I checked the Web site of Rentalia (www.rentalia.com), and quite a few houses came up, albeit outside of Madrid.

--Elissa

Another idea is to check with Spain Tourism

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Fairfax Station, Va.: OK, the list of 'hot' international destinations in yesterday's paper intrigued my family. Honduras may have to wait another year or two since we did two weeks in Costa Rica this summer, but everyone was excited by Ecuador, especially when they were reminded about the Galapagos Islands.

Started to research trips for this summer, but it seems like a 5-7 days in the Galapagos could cost nearly as much as a new car while the rest of the country is relatively inexpensive. What do you think is the minimum amount of time that a family with fairly adventurous teenage girls should allocate to this 'once in a lifetime' adventure and what would be a reasonable cost? Can you suggested any tour operators for the Galapagos?

The Flight Crew: Hey, Fairfax. Glad you pored over that list. We want to visit every one of those sites now.

For my money (okay, for YOUR money), I wouldn't spend a second less than seven days there. All the islands are so different--on the cruise I was on, the folks who'd opted for only 5 days looked miserable when the rest of us left them on the dock to continue our tour. As far as reasonable cost, there is none. It will cost a fortune. If you can do it for less than $1,000 a person, that's a reasonable rate, I think. But coupled with airfares, park admission, tips, mainland activities/accommodations/food . . .you get the picture! I couldn't recommend it more, though.

As far as tour operators, I've asked .com to provide a link to a story we did in October--it lists some good ones. I went with Ecoventura and would heartily recommend.

-john

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Washington, DC: Because I really want the Mandarin Oriental calendar and cannot afford it due to having spent the holidays paying in Euros, I provide the following:

For the Parent/daughter wanting to explore rural Eastern Europe:

Go to adventurecenter.com and check out this Explore!; trip :
Trails in Central Europe
15 days - from $1070

As well as enjoying the splendours of baroque Prague and romantic Budapest, we explore rural Hungary and, crossing into Slovakia, walk in the High Tatras.

Itinerary Day 1 Join Prague. 2 & 3 In Prague; city tour; optional excursion to Karlstejn Castle; overnight train to Budapest (Hungary). 4 & 5 In Budapest; city tour and optional Danube cruise, hill walks and thermal baths. 6 Drive to Eger via Holloko. 7 Optional walk in Matra Mountains. 8 Drive Tokaj via Bukk N.P. 9 In Tokaj; optional walk/boat trip/cycling. 10 Drive to High Tatras (Slovakia). 11 to 13 Optional hikes in High Tatras; last night, overnight train to Prague. 14 In Prague. 15 End Prague.

The Flight Crew: Thanks for the suggested itinerary.

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washingtonpost.com: Galapagos, (Oct. 5, 2003)

The Flight Crew: thanks, .com!

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Alexandria, Va.: Indiana - look into the Hotel Arena in Amsterdam. Stayed there a year or so ago - 5 minute walk or so to the subway and it was something like $80 a night then for spacious, clean, Ikea-like rooms.

The Flight Crew: A suggestion for Amsterdam-bound travelers...

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Champaign, Ill.: Hey Crew! I am seeking travel-related career advice. I graduated from journalism school last year and want to become a travel writer. I studied abroad in France during college and was bitten by the travel bug. How did you get your jobs? What advice can you give me? Thanks!

The Flight Crew: Ill., we've all paid our dues, having worked as reporters and editors on newspaper metro, national, foreign and style desks for years before landing this gig. We'd recommend that you get several years of hard-news experience first. Start by studying travel pieces in publications you admire, then submit freelance pieces to small newspapers or other publications; once you get some clips, you can work your way up to larger papers and magazines. Good luck! KC

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Falls Church, Va.: We're leaving for London next week and our return (2 weeks from today) is on--you guessed it--BA 223. Any suggestions on what we can do beforehand to minimize delays? Would we be able to be "bumped" to an earlier flight if we showed up at the airport early?

Also, do any of you (or chatters) have preferred ways of getting from Heathrow to central London (Greater Portland Street/Regents Park)? The Heathrow Express is awfully expensive, and it just leaves you at Paddington (meaning we'd still have to Tube it)

Thanks....

The Flight Crew:

It's anybody's guess Falls Church, what that flight will be like in three weeks. Seemingly, the intel has been very focused on that exact flight (along with certain other ones out of Paris and Mexico City and Riyadh), but there's no way of knowing if it or other flights will be the next suspects (not without a much higher security clearance). I'd just wait and see what's happending closer to your return date. Then, if your flight is still getting regularly spiked, I might try to book a change before your departure day. I wouldn't cancel the trip, though, personally.

On getting in from Heathrow, I'm a big fan of the Express. I think the 15 pounds is well worth the hour is saves on Tubing into the city. And unless you spring for a taxi all the way, it's still the easiest way. Take a taxi from Victoria to Regents Park if you don't want to get on the Tube with your stuff. It's not that far.

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Washington, DC: On a flight back from Denver this past Saturday, I reconfirmed my flight with US Airways (operated by United). Upon checkin with United I was told that they had no record of my reservation. They were incredibly unhelpful and steered me back to US Airways. After much work US Airways determined that the reservation had been cancelled by United since the flight time had changed since I had made the reservation back in October and no confirmation had been received by United. US Airways managed to get United to find seats in the flight.

Once we had our tickets and with about 25 minutes before flight time we went through security and were told that we had been selected for a more thorough search. While being examined we learned from the TSA agents that United is notorious (at least in Dever) for requiring passengers in a situation like ours to be throughly examined. They like to make the customer pay for their mistake. Needless to say we barely made our flight.

As a result of this experience I have some questions. What is the best way to reconfirm a flight in a code share arrangement and do certain airlines push a higher percentage of passengers to be more throughly searched? If it were random how come everyone on our party (2 adults and 2 children) were selected?

Thanks

The Flight Crew: Sottili here: I don't think this happens very often (the US Airways/United mix-up), but you could always reconfirm with the flying airline. As for secondary searches, my family of four were chosen out of Denver last year and we were on a United flight. I think we were picked because I booked my son separately from the rest of us. Whenever you do anything that looks a bit out of the ordinary, you're more likely to get chosen. As far as the computer was concerned, you had bought those tickets at the last minute, which is a red flag.

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Metro N.Y.: Hi Crew,

My husband and I are booked for 4 nights at a Parador in Cabo Rojo, SW Puerto Rico. Any ideas how we can get a tour of the biolumiscent bay in Lajas? (Not to be confused with the one in Vieques.) I tried calling a place that advertised night kayaking trips through it, but to no avail.

Thanks & Happy New Year

The Flight Crew: Try www.travelandsports.com or anticipationtours.com. Cindy

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Footwear Quandry: Travel Gurus:

I know I'm not supposed to wear sneakers or sneaker-looking walking shoes in Europe lest I be tagged as hopelessly American and backward. What do the female members of the flight crew recommend for heavy duty walking in cities (specifically Rome) for someone whose tootsies rebel against high heels or anything without cushioning and heel support?

The Flight Crew: KC swears by her Mephisto's. She also recommends the brand called Ecco. Both are very pricey.

I like the Land's End walking shoes in black. Very durable, very comfortable and if I wear black pants all the time anyway, they blend. Hiking boots are also good.

John always wears sneakers. He doesn't care what anyone thinks. "You know why?" he said. "Because I'm a tourist.

--Elissa

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For the Amsterdam traveler...: There's a plethora of safe, inexpensive, pleasant hotels in Amsterdam. My favorite is the Hotel Van Onna (Bloemgracht 102/104/108,
Tel: 626 58 01). It's in the beautiful Jordaan neighborhood, very close to the Anne Frank House on a pretty and quiet canal. Our room had a lovely canal view and was spartan but clean and comfortable. Breakfast was huge and tasty, and it's an easy walk to many sights or to the tram lines. You can, however, hear the bells of the church next to the Anne Frank House as they ring every 15 minutes around the clock-- so if you're a light sleeper you might want to bring some earplugs!; A very pleasant place to stay, though.

The Flight Crew: More Amsterdam suggestions....

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Washington, DC: For the Greek cruisers, here's one alternative if you are flexible:

Dalmatian Island Cruise with Explore!;
8 days - from $710

With over a thousand islands, the Croatian Adriatic has some of the best cruising in the Mediterranean. We'll explore several contrasting Dalmatian Islands in a chartered and traditional 'Oldtimer' motor cruiser. Unwind as we swim and snorkel in azure seas off deserted isles, ramble pine-forested trails, savour the taste of fresh seafood and sip the excellent local wines.

14 departures planned
Read more ...

Itinerary Day 1 Join Trogir, board Oldtimer; cruise to Milna. 2 Cruise Vis Island. 3 Visit 'Blue Cave' by small boat; cruise Korcula Island. 4 Explore old town of Korcula. 5 Cruise Mljet Island; optional walk in Mljet National Park. 6 Cruise Scedro Island; optional wine tasting. 7 Cruise to Hvar Town; visit; cruise Split to overnight. 8 Cruise Trogir where tour ends. Itinerary may vary according to local weather conditions.

The Flight Crew: Wow, do you work for the company?

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Trip to Sweden: My sister and I are thinking about doing a trip to Sweden sometime this year. Besides Stockholm, which other parts of the country would people recommend?

The Flight Crew: Gonna throw this one out to the clicksters. Quick now.

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Colesville, Md.: Hi. I want to take the family to Orlando during an upcoming mini-school break in January. Is it dopey to think that I can get a last-minute super-duper fare in January? Also, if I do, can you please recommend a decent low priced motel near, but not on, Universal or Disney? Thanks.

The Flight Crew: Hey, Coles.

No, it's not dopey. January is actually off-season in Orlando, and the flights are pretty empty. Right now you can book flights for about $160 round trip throughout January, and that's right decent.

I don't have any particular faves for motels near Universal or Disney...not too picky, really, when it comes to hotels down there as most are pretty decent and I'm hardly ever in the room. Do usually end up in Fairfield Inns or Courtyards by Marriott, as they're pretty dependable. I'd check Quikbook and Hotels.com to see what's brewing, and the Orlando tourism site always has deals. Be aware, though, that those $29 rooms that are sometimes, uh, overpriced!

-john

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Frederick, Md.: Hi! My husband & I got married at Beaches, Negril, Jamaica on 12/06/03. It turned out to be a disaster after we paid $2,000 (as opposed to a free wedding) for a "sunset" wedding that we never got! We wrote a letter to Unique Vacations, as our travel agent suggested, but have not received a response. Do we have any recourse? Thank you in advance.

The Flight Crew: There are too few details here for me to assess, but feel free to send along a somewhat fuller pix to loosec@washpost.com Cindy

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Ballston, Va.: Ok, found 100 Euros in an old wallet (left over from a trip 2 years ago). Kinda like "free" money (now worth $130 US) - however, I know we won't be able to afford a European trip if the dollar continues to fall, even given that 100 Euros!

Is there any evidence showing a drop off in travel to the EU by Americans, or the converse - increase in European tourism? Or is it still too early to see any effects of a strong Euro?

The Flight Crew: See above!

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The Top 20 List - Foreign: Hi, Gang. One big omission from the list of foreign hot spots. Just as "Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book" (by Shel Silverstein) notes that X is for Xylophone because X is -ALWAYS- for Xylophone, shouldn't Paris -ALWAYS- be on the list?

Not that I'm going there, this year, mind you. My trip will be doing historical research in Bruges (Brugge).

The Flight Crew: Paris is always spendid, yes. It's definitely going to be on our "Top 20 Destinations of Forever and Ever" List (if we ever do such a list). But for fully developed cities and countries, we tried to pick those with big, newsworthy, 2004-specific events going on.

--Elissa

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Chicago, Ill.: My wife, my son, 5. and I are going to
Sicily in August. Should we fly from Rome
or use train or bus? We drive enough
here.What's our very best bet for a single
place to stay that's not Palermo.

The Flight Crew: Can your Italian experts help????

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Washington, DC: "do you work for the company?"

No, government worker on lunch wanting the Mandarin Oriental calendar.

The Flight Crew: Well, super advice. Thanks!

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Laurel, Md.: I had a flight from Charles de Gaulle to London, and from London to JFK on January 3. I didn't even know about all the cancelled flights and delays until after I landed in JFK. I was very lucky that day, both in terms of making it overseas safely and not experiencing any flight delays.

However, once we de-boarded in JFK, the problems began. There was much confusion in what lines American and non-American citizens belonged in, and many Americans from my flight began yelling loudly at airport security and customs personnel when they discovered that, God forbid, the line was too long on their side. In the meantime, the American line was moving right along, while the non-Americans had a shorter line, but took much longer to get through things because of extra security. Some of the passengers yelled and complained so much that eventually they were allowed to cut in line in front of people who had been waiting in the correct place for much longer.

After all of this, there was a tremendous line to get through the declaration/duty screening, in which I saw people cut, yell and curse each other out. I even saw two women start to HIT each other before they were separated.

This behavior was ridiculous and unnecessary. Yes, EVERYONE would like to get out of the airport as quickly as possible, but PLEASE have patience and understand that airport staff is working hard to make sure you are safe.

The Flight Crew: Wow. Thanks much for this. Sounds worse than a Filene's sale. Probably everyone on this chat would agree that this kind of behavior is horrendous, but clearly something happens to people when they're stressed out and in a crowd. -- KC

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Washington, D.C.: I ordered tickets on AirTran going from BWI to Logan off of Expedia for just $100 each roundtrip. Here's my question: expedia did not give me the option of receiving Etickets over email, and instead required that I pay $20 to have paper tickets mailed to me. I did it, of course, but I was very curious as to why this happened. Is it an expedia thing? An Airtran thing? Any thoughts? Thanks!

The Flight Crew: Sottili here: AirTran does not offer e-tickets through travel agents. You have to book directly through them to get the e-tickets. It costs the agents money to order the paper tickets - you pay for it.

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Sweden!;: Goteborg can't be missed; the Siljan is beautiful, and Lulea, which is part of Lapland, is extraordinarily unique.

The Flight Crew: Thanks for these tips.

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Bethesda, Md.: Now that Britney has apparently decided to end her quickie Las Vegas marriage, I'm wondering if you guys can offer up a little consumer protection. If you decide to get married at 5 a.m., just like Britney, do you have 30 hours to change your mind? Sorta like when you find out that dishwasher at the appliance store is available for $50 less down the street? How does Las Vegas compare to other places in terms of being a good, and easy, place to tie the knot? And do you suspect that hundreds of Americans, inspired by Britney, will catch the next plane to Las Vegas hoping to find Mr. or Mrs Right, or Wrong, as the casino?

The Flight Crew: Great story ideas Beth!! And if you want to pull a Britney closer to home, consider tiny Elkton, Md. Link coming up. -- KC

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washingtonpost.com: Elkton, Marryland, (Post, Feb. 12, 2002)

The Flight Crew: For all the Britney wanna-bes.

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Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C.: What is the best airport for a visit that will include Yosemite and Big Sur -- Oakland, San Francisco, or maybe San Jose? Criteria are convenience (only for those two destinations -- not interested in visiting Frisco), cost, and availability of nonstop flights.

The Flight Crew: Hey, Adams. I'm thinking you can't go wrong with any of those options. They're fairly close together, and you'll up driving a spell anyhow. I'd grab the cheapest nonstop flight to any of those. Anyone else have an opinion?
-john

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Alexandria, Va.: For the Brazil-Cuzco route, there is NO easy way to do it, unfortunately. I lived in Brazil for four years, and Bolivia for two. Flying anywhere out of Sao Paulo will be expensive, and flying to the western side of the continent will be a long trip, no matter what. Flying from Lima to Cuzco is cheap, but getting to Lima from SP will not be easy. If the traveler really wants to see Machu Picchu (and I heartily recommend it, it impressed me like few other places ever have), just resign yourself to spending both money and time to get there. And yes, definitely chill for a day or two in Cuzco before going on to Machu Picchu. There is a train that leaves at 5:00 a.m. or so, that's probably the one you want to do, but not after a late arrival the night before.

The Flight Crew: Thanks, Al. Great stuff. We took off/landed 12 or 13 times during our visit, and it was definitely worth it.
-john

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Washington, D.C.: My family met up with my sister in Paris for the holidays. My parents flew from CDG to SFO on the 26th without problem and we flew on the 29th from CDG to Heathrow to Dulles without incident (other than people throwing up from the flu). We were all on United.
I said at the time I thought the problem in the UK was the air marshall fight with the British pilots union. Everyone thought I was too cynical but alas. I think the US is throwing it's weight around trying to get increased security at the foreign airports. We may see cancellations until the pilots capitulate. Nonetheless, if my flight had a specific threat on it, I'd want it cancelled so I'm not taking sides here.

The Flight Crew: Thanks for your thoughts.

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Bethesda, Md.: Just wanted to share an unfortunate travel experience we had recently in Arizona. About a month before the trip we had booked and confirmed a rental car reservation with Enterprise Rent-a-Car. When we went to the dealership to pick the car up (to make our hotel and other reservations upstate) we were told they didn't have a car for us and couldn't provide a replacement, leaving us out of luck. Luck for us, a family member loaned us a car and we made our trip, but this type of "service" is reprehensible. I wanted your readers to be aware of this and possibly consider another company when they want to rent a car.

The Flight Crew: Thanks. Stuff does happen. We haven't heard a lot of complaints or seen a pattern with Enterprise (as opposed to Payless).

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Alexandria, Va.: Hi Flight Crew,

My sisters and I (ages 21 to 27) are planning a trip to Savannah sometime this Spring. Would you or the chatters weigh in the best places to stay (Historic District vs Riverfront), can't-miss restaurants, and any other recommendations?

Thanks!

The Flight Crew: The two most interesting Savannah hotels, to me, are the Mulberry Inn just off River Street and the Marshall House on Broughton Street downtown. Both are interesting (esp. the Marshall) and perfectly located in the Historic District. First timers should eat at Lady and Sons, Johnny Harris and lunch at one of the Carrie Hilliards and/or Mrs. Wilkes (which is hyper-touristy, but remarkably good after all these years). Do not eat at the Pirates House (although a drink and dessert in the tropical rainforest bar is acceptable) and do not devote more than an hour to River Street (unless you have a limitless appetite for fudge shoppes). Allow lots of unscheduled ambling time in the squares, take a carriage tour early on and go back to a couple of the historic houses. If you have a car and an extra morning, drive out to Tybee Island, stop at Fort Pulaksi and at Bonaventure Cemetery (and say howdy to my mom, a few lots away from the Gracie statue).

Love that town. Steve

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Phoenix, Ariz.: Could you give me a lead on a good sailing company for a trip through the Greek Islands? I took one four years ago, but the firm (out of Philadelphia) has since gone bankrupt.
I'm not interested in cruises, I like the sailing trips. Thank you

The Flight Crew: Check with Alpha Yachting (011-30-210-968-0486, www.alphayachting.com) and see if anything looks interesting.

--Elissa

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Arlington, Va.: What happened to the people whose British Air flights were cancelled? Did the airline put them up, book them on other flights, or were they left to their own devices?

The Flight Crew: Yes, British Airways booked the passsengers on other flights (Virgin, United, etc.), put them up in hotels if necessary, etc.

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College Park, Md.: On this rainy day I am trying to plot my next out of town escape and need some advice - and you guys seem to know everything! I have friends living on St. Croix this year and would like to go visit - maybe sometime in spring to avoid the main tourist season. Questions: What are typical airfares to that island? I am having difficulty finding which airlines go and what their prices are - everyone seems to go through San Juan on a little carribean airline. Fares also must vary by season - is there a "shoulder season" for the US VI's? Any sources for good deals?
Thanks!

The Flight Crew: Hi---I don't believe anyone has direct flights from either BWI or Reagan National into St. Croix. Generally flights are $450 or more. My guess would have been that prices would drop in early Summer, but a quick check shows them acutally going up in June. (For sure they'll drop in hurricane season, and you don't want to go then either.) Since my guess was apparently wrong, give a call to the USVI tourism office at 1-800-372-USVI. Cindy

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Vienna, Va.: I have a question related to ticket pricing: I am planning to go to India this Jan and when I talked to my travel agent he quoted a price which I could not refuge. It was $1,005 from Dulles to Mumbai on Air India. I just asked him to go ahead and book it for me. He in fact faxed the itenerary to me, too. I called the Air India and found that seats have been confirmed. But today the agent calls me saying that Air India office feels that there was a misquotation and that they want to revise the price! At this time all the reates have shot up and I will bear a loss of about $600-$800. What should I do?

The Flight Crew: Sottili here: I would get in touch with Air India directly. Give them a call at 202-785-8770 and ask for a supervisor.

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Alexandria, Va.: I've heard that booking a window seat on the sun-lit side of an aircraft helps reduce jet lag on long flights, by allowing the sunlight to help adjust your circadian rhythms. Does this ring true to a highly seasoned travel staff?

The Flight Crew: I think that it's kinda like fairies---if you really believe, it might help. Personally, I think the answer to jet lag is first class seating, but my boss doesn't believe. Cindy

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For Falls Church/London Trip: This is for the submitter who was looking for the best way into London from Heathrow. Personally, I enjoy taking the tube in. Yeah, it takes a long time to get to the city, but listening to the accents of the others on board, looking at the architecture, etc., are part of how I get into the trip.

By the time I'm there, the stress of the flight and immigration process have dissipated a bit, and I can get on with the business of pretending I've been there all my life.

The Flight Crew: Thanks.

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Washington, D.C.: I just returned from a domestic trip where I booked three different hotels through each of their internet sites. Granted, these were low to mid level hotels, but at each one the price they tried to charge me was more than what I had confirmed on the inetrnet. Luckily I had printed out my confirmations, although the last one still would not honor my original prices and I had to pay $10 more per night. Is this the norm when booking over the internet?

The Flight Crew: Sottili here: You're probably dealing with franchise hotels - hotels that have an umbrella Web site, but are individually owned and operated. They're often not in sync, and may even resent the promos that the mother country imposes. I'd complain to the headquarters - they should honor those prices.

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The Flight Crew: Whew, out of time again. Thanks for all the good questions and responses and, as always, thanks for helping out your fellow travelers. The remaining calendars go out to Laurel, who reported on the ugly-americanism taking place at JFK; Wash DC who wanted the Oriental Mandarin calendar; the Shel Silverstein fan who loves Paris; and the Amsterdam expert who recommended earplugs. Send your contact info to summersk@washpost.com and we'll get the calendars out to you (and specify which one you want if you have a preference). Thanks for reading, and keep an eye out for next Sunday's print edition, when Cindy takes Sarasota by Segway, and we report on bargain hotels and restaurants in Madrid.

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Rockville, Md.: I spent three hours yesterday waiting on BA fl 223 in London for US permission to take off after repeated interviews before boarding. The flight crew was very nice--cold soft drinks, videos, and updates--and the passengers were philosophical and cooperative. At least we made it home intact.

The Flight Crew: And Rockville gets the last word.

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