COMINGANDGOING

Sunday, January 14, 2007

UPRIGHT AND LOCKED

Save My Seat, Cont'd

CoGo has heard complaints from coach passengers unable to reserve a seat in advance, but Michael Campbell of New York was splurging on Continental's busi ness class. Surely that should ensure a seat assignment.

But he couldn't get an assigned seat on his departing flight until check-in, an agent told him, because the only business seats left from New York to Orlando were in the first row and couldn't be assigned in advance. He had reserved a first-row seat on the return: Why would one leg have different rules from another? And without an assigned seat, was he at risk of being bumped from the flight?

Ah, the mysteries of seat assignments. Continental spokeswoman Mary Clark unraveled this one.

Airlines commonly keep open at least two front-row seats in business and in coach until 24 hours before a flight in case passengers with disabilities need the extra legroom, she said. On Campbell's outbound flight, two of the four front-row business seats were already booked, so the remaining two were in reserve. But he wasn't at risk of being bumped: The only question was whether a person needing extra legroom would move up to an unassigned front seat.

Same policy applies in economy. Plus, many airlines hold in reserve some of the best coach seats for very frequent fliers and those paying full fare. If you're not in those categories and are flying in a crowded plane, you might get assigned nothing, or a bad center seat.

CoGo's advice: After you buy your ticket, keep checking in case passengers with good seats change plans. If no luck, check again 24 hours before your flight: If the best seats haven't been claimed by special passengers by then, most airlines release them.

KATRINA UPDATE

Big Easy Eats

Not only have most New Orleans restaurants reopened since the devastating hurricane of August 2005, but entrepreneurs have opened new and notable eateries, according to a new Zagat guide.

The company that polls customers to rate restaurants around the world last week released its first New Orleans restaurant guide since Katrina. It surveyed 390 restaurants and expanded its usual coverage by including nightspots, hotels and attractions. Among the findings:

· Of 27 cities worldwide rated by Zagat, New Orleans ranked eighth in the quality of its restaurants' food, beating out even acclaimed foodie cities such as Paris and San Francisco.

· Big Easy restaurants were cheaper than those in all but one of the other 26 cities on the comparison list, with an average meal cost of $26.18.

· Most popular restaurant in New Orleans? Survey says: Galatoire's. Best food: August. Best new restaurants: Alberta, Vizard's on the Avenue (actually an old favorite at a new location), Iris, Cochon and 7 on Fulton.

"New Orleans is not only ready but anxious to welcome tourists back," said Zagat publisher Tim Zagat. "Visiting is patriotic tourism: You can have a great time and help the city's revival, all at the same time."

TRAVEL TICKER

To mark Black History Month, BedandBreakfast.com has compiled a list of more than a dozen B&Bs that were once stations on the Underground Railroad. Some still have secret passageways. Inn by the Mill in Saint Johnsville, N.Y., for example, has three secret rooms below the basement and a 1,000-foot-long water tunnel that escapees could use when the water wheel was turned off at night. Details: http://www.bedandbreakfast.com; click on Resources, then Press Room . . . United's nonstop flights from Dulles to Beijing should be taking off by March, but tickets won't be sold until the route is formally approved by the Department of Transportation. Until then, fares remain unknown . . . Royal Caribbean cruise line is now using trans-fat- free cooking oil, will begin removing other trans fats from its menus March 1, and will remove all trans fats by the end of the year . . . Slovenian tolars are no more: Euros are the only accepted currency as of this week.

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK

Oh, Rochester?

Fly from BWI to Rochester, N.Y., for $99 round trip including taxes. Details: What's the Deal?, Page P3.

Reporting: Cindy Loose

Help feed CoGo. Send travel news to: cogo@washpost.com. By fax: 202-912-3609. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.