Coming and Going
Beware of 'W'

Sunday, June 8, 2008

UPRIGHT AND LOCKED
Beware of 'W'

When Northwest Airlines overbooked and needed volunteers to take a later flight, Mark Lumar of Springfield says, he and his wife volunteered in exchange for what they thought were vouchers good for two free round-trip tickets anywhere in the Lower 48.

"That is what the gate agent offered, and that is what the voucher said, with the additional words 'in Class W,'" Lumar told CoGo. Later, when he tried to use the vouchers, he couldn't find any availability and says he was told the voucher was good for only $250. When he asked what flights were available from the Washington area for $250 round trip, he says, he was told "none."

Technically, his voucher was good for anywhere in the 48 states, if he could find a "W" class seat. The problem: That category is extremely limited. Using the $250 toward a more expensive and available ticket is a secondary option. Said Lumar: "Had NWA said, 'Here are vouchers for $250,' we might still have taken them. Why NWA chose dishonest and fraudulent practices instead is beyond me."

In fact, as of June 10, Northwest will adopt a policy like that suggested by Lumar. According to media relations manager Michelle Aguayo-Shannon, the airline no longer will offer a free ticket as an incentive to get volunteers to be bumped but instead will offer an electronic credit voucher with a value of up to $300.

Northwest's new simplified and transparent policy is the exception rather than the rule. Ask when accepting a voucher if there are blackout dates, and be aware that many vouchers force you to compete with frequent fliers seeking the lowest-mileage awards. Ask if a cash voucher is an option. Before deciding to be a volunteer bumpee, find out when the next available flight will be. If it's not until the next day, see whether the airline will pay for overnight lodging.

storm watch
Hurricanes and You

Every June, number-crunching experts at the National Hurricane Center present their predictions for the Atlantic hurricane season. And every June, nervous CoGo readers start asking us whether they should travel to the Caribbean or Florida this year.

The answer? Same as in past years: We can't really say.

About 11 named storms , six of which could become hurricanes, two of which could be biggies, are predicted for the season, which runs through November. It might be more, might be less. That's pretty much par for the course for the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

So how to determine if and where to go? Keep in mind that:

· The Bahamas historically have had the most hurricanes in the Caribbean, according to the Caribbean Hurricane Network ( http://www.stormcarib.com), which ranks islands based on their stormy past.

· Hurricanes generally -- but not always -- have skip ped Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao and Trinidad and Tobago.

· Most storms strike between mid-August and late October, according to the National Hurricane Center.

For the latest information on storms, check out NOAA's Web site at http://www.noaa.gov.

ODDITIES
Spirit-ed Debate

Passengers on some Spirit Airlines flights have told CoGo that they've been ordered to remain seated for the first hour after departing Reagan National Airport and the last hour before landing there. We first heard about it from participants in the Travel section's weekly online chat, and recently a CoGo reader said it happened on both legs of her round trip last month to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

"It was an error," probably made by a crew member who was referring to an old training manual, Spirit Airlines spokeswoman Misty Pinson told CoGo. The crew member probably was referring (with liberties) to a now-defunct rule of the Transportation Security Administration that went into effect after Sept. 11, 2001. It required passengers to stay seated for the 30-minute period when the plane was nearest to Washington. The TSA lifted the rule in July 2005.

Following CoGo's inquiry, Spirit reminded crews via e-mail and during pre-flight briefings that the policy is outdated, Pinson said. "It's been addressed to the crews, and it's not going to happen again," she said.

If it does, there's not much you can do in flight, besides politely reminding a flight attendant that the rule is kaput. When you get home, inform the airline through its Web site ( http://www.spiritair.com), Pinson suggested. You may also want to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Aviation Consumer Protection Division (202-366-2220, http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov).

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK
Bavaria Bound?

United is holding a Summer in Europe Calendar Sale to Amsterdam, London, Munich, Paris, Rome, Zurich and Frankfurt, Germany. Sale fares are limited to specific travel dates, depending on destination, and prices vary. For example, a round-trip nonstop ticket from Washington to Munich starts at $856, including taxes; fare on other airlines starts at $1,161. Purchase by June 11. A five-night minimum stay is required. To view applicable travel dates and to book, go to http://www.united.com.

Reporting: Elissa Leibowitz Poma, Cindy Loose.

Help feed CoGo. Send travel news, road reports and juicy tattles to: cogo@washpost.com. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.