Coming and Going
Gas Wars, Part 1

Sunday, June 15, 2008

UPRIGHT AND LOCKED
Security Slip

Lee Cooper of Solomons had done the smart thing and signed up for e-alerts about flight delays. So, thanks to a United Airlines e-mail, he knew that his 7:25 p.m. flight from Knoxville to Dulles was delayed until 9:40 because of air traffic control backups. That should have saved him more than two hours of waiting around at the airport.

He did two more smart things: He printed his boarding pass and went to http://www.tsa.gov to check the average wait times at security checkpoints between 8 and 9 p.m. His diligence, however, was unraveled by the Transportation Security Administration, which closed the security checkpoints at 7:30 p.m.

The result? Cooper ended up on the wrong side of security and had to wait until the next day to depart.

This is not the first time CoGo has heard of this problem at Knoxville, but the TSA's Christopher White says he hopes it will be the last. The way it's supposed to work: A lead TSA officer usually must check with the airlines and make sure all passengers are accounted for before closing security gates. In fact, White says, the Knoxville officer "met with United reps at 7:15 and determined to close at 7:30."

So United said all of its passengers were accounted for? "That was his understanding," White says.

"That one got by us," he adds. "We are looking for ways to better coordinate with our airline partners in Knoxville to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Leaving on the last flight from a major airport and learn of a delay? Not to worry. Major airports stay open -- and have security lines staffed -- virtually around the clock. If flying from a smaller airport, however, make sure security lines will remain open before deciding to delay your arrival.

RENTAL WATCH
Gas Wars, Part 1

With gas prices going ever higher, travelers are nabbing what few hybrid rental cars are available. Interestingly, though, the number of SUV and van rental reservations for this summer hasn't dropped.

"We were kind of surprised by that," says Lisa Martini, a spokeswoman for Enterprise, which, with partner companies Alamo and National, has about 5,000 hybrids in its fleet of 1.1 million cars.

A roomier SUV still makes sense for families on road trips and for businesspeople traveling together, so numbers should be holding steady during peak travel times, including summer. Overall, however, big-vehicle rentals are down, according to Neil Abrams, a rental car industry consultant.

"There will always be a market for SUVs and minivans. But we're seeing car rental companies buying fewer of them," Abrams says. They're not necessarily buying more hybrids: Mostly, companies are adding standard vehicles with good fuel efficiency, which is what travelers are after, he says.

If you want to rent a hybrid while traveling:

· Book as far in advance as possible and choose a non-weekend day for your pickup.

· If you're traveling out west, reserve from a lesser-name agency, such as Fox Rent a Car ( http://www.foxrentacar.com), which serves nine airports, or its partner EV Rental Cars ( http://www.evrental.com), which serves six California airports and the one in Phoenix.

· Reserve a hybrid at a neighborhood rental car office instead of the airport, because there might be better availability. Hop in a cab or take public transport to pick it up.

ROAD READS
Gas Wars, Part 2

During Rand McNally's recent Great American Road Trip Survey, conducted April 29-May 1, 66 percent of respondents said they've changed travel plans because of rising gas prices;57 percent said they'll travel but will drive fewer miles. Overall, 75 percent said they'll probably take a road trip of about five days this summer.

Now comes the 2009 Rand McNally Road Atlas ($13.95 in stores, $9.95 plus shipping at http://www.randmcnally.com), which highlights five 200- to 250-mile trips that can be done in three to five days.

Rand McNally editorial director Laurie Borman scouted for historic sights, scenic wonders and little-known sites along the suggested routes. Near Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, she found Clyde Butcher's studio-gallery, where his giant black-and-white photographs capture landscapes. It's on the Florida's Cultural West Coast route, which stretches from Tampa to Sarasota to the Everglades.

Borman also drove the International Selkirk Loop through Idaho, Washington and British Columbia, Canada, an uncrowded route where you can hike among moose and elk and visit a cheese or broom factory.

Other trips: the Massachusetts coastline from Provincetown to Boston; the Ozark Mountains from Jefferson City to Branson, Mo.; and Hawaii's Big Island, with Hilo farmers market tips and places to go beyond well-known tourist haunts.

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK

British Airways is offering a $100 discount on any round-trip flight from Washington Dulles or BWI booked by June 30. For example, post-discount, the round-trip fare to Manchester, England in July starts at $1,024 (including taxes); other airlines are matching. Depart by Sept. 3. You must register and buy your ticket at http://www.ba.com to receive the discount.

Reporting: Cindy Loose, Elissa Leibowitz Poma, Sue Kovach Shuman.

Send travel news to: cogo@washpost.com. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.