Traveling for the holidays? Here’s some advice from the travel mavens at Hotwire.com that can help you save money and cut down on hassles.
Planes aren’t as full on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day than on the day before or after, so try to travel on the actual holiday if you can.
Dec. 29, which falls midweek this year on a Wednesday, is also listed by Hotwire.com as a “best bet” if you must travel during peak season. In contrast, Dec. 18 through 23, Dec. 26 through 28, Dec. 30 and Jan. 2 are likely to be the most crowded and expensive dates for travel over the holidays.
If you’re not tied to the actual holidays but just want an early winter getaway, plan your trip between Dec. 1 and 16 or after Jan. 3 for the cheapest airfares.
Lewis and Clark
Thousands of students were among those attending the 10-day Circle of Cultures gathering that ended Oct. 31 in North Dakota. It was the final signature event for 2004 in the ongoing push to the Pacific.
If you missed the celebrations for bicentennial commemoration of Lewis and Clark’s expedition held so far, you can still catch one of the remaining signature events. While many states have organized activities large and small as part of the anniversary of the explorers’ historic journey across the American West, these signature events have been sanctioned as significant by the National Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission:
“Explore! The Big Sky,” June 1-July 4, 2005, Fort Benton and Great Falls, Mont.
“Destination: The Pacific,” Nov. 11-15 2005, Long Beach, Wash., and Astoria, Ore.
“Among the Niimiipuu,” June 14-17, 2006, Lewiston, Idaho.
“Clark on the Yellowstone,” July 22-25, 2006, Pompeys Pillar National Monument and Billings, Mont.
For more information on future Lewis and Clark events, visit www.lewisandclark200.org or call 402-661-1804.
Kitsap Peninsula Web site
The Kitsap Peninsula lies between the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges and is surrounded by more than 350 miles of saltwater shoreline.
Information on Kitsap County’s communities and activities, searchable calendars of events, interactive maps and more can be found at www.visitkitsap.com or by calling 800-416-5615.
Oregon wine country
The so-called fall crush – when grapes are harvested, crushed and then fermented – is the perfect time to visit Oregon’s Washington County, where there are 13 wineries.
This year, area wineries are teaming up to offer visitors a package of classes and tours the weekend after Thanksgiving. For $20, participants receive tastings, a free wineglass and admission to as many as eight half-hour classes throughout the weekend, ranging from lessons in sushi-rolling to instruction in viticulture.
Visitors to the region will also want to check out the Washington County Fairgrounds between Nov. 16 and 21 for the Every Husband’s Nightmare Bazaar, where more than 200 vendors will sell everything from arts and crafts to collectibles and food.
A new bike map is also available for the area. “Country Cycling: Exploring Washington County, Oregon by Bicycle” covers 800 square miles and was designed so that colorblind riders can easily distinguish color-coded shading on the maps.
Call 800-537-3149 for information about Washington County, or check out these Web sites: www.gatewaytooregonwine country.com for the wine weekend; www.countrysideof portland.com/bike. for the bike map; and www.faircomplex.com for the bazaar.
Airline turmoil
You need a scorecard to keep up with the turmoil in the airline industry. Here it is:
ATA Airlines filed for bankruptcy last week and announced that AirTran will take over ATA flights from Washington D.C.’s Reagan National, Chicago Midway and New York LaGuardia airports. United and US Airways are already in bankruptcy court; Delta and Independence Air also have financial woes.
The only U.S. carriers in the black: Southwest and JetBlue. U.S. airlines have lost $23 billion since Sept. 11, 2001, and expect to lose another $6 billion by January.
Don’t be surprised if you encounter disgruntled workers as many airlines slash paychecks and jobs. Recently, American Airlines told employees it will furlough as many as 450 pilots and 650 maintenance workers; Delta said it was outsourcing 650 telephone reservation jobs to India.
Also expect flight changes as struggling airlines restructure routes. Airlines will rebook you. You’re entitled to a refund if the change is “significant.” No one has defined that term, but a change of a couple of hours will likely be considered insignificant, even if it is significant to you.
In the long run: “Two years from now there will be fewer carriers” and prices will increase, says airline bankruptcy expert Anthony Sabino, an associate professor of business at St. John’s University in New York.
Ticket scam
Tim Meinke and Aya Aoki, of Washington, D.C., were excited to find round-trip tickets to Buenos Aires for $650 each through Travel Express Services, a company operating out of Jersey City, N.J. When they were asked to send a check, they figured the agency just wanted to avoid credit card fees.
They sent the money, but tickets never arrived. They, and thousands of others, had been scammed.
“It’s an ongoing investigation involving multiple states,” is all a Jersey City detective would tell us. The company’s phone lines are now disconnected, its operators missing. The moral:
* Always pay by credit card. If the company demands a check, shop elsewhere.
* Check the company’s rating with the Better Business Bureau. The bureau’s Web site, www.bbbonline.com, lists Travel Express as being unsatisfactory.
* And remember that old consumer dictum: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Travel classes, seminars
Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door hosts free travel classes most Saturdays at 11 a.m. at the Edmonds Theater, 415 Main St., Edmonds.
Nov. 13 – 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fall European Travel Festival features five free travel classes featuring Rick Steves teaching European travel, Italian and European art history.
Classes are free, reservations recommended. Call 425-771-8303 ext. 298 or visit www.ricksteves.com/seattle.
The Savvy Traveler offers free travel seminars at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. most Saturdays at 112 Fifth Ave. S., Edmonds.
Nov. 13 – 10 a.m. Tuscany and Umbria.
Nov. 13 – 1 p.m. Italian art for travelers.
Nov. 20 – Costa Rica.
Classes are free, reservations recommended. Call 425-744-6076 or 877-225-1994.
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