Most travelers these days begin their trips by traveling on
the Web. Here are a few of my favorite sites.
Johnnyjet.com: Scroll down to Johnny's Travel Portal
links to just about everything. This is one of the most
comprehensive travel spots online.
Tripadvisor.com: I always look here before I book a
hotel. You have to read the comments by previous hotel
guests with a bit of suspicion: Even fabulous hotels receive
horrible reviews by some guests.
And you can't always judge what's the best
hotel in town from the rating system. Take a peek at New
Orleans: Le Pavillon is No. 1; Country Inns and Suites by
Carlson, at 315 Magazine St., is No. 2; and Homewood Suites
at 901 Poydras St. is No. 3. Now I'm sure the latter
two are fine hotels . . . But the Omni Royal Orleans is No.
15, the Royal Sonesta is No. 21 (No. 22 is a Super 8 Motel
on Chef Menteur Highway), and the Windsor Court is No. 33.
Say what?!
Vrbo.com: Vacation Rental by Owner. When I want to rent a
house or condo, this is where I go to find places that, for
the most part, are rented by the people who own them. I
especially like that accommodations that allow pets are
marked with paw prints on vrbo.com.
Flymsy.com: The Web site for Louis Armstrong
International Airport gives real-time flight information.
Flightstats.com: Want to check the status of a flight
anywhere in the country? Or world? There also are links to
airports across the country.
Luxurylink.com: The online auction site can be an
addiction. So far, my husband and I have bought at least a
dozen hotel packages, all in excellent, often world-class
hotels, at rates that begin at half the retail price. We
bought yet another deal last week: a week in Morocco in
luxury guest houses in Marrakech and Fez, for about $1,300.
Do not buy the "buy now" offers, only the
auctions. Also, the site needs to be redesigned; it's
difficult to navigate; and its online clock was two minutes
earlier than the clocks on our cable box and computer, which
means we missed one auction deadline recently.
Smartertravel.com: It's a great site for the latest
sales and consumer news, in addition to advice from
knowledgeable columnists. Sign up for notifications of
weekend airfare sales from New Orleans (leave Saturday, home
Monday or Tuesday).
Elliott.org: When does Christopher Elliott sleep? The
writer of the Travel Troubleshooter column that runs most
Sundays in Travel -- mediating problems travelers have
with airlines, hotels and online agencies -- is the
traveler's best friend. "When Chris Elliott calls,
we know that can't be good news," said an
acquaintance who worked for a cruise line.
