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tl:dr - Booking New Orleans was insane, but I get to go to to New Orleans so can't really complain
I am mostly booked for New Orleans. Last thing left to book is that I decided to do an overnight in Chicago just in case my train is late. I am flying there, training to Chicago and then flying home.
Hotel booking was a much bigger project than I expected. I usually travel to places in the off-season and October is not off-season for New Orleans. Usually, once school is in session demand drops for hotels and stuff, but October is great for New Orleans because it's out of the summer heat and also it's a spooky city in the spooky season. On the official tourism website, 'haunted' is one of the main hotel categories. Also, there's a Taylor Swift concert that's happening after I'll be there, but a lot of the city has been sold out for the second half of October for a while, and I expect a lot of other vacations and events got pushed up or back creating a knock on effect. Some tours and even hotels I looked at are already sold out for when I'll be there.
The other problem is that I refuse to accept what travel has become post-lockdown. The post-covid demand for travel normalized a lot of BS and I not here for it. I sort of follow a few travel vloggers mostly because I like the logistics of travel, so I know wild fees and sectioning off things that used to be included is just what happens now. I've heard a lot about this, but this has been my first time running into it. One hotel I looked at? Half the lobby was turned into a concierge club - which means it's for special club members and people staying in suites only. Concierge clubs aren't new, but they are usually tucked away on a upper floor because they are meant as a perk for frequent business travelers. Making half a lobby one? Putting coffee service in the lobby but I can't have the coffee service because even though I am a guest I am not a special guest? What the fuck? No. No. Just... No.
Also, I stopped booking one place mid-way because the taxes & fees number looked odd. They just slapped on $40/day bucks 'for pool use'. The pool costs extra, but you can't opt out. Other hotels I looked at, you have to reserve pool use in advance, booking it as a separate event like a restaurant reservation. Another place wanted to charge me for fitness center access for a fitness center not even in the hotel or in the same part of the city, again it was not optional. Another place wanted me to register on the website to see prices. I... what? No... (I'd been very close to choosing that hotel even though it, no joke, charged extra for rooms with windows)
Why do people put up with this stuff? Putting restricted access lounges in plain view instead of tucked away? All the stupid fees? People do just accept it these days, I guess. I noped out last minute out of 3 bookings due to weird crap.
I'm staying at the con hotel for the second half of the trip, but my hotel for the first half... I am just glad it's booked. It's not ideal, but they didn't try to bullshit me so they get my money.
I think this was my first time running into having to pay extra for a carry-on bag. Googling tells me that Spirit started it in 2010, but it spread to other airlines in 2020-23, so yeah I am probably remembering right. Pay to have a carry on bag? This is not me being old, this is some bullshit. I'm doing one bag travel and I'm paying $90 for that one bag.
Also, I think I was just stressed because I've had had trip after trip fall through, from AB&B hosts cancelling on me in areas with no other lodging to that bus line that got sold and changed it's schedule last minute. The one trip I've done in 4 years, my hotel booking... long story but I had no place to stay my first night so yay for one-bag travel because otherwise that'd been even worse.
I am mostly booked for New Orleans. Last thing left to book is that I decided to do an overnight in Chicago just in case my train is late. I am flying there, training to Chicago and then flying home.
Hotel booking was a much bigger project than I expected. I usually travel to places in the off-season and October is not off-season for New Orleans. Usually, once school is in session demand drops for hotels and stuff, but October is great for New Orleans because it's out of the summer heat and also it's a spooky city in the spooky season. On the official tourism website, 'haunted' is one of the main hotel categories. Also, there's a Taylor Swift concert that's happening after I'll be there, but a lot of the city has been sold out for the second half of October for a while, and I expect a lot of other vacations and events got pushed up or back creating a knock on effect. Some tours and even hotels I looked at are already sold out for when I'll be there.
The other problem is that I refuse to accept what travel has become post-lockdown. The post-covid demand for travel normalized a lot of BS and I not here for it. I sort of follow a few travel vloggers mostly because I like the logistics of travel, so I know wild fees and sectioning off things that used to be included is just what happens now. I've heard a lot about this, but this has been my first time running into it. One hotel I looked at? Half the lobby was turned into a concierge club - which means it's for special club members and people staying in suites only. Concierge clubs aren't new, but they are usually tucked away on a upper floor because they are meant as a perk for frequent business travelers. Making half a lobby one? Putting coffee service in the lobby but I can't have the coffee service because even though I am a guest I am not a special guest? What the fuck? No. No. Just... No.
Also, I stopped booking one place mid-way because the taxes & fees number looked odd. They just slapped on $40/day bucks 'for pool use'. The pool costs extra, but you can't opt out. Other hotels I looked at, you have to reserve pool use in advance, booking it as a separate event like a restaurant reservation. Another place wanted to charge me for fitness center access for a fitness center not even in the hotel or in the same part of the city, again it was not optional. Another place wanted me to register on the website to see prices. I... what? No... (I'd been very close to choosing that hotel even though it, no joke, charged extra for rooms with windows)
Why do people put up with this stuff? Putting restricted access lounges in plain view instead of tucked away? All the stupid fees? People do just accept it these days, I guess. I noped out last minute out of 3 bookings due to weird crap.
I'm staying at the con hotel for the second half of the trip, but my hotel for the first half... I am just glad it's booked. It's not ideal, but they didn't try to bullshit me so they get my money.
I think this was my first time running into having to pay extra for a carry-on bag. Googling tells me that Spirit started it in 2010, but it spread to other airlines in 2020-23, so yeah I am probably remembering right. Pay to have a carry on bag? This is not me being old, this is some bullshit. I'm doing one bag travel and I'm paying $90 for that one bag.
Also, I think I was just stressed because I've had had trip after trip fall through, from AB&B hosts cancelling on me in areas with no other lodging to that bus line that got sold and changed it's schedule last minute. The one trip I've done in 4 years, my hotel booking... long story but I had no place to stay my first night so yay for one-bag travel because otherwise that'd been even worse.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-08 03:15 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-07-08 05:42 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-07-12 04:28 am (UTC)From:But I'm very glad you managed to get everything mostly booked, despite how frustrating it sounds like it was! I'm glad you noped out of the ones that were the worst. I wonder if there are a lot of people who just... kind of accept that it must be "normal," so go with it despite it being so shitty.
I hope it winds up being the best time!
no subject
Date: 2024-07-13 12:34 am (UTC)From:I am looking forward to it so much! I also have a lot of fun packing planning to be do. I am 100% going to be That Person wearing a shirt from the original Leverage con that Electric tried to do years ago. Also, at cons I often pack two Ts per day because it gets so hot and stuffy. I have a day shirt and an evening shirt and I'll stop now because packing is practically a fandom for me.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-13 03:57 am (UTC)From:Excellent! And lol. I'm glad you get to be That Person in the OG shirt, lol. (I don't do much traveling, but I do remember being extremely proud of getting things into a single bag when I went to Japan in high school, so that does sound like a thing to be understandably happy about coordinating.)
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Date: 2024-07-13 08:52 pm (UTC)From:And I just refuse to be treated like a second class guest to my face. If I am a guest at a hotel, I am a guest at a hotel. Keep the exclusive lounges tucked away.
Some people think packing is a chore, but I love it. It lets me play with the excitement of the trip. The better I pack the better the trip. Also, switching shirts at a con as soon as the evening cool sets in is so, so much better than just wearing the same shirt.
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Date: 2024-07-14 03:04 am (UTC)From:Right? Like, sure, have an executive lounge, or some exclusive perks for hotel rewards members or whatever. But in the main lobby? GARBAGE. I realize there are groups of people who want those special perks, but frankly I feel like they don't want to be in the lobby staring at the plebs either, so. Keep that shit genuinely separate, like it should be.
Packing tends to give me the same organizational high that making lists does, haha. I LIKE feeling prepared, I LIKE knowing I have everything I need, I LIKE having a plan in place.
And ooh yes. Especially when humidity is a factor (admittedly something that usually isn't a big deal for me if I stay local.) But getting to swap out of the days' sticky clothing into something that hasn't yet been sweat in? Getting to deal with the cool part of the day in fresh clothing? Yes please.
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Date: 2024-07-14 08:54 pm (UTC)From:Feeling as prepared as possible for a trip is great. Honestly, I just want to be putting aside clothes and stuff already, but it's too soon and I have Neskowin and other stuff to prep for first.
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Date: 2024-07-15 02:33 am (UTC)From:I hate that people DO put up with it, because I know it turns it into a vicious cycle - if people pay for it, they'll keep doing it, and the more places do it as standard practice, the more people feel they have to pay for it...
I know the feeling of having to resist temptation to start planning and organizing too far in advance! Though maybe it's a good thing you've got some things coming up between now and then, too!