Originally Posted by Mom2SofiaIsabella
I posted this message on another message board and have gotten no response. I'm thrilled to see that this board is active and I'm hoping that someone here can help me.
Hi! My name is Dianna. My husband, daughter and I relocated to Georgia because we lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. I am now trying to make travel arrangements to get back home for the holidays.
Prior to the hurricane, we traveled out of the Louisiana/Mississippi area only three times- always to Florida, by car. It has been extremely overwhelming to see all of the sites out there offering "deals." Can someone please lend me some direction on where to start or suggestions on articles I can read, what sites are reputable, etc. I have scoped out many, but, like I wrote, it's pretty overwhelming. We are on a very limited budget and are willing to use any means of travel that we can afford (air, tran, bus).
Also, I have tons of other questions since we will now, hopefully, be regular travelers between Atlanta and New Orleans / Gulfport-Biloxi. Is this the appropriate board to post them on?
Thanks so, so much for your help. I look forward to getting to know you all as we begin our lives as frequent travelers.
Dianna
Welcome to FlyerTalk,
Mom2SofiaIsabella. I am sorry to hear of your loss as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Thankfully, it seems as though you and your family are healthy, alive and well. That is what is important.
I used to travel frequently between Atlanta and Gulfport/Biloxi, but mostly by car, as airfares usually are not inexpensive. My last trip was to help victims of the aftermath of the hurricane. The only flights between Atlanta and Gulfport/Biloxi are operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (operating as Delta Connection) and AirTran. Sometimes the fares are as little as US$59.00 each way, before taxes and fees. I do not know if this fits into your budget, but if it does, keep a lookout for these sale fares.
Also look for sale fares into New Orleans, Mobile, and even Pensacola, if you are able to secure ground transportation from any of these airports. I have seen Pensacola fares at times to be less expensive than the other three Gulf Coast airports mentioned.
If you do intend to fly, join the Delta Air Lines SkyMiles and the AirTran A+ Rewards frequent flier programs. You will at least earn miles or points towards free flights in the future, and that reduces the overall cost of transportation between Atlanta and the Gulf Coast even more.
I know nothing about train or bus fares between Atlanta and the Gulf Coast, but I would not expect them to be considerably less expensive than air travel.
One other thing that could be considered to be arranged is a “car pool” with anyone else driving down to the Gulf Coast from Atlanta.
When the casinos were open for business, they used to have special package rates which included transportation. These rates were relatively inexpensive. I do not know when the first casino will re-open on the Gulf Coast, but when this happens, look in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper, as there should be special introductory “welcome back” rates.
Anyway, I hope someone else comes up with better suggestions than me. I wish I could have been of more assistance to you. Please post the other questions you have pertaining to traveling between Atlanta and the Gulf Coast so that we may assist you in any way we can.