muggle

Hi all,

I have 2 Amex vouchers to use by end of Jan and am looking at MSY for Y redemption for a 4 day trip next month - there is no W/J redemption availability at the moment.

If seats become available in W/J am I right in thinking the 241 still stands and I can just pay £35 per pax change fee plus 1 x pax amount of avios?

I’ve been invited to attend an event there one night but really it’s an excuse to explore a new city - does anyone have recent experience of New Orleans - slightly concerned about safety and enough to do/see for 4 night trip in October? Was really excited until I started googling...

KARFA

Yes you can change from Y to W or J if 2 reward seats become available and that would incur a £35 per person change fee.

You would pay the additional avios as you note as well.

Also going from Y to W there isn't any additional carrier surchage, but there will be additional APD to pay. APD for Y is £78, whereas the APD for W is £172 per person, so for two people you are going to have to pay £188 extra.

If you go in to J you will also have an increase in carrier surcharge of around £85 per person, so £170 for both of you. You also have to pay the extra APD (so the extra £188), so cash cost going from Y to J would be about £170 + £188 = £358.

windowontheAside

My brother just got back from a long weekend in Nawlins. From what I can gather the biggest risk to his safety was entirely self-inflicted. He loved it, and said it was quite an education!

batwins

I was there in May for 5 days, great city and I never felt unsafe. Standard advice applies to looking after yourself when in a foreign country. Be wary of Bourbon Street as it the perfect place for small crimes with all the drunk people moving between bars. Instead head to Frenchman Street, I found it much nicer. Definitely find the time to go!

muggle

mwp1

florens

I never felt unsafe in New Orleans. I can highly recommend the WWII museum and if you have time go visit the Oak Alley Plantation and the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area to go see alligators (we did the Honey Island Swamp Tour).

windowontheAside

A lot depends on how broad you are. Exit row seats deal with the leg room, but if you have reasonably wide shoulders you're likely to find yourself competing for torso space with your neighbour(s). It's happened to me a couple of times and I'm only 5ft10 but fairly broad for a woman.

So, if you're a slight but tall build, or happen to get seated next to a small person you should be fine. If you're average or above and seated next to a similar built person expect an uncomfortable ride. My first ever 787 Y trip I was in a window seat with a large but not obese chap in the middle and a regular build man on the aisle. We ended up agreeing the only way to work was for each of us to twist and stack, so I had one shoulder into the wall and the other under the shoulder of the B guy, who had his other shoulder under the shoulder of the C guy. By the time we arrived I was so knotted up I could hardly walk.

rossmacd

I've never felt unsafe in NOLA. I guess reports of petty theft are slightly higher since the alcohol consumption in and around Bourbon Street is of course the reason why people go there, and thieves being opportunistic. If you take the normal precautions for any city, then it is absolutely fine.

Now if you were going somewhere like Columbia, El Salvador​, Honduras or Venezuela then you would have much more to worry about

sunshinebob

Loved NOLA and never felt usafe however the Jazzy laid back vibe I was looking forward to never really came to the forefront. There was lots of rock music and pi55ed people in most venues . Never made it to Frenchman Street though and would always cab it back from over there. Stayed on a cheap $100 a night deal in the IC which was less than half the price of my first choice hotel, The Monteleone and in a quieter part of town albeit 5 mins from the action.

No lounge for BA and you get a voucher to use in one of the poor fast food places on the way home.

Sat as a couple in 3A/B as per CWS recommendation and can echo his positive comments as very happy with both seats. Enjoy your trip.

muggle

Thank you all. Some really interesting suggestions which I'm googling and adding to a list now. Any more gratefully received especially hotel/area recommendations!

Well...I'm 6'4" with broad shoulders...but my other half who'll be next to me is small! So hopefully that will help - fingers crossed for redemption availability opening up though.

When do the bassinet seats open up?

I've just read the whole of the 787-800 seating thread but just had a couple of questions as I'm not super clear...

Is there more bulkhead legroom at row 20 (middle) than 21 (sides)? BA source seems to think so?

We have the outbound option of either row 30 (exit row) but J/K (so window encroaching and near the loo waiting) or the bulkhead (B/C for now until A with bassinet opens up) Does anyone have any photos of the row 30 area?

Many thanks,

Blumie

muggle

Thanks! Yes very much into culture and getting the (safe) feel for a place as opposed to drinking on Bourbon street. I love jazz and blues - especially modern jazz/funk type of thing if that works?! I'm in town from the evening of the 6th October until the 10th October (the evening flight out)

Much appreciated!

Blumie

I had a quick look and am already seeing some great shows to recommend. I'm actually flying LHR-DFW-MSY right now (the non-stop doesn't operate today; plus I can upgrade from J to F on AA''s LHR-DFW flight), and will post my recommendations later in the week.

Also let me know where you're staying and if you need restaurant recommendations (in which case I'll want to know if you're traveling alone or with someone and whether you have any particular food desires).

Blumie

Here's recommendation number 1:

Bacchanal is, in my mind, one of the most iconic places in New Orleans. To the extent I want someone to get a feel of what New Orleans really is about, I send them to Bacchanal, NOT Bourbon Street.

I discovered Bacchanal quite by accident many years ago. I was out for a run in the mostly residential Bywater neighborhood and passed by a quaint little wine store. That same night I was invited to dinner in the neighborhood and decided to go by the wine store I had passed earlier to buy a bottle to bring with me. While in this small but beautiful shop, I saw many people walking in and out of an unmarked side door. So I stuck my head out the door and discovered a wonderful outdoor courtyard where people were drinking their wine, eating delicious looking food, and listening to wonderful live music.

Here's how the place works:

If you're interested in a full bottle of wine, you purchase it in the wine store. They will uncork it for you, and you can grab glasses and, should you need it, a plastic ice bucket on the way to the courtyard. Also, if you're interested in a cheese plate (which I highly recommend), you pick out as many cheeses out of the refrigerator case as you would like, bring them to the register, and ask for the cheese plate. You pay for your bottle of wine and your cheese (and a $5 surcharge for the cheese plate) in the wine store. They will take the cheeses and hand you a number to put on your table, where they'll deliver the cheese plate when it's ready.

Then make your way to the courtyard and find yourself a table. If you see space at a table occupied by others, don't be shy about asking to join them.

In the back of the building, facing the courtyard, is a window into the kitchen where you order all food other than the cheese plate. You'll find copies of the menu by the window where you order and pay. Again, they'll give you a number to place on your table so they know where to deliver the food. Make sure to grab utensils and napkins on your way back to the table.

If you want wines or beer by the glass or cocktails, head to the bar upstairs. (The stairs are on the outside of the building by the door that leads from the wine store to the courtyard.) There's also a wonderful indoor room upstairs should the weather not be conducive to being outside.

Bacchanal has live music every afternoon and every night. And whereas shows in New Orleans often start late (10pm would be considered early), the music at Bacchanal starts at 7:30 or 8, so you can go there and have dinner and listen to music, and still make it out to the clubs later on.

Bacchanal no longer is a "locals" spot as it's long since been discovered. But there still are plenty of locals who go, and it's still a wonderful New Orleans experience.

To get there, take a taxi (tell the taxi that it's on the corner of Chartres (pronounced Charters locally; if you use the French pronunciation they'll have no idea what you're talking about) and Poland Avenue. When you're ready to leave you'll have no problem finding a taxi outside. Uber also works great in New Orleans.