Oct 14, 2017, 2:54 pm
Last edit by: Boraxo
As you probably seen on the news wherever you are, there are massive wildfires affecting Napa, Sonoma, Solano and Mendocino counties in California. If you plan to travel to these areas over the next few weeks, please check with your airline, your hotel/air B&B lodging etc. to ensure that these areas are safe to enter and that they will be honoring your reservation. Many airlines are offering waivers if you rebook within a timeframe or flat out refunds.
Update Oct 18
Several fires are at or near containment. However the air-quality is still very poor so again, recheck your travel plans and ensure that your lodging is open and available.
As some have suggested, the far north bay (Healdsburg, Geyserville) is relatively unscathed but again, areas that are near to the fires have many closed highways and secondary roads. So triple check before you decide to travel to one of these other areas.
Once the fires are out these areas will need your support and help so do consider re-booking your vacation for a future date if you can.
Updates here:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/
http://calfire.ca.gov/communications/communications_StatewideFireSummary
Donate here:
https://www.redwoodcu.org/northbayfirerelief
Update October 23:
Happy to report that Air Quality in the greater San Francisco Bay Area has returned to normal (very clear now).
Update Oct 18
Several fires are at or near containment. However the air-quality is still very poor so again, recheck your travel plans and ensure that your lodging is open and available.
As some have suggested, the far north bay (Healdsburg, Geyserville) is relatively unscathed but again, areas that are near to the fires have many closed highways and secondary roads. So triple check before you decide to travel to one of these other areas.
Once the fires are out these areas will need your support and help so do consider re-booking your vacation for a future date if you can.
Updates here:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/
http://calfire.ca.gov/communications/communications_StatewideFireSummary
Donate here:
https://www.redwoodcu.org/northbayfirerelief
Update October 23:
Happy to report that Air Quality in the greater San Francisco Bay Area has returned to normal (very clear now).
Massive Napa + Sonoma County Fires (update Oct 18 ) - Check before you travel
Oct 12, 2017, 6:44 pm
#31
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I live in SF and today we drove 45 minutes each way to San Jose target to get air purifiers. No other target closer to SF had them. Other places were sold out. At target, we got our honeywells but there were no extras on the shelf. Fellow SF people are posting on fb about how they can't find air purifiers in any shops except for online shopping which isn't helpful if they need it now.
In SF today, the air was so bad that I couldn't see blue sky.
Oct 12, 2017, 7:24 pm
#32
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I live in SF itself, but very close to the ocean. The air isn't as bad here. I have actually been able to see blue sky the last few days, and the smoke smell isn't as strong (though it was pretty strong on Sunday night/Monday morning, when the fires were first raging).
For those whose travel plans are flexible, I would guess that Santa Cruz/Monterey would be a good alternative, BUT:
- check weather reports, etc. for smoke advisories
- check availability/prices of lodging, as others undoubtedly have the same idea (and the Santa Cruz/Monterey area is very popular and expensive on weekends in any case)
For those whose travel plans are flexible, I would guess that Santa Cruz/Monterey would be a good alternative, BUT:
- check weather reports, etc. for smoke advisories
- check availability/prices of lodging, as others undoubtedly have the same idea (and the Santa Cruz/Monterey area is very popular and expensive on weekends in any case)
Oct 12, 2017, 8:33 pm
#33
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My overall advice being close to it all, in fact, a bit too close, is to avoid Sonoma & Napa all together and let us heal. There is much recovery to be done, but only after the fires are out. Words just can't express what we have witnessed and the loss, and it hasn't even begun to stop. The air quality should be as expected (major scale) and depend on the winds.
Today I did see a silver lining, I was treated to a spectacular widebody airshow, I believe it was a DC-10 Air Tanker. Everyone stopped, admired, and was a bit more hopeful.
Today I did see a silver lining, I was treated to a spectacular widebody airshow, I believe it was a DC-10 Air Tanker. Everyone stopped, admired, and was a bit more hopeful.
Oct 12, 2017, 11:16 pm
#34
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AS has a travel waiver through the 19th. It is for a good reason. As said above, stay away for a while. Once the flames are out, support the suffering but surviving businesses. As for lodging, I'd expect it to be tight for some time.
Oct 13, 2017, 11:05 am
#35
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Even San Jose area has bad air. Not as bad as SF but still bad. If possible I strongly suggest that people avoid SFO. I'm surprised that airlines haven't offered travel waivers.
I live in SF and today we drove 45 minutes each way to San Jose target to get air purifiers. No other target closer to SF had them. Other places were sold out. At target, we got our honeywells but there were no extras on the shelf. Fellow SF people are posting on fb about how they can't find air purifiers in any shops except for online shopping which isn't helpful if they need it now.
In SF today, the air was so bad that I couldn't see blue sky.
I live in SF and today we drove 45 minutes each way to San Jose target to get air purifiers. No other target closer to SF had them. Other places were sold out. At target, we got our honeywells but there were no extras on the shelf. Fellow SF people are posting on fb about how they can't find air purifiers in any shops except for online shopping which isn't helpful if they need it now.
In SF today, the air was so bad that I couldn't see blue sky.
Personally I would recommend either heading east toward Lake Tahoe area or south as far as San Luis Obispo. Air is very nice in both areas.
AQ is quite variable now
Oct 13, 2017, 12:15 pm
#36
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Air quality is pretty good right now in Monterey/Carmel. That's a good alternative. Lots to do there and it's very scenic.
Oct 13, 2017, 1:03 pm
#37
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I am flying out of SFO tomorrow morning to PDX on WN. Due to all the cancelled flights and delays I am seeing at SFO I called WN to see if they could give me a travel waiver and fly out of OAK or SJC. My only option was to pay the difference in my fare. WN is usually very accomodating but they denied my request and I could only make changes if my flight is cancelled or delayed tomorrow. You think they would be a little more flexible and pro-active. Guess travel waivers only apply to Hurricanes not wildfires.
Oct 13, 2017, 1:17 pm
#38
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Thanks, all!
I really appreciate all the advice and send my best to those dealing with the fallout.
Oct 13, 2017, 1:24 pm
#39
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I am flying out of SFO tomorrow morning to PDX on WN. Due to all the cancelled flights and delays I am seeing at SFO I called WN to see if they could give me a travel waiver and fly out of OAK or SJC. My only option was to pay the difference in my fare. WN is usually very accomodating but they denied my request and I could only make changes if my flight is cancelled or delayed tomorrow. You think they would be a little more flexible and pro-active. Guess travel waivers only apply to Hurricanes not wildfires.
Oct 13, 2017, 2:10 pm
#40
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I am flying out of SFO tomorrow morning to PDX on WN. Due to all the cancelled flights and delays I am seeing at SFO I called WN to see if they could give me a travel waiver and fly out of OAK or SJC. My only option was to pay the difference in my fare. WN is usually very accomodating but they denied my request and I could only make changes if my flight is cancelled or delayed tomorrow. You think they would be a little more flexible and pro-active. Guess travel waivers only apply to Hurricanes not wildfires.
Oct 13, 2017, 2:54 pm
#41
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Also, if you're coming to the region (greater Bay Area) make sure you have your lodging confirmed before you get here. Many hotels are scrambling to provide evacuees space at reduced rates, plus the usual busy season.
Oct 13, 2017, 3:18 pm
#42
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I did call back and the CSR said they did have a "dynamic waiver" but it was for today only. I am flying out Sat returning Sun. I inquired further and she pulled up my reservation and we looked at re-booking out of OAK and she said I would have to pay difference in points, but then she said it wasn't charging me the difference so apparently the waiver was not just for today but going on over weekend too. So I was able to re-book my entire itinerary out of OAK avoiding the SFO mess with no change in points. Funny thing is I work not far from SFO and the sky is nice and blue and I am smelling no smoke today. But I'm not a pilot....so who knows.
Oct 13, 2017, 4:39 pm
#43
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Here in Berkeley the smoke has varied quite a bit since Monday. Today was the worst air I've experienced in 27 years of living out here.
Oct 13, 2017, 6:36 pm
#44
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I'm torching a lot of ual miles to stay at a Hyatt there for the weekend. I couldn't book the room using Hyatt points or USA cash on the Hyatt website! There's just no point in staying in SF this weekend. Hopefully things improve for everyone.
Oct 13, 2017, 9:57 pm
#45
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