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Best Of The Craigslist Inauguration Rip Offs (So Far)

December 2, 2008 at 4:00 PM | 2 Comments

Our sis site HotelChatter has been chronicling the absurdity of DC-area inauguration hotel packages, so we figured it was time for a look at the outrageous "deals" available on the couch-surfer's best friend, Craigslist. Can the nation count on DC for Obama-themed rip offs? Yes we can:

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Pre-Order Metro Tickets Online, Obama Fans

November 25, 2008 at 3:06 PM | 0 Comments

We've already instructed Obamaniacs to book early (like, now) if they're planning to fly to Washington, DC for inaugural festivities January 20. But you might also want to snag DC Metro passes ahead of time too. If literally 1 million people descend on the district, it won't be easy to buy rides, a transit authority spokesman tells the LA Times:

People could be standing outside in the downtown area for maybe an hour or more trying to get in [to stations].

Yikes. The good news is that trains will be running with rush hour frequency all day--and will stay open until 2 am. Smart inauguration goers will buy Metro passes online before showing up in DC: Skip the hassles of navigating the notoriously arcane fare system by buying a day pass for $7.80.

Related Stories:
· Inauguration Day Update: Get a Metro Pass Now [LAT]
· Metro Area Transit Authority: Plans for Inauguration Weekend [Official Site]
· How to Get to Inauguration 2009 [Jaunted]

[Photo: Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies]

Southwest The Latest To Add Inauguration Flights

November 21, 2008 at 2:36 PM | 0 Comments

When we told you how to get to Inauguration 2009, we mentioned that Baltimore-Washington International should be on your radar, even if it's a bit removed from DC. Now there's ever more reason to consider BWI: Southwest is adding additional flights to the airport in the days before and after January 20.

The airline is adding service to and from Austin, Chicago, Houston, Kansas City, St. Louis and San Diego, and while some of those planes will be headed to BWI, others will land at Washington Dulles.

As we noticed when AirTran announced additional service to BWI, the extra capacity still isn't keeping up with demand: A number of Southwest flights from DC-area airports on January 21 are already sold out.

Prices are higher than you might expect from Southwest, too: Round-trip from San Diego to BWI, leaving January 19 and flying back January 21 starts at $688 all-in. Flying home on January 22 drops the price to $549. Book early and book often, Obamaniacs!

Related Stories:
· More Airlines Adding Inauguration Flights [Jaunted]
· How to Get to Inauguration 2009 [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wikimedia]

More Airlines Adding Inauguration Flights

November 19, 2008 at 11:51 AM | 1 Comment

Last week, JetBlue announced it would add flights into Washington Dulles to cater to inauguration tourists headed to Barry's party on January 20. Now Virgin America and AirTran are doing the same.

Virgin will add three round trips from both SFO and LAX to Dulles between January 16 and 23, which will expand capacity for the week by 23 percent. AirTran is adding flights between Atlanta and both BWI and IAD and adding additional service between Milwaukee and BWI.

Whichever carrier you end up choosing, it'd probably be wise to book soon. Flying from JFK to IAD on January 19 and back January 21 will run you $389 all-in on JetBlue. Flying non-stop round-trip from OAK to IAD on those dates is $919 including taxes.

On AirTran, flying non-stop from ATL on January 19 and back from BWI on January 21 will cost you at least $559. Virgin's round-trip flights between LAX and IAD those same days start at $719. Despite the prices--and extra capacity--seats are still selling out.

Related Stories:
· How to Get to Inauguration 2009 [Jaunted]
· How Do I Get Inauguration Tickets? [Jaunted]
· Senator Bob Casey Says "Keep Pennsylvania In Mind" [Jaunted]

[Photo: Drewski2112]

Senator Bob Casey Says "Keep Pennsylvania In Mind"

November 18, 2008 at 8:15 AM | 0 Comments

Though the inauguration of Barack Obama won't happen for another 63 days, hotels in DC are already filling up, sending tourists farther afield to look for accommodations in Maryland and Virginia. But Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania wants people to know that his state isn't really that far from DC. In a letter to senate colleagues he writes:

Many Pennsylvania counties along the southern border of the state still have hotel rooms available for the week of the inauguration. Some of these counties are just a 90-minute drive from Capitol Hill, while other communities in southeastern Pennsylvania provide easy access by Amtrak lines.

Should your constituents decide to stay in Pennsylvania, they may also want to consider visiting the Commonwealth’s many historic sights, including Gettysburg National Military Park in Adams County; key locations in Lancaster and York, which both served briefly as capitals of the colonies and meeting sites for the Second Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War; and numerous sites in and around the City of Philadelphia, including Valley Forge National Historic Park, Independence Hall and the National Constitution Center.

You can't fault the guy for hyping his own state, but before booking a room in PA for the inauguration festivities, remember that a 90-minute drive is actually a three-hour round trip--not including insane day-of-the-swearing-in traffic.

Related Stories:
· Casey: Don't Forget about PA for Inauguration [Official Site]
· Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies [Official Site]
· How To Get To Inauguration 2009 [Jaunted]
· How Do I Get Inauguration Tickets? [Jaunted]

[Photo: Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies]

How To Get To Inauguration 2009

November 14, 2008 at 9:05 AM | 4 Comments

We've told you how to get inauguration tickets, but we didn't yet mention how you should get to Washington, DC to see the swearing in of America's new president on January 20. There are plenty of choices, so let's break down the pros and cons of each:

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Our Election Hangover

November 5, 2008 at 5:30 PM | 0 Comments

With the 2008 election over--except for a few Congressional races still too close to call--we can all sit back and spend at least a few days without talking about politics. Right?

Not really. From what's about to happen to those campaign planes that never seemed to get stuck on the tarmac to the latest from Obama, Japan, here's a round-up of the post-election travel chatter.

Related Stories:
· Kenya Declares National Holiday for Obama Victory [Telegraph]
· What Happens to the Campaign Planes? [WSJ]
· Japan's Obama Celebrates Namesake's Win [AP, via Google]
· Chris Elliott's Advice to the New President [IT]
· Speculation on the Embargo on Cuba [Miami Herald]

[Photo: BohPhoto]

Obama Elected 44th US President After Long Slog

November 5, 2008 at 8:00 AM | 0 Comments

Democrat Barack Obama took to a stage facing Chicago's Grant Park last night.

Obama was declared the president-elect shortly before 11 pm Eastern by the major networks and took Republican John McCain's concession call shortly after, before addressing supporters on the same ground where crowds turned into rioting mobs during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Democrats also picked up seats in both houses of Congress in races largely shadowed by a long, expensive and bitterly fought presidential campaign. In fact, last night's coverage was everything the campaigns weren't: Cautious, measured and gracious. There have been no major calls for recounts yet, although delayed returns on California have both supporters and opponents of Proposition 8 mumbling about irregularities. 2008: The year C-A needed the recount?

Related Stories:
· Watch Obama's Speech From Grant Park [YouTube.com]
· [91% reported] Gay Marriage Ban Leading [LAT]
· Possible Presidents '08 coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: NYTimes.com]

You're Always A Day Away

November 4, 2008 at 9:10 AM | 0 Comments

Today is the great nailbiter for people on both sides of the aisle. By tomorrow we'll know who will be our next president... Or will we? Anyone who still remembers falling asleep in front of the TV in 2000 is wary of any pat resolution.

Of course, for the tiny town of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, there's nothing else to do but wait: The traditional first place in the nation to vote went for Barack Obama in the first rush of ballots. Polls opened at 6 am in most East Coast states

Want to celebrate or cry with your candidate of choice tonight? Obama supporters are amassing in Chicago's Grant Park tonight to count returns. It's ticketed to the tune of about 78,000, but the Sun-Times estimates 250,000 could rush the waterfront, so if you don't like crowds, stay home.

For John McCain, head to the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, in the shade of the gorgeous Camelback Mountains. There seems to be a little confusion over whether McCain will be outside on the lawn or in the grand ballroom, so make sure to arrive plenty early. The Biltmore has hosted every president since Herbert Hoover, and the hotel told the Arizona Republic they've got plenty of bubbly in reserve.

Related Stories:
· What to Expect for Obama's Grant Park Bash [Chicago Sun-Times]
· Obama Wins in Earliest Vote in Tiny Dixville, NH [AP, via Google]
· McCain to Shake Up Election Night Party at the Biltmore [HC]
· Resort Hosts McCain Camp, Prepares for Global Publicity [Arizona Republic]
· Scary, Scary Close [Jaunted]

[Photo: afka_bob]

Scary, Scary Close

November 3, 2008 at 1:35 PM | 0 Comments

How scary can an ordinary costume be when the Ghost of Elections Past is about?

In the last day before the election, the candidates aren't clowning around; the hours to stump are numbered, and the pundits are rustling their prep sheets in preparation for Tuesday night's opine-athon.

John McCain has already been through Florida, Tennessee and Pennsylvania this morning; he told the crowd in Tampa, "I need your vote, we need to bring real change to Washington." This afternoon he'll stop in Indianapolis, Roswell, New Mexico and Henderson, Nevada before hosting a midnight rally in Prescott, Arizona. They say the elderly need less sleep than the rest of us; we feel tired just looking at this frenetic schedule!

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Endorsing A Candidate Is Now Your Only Job, America

October 30, 2008 at 3:30 PM | 0 Comments

One Ohioan let his opinion be read at a McCain-Palin rally in Defiance yesterday. The Republican ticket stays in Ohio with events in Mentor and Elyria, exposing the nation to the incredible diversity of naming conventions of small Midwestern towns. McCain stayed mum on opponent Barack Obama's primetime ad buy last night, but a 30-second ad urged voters to look behind the "TV special" and confront a candidate who's less than fit to lead in an age of heightened national security.

Amid rumors that the McCain campaign is blaming running mate Sarah Palin for their current state in the polls, Palin continues to campaign in Pennsylvania with stops in Williamsport and Latrobe. But all eyes will be on Ohio tomorrow as McCain brings out the big guns: California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has coasted above the fray until now, will campaign with the Republican ticket tomorrow in Columbus. But will he appear in costume?

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The Men Behind The Masks

October 29, 2008 at 4:15 PM | 0 Comments

Students at Peters Township Middle School in McMurray, Pennsylvania are preparing for their mock election November 4. As swing staters, they have a front row seat to democracy, even though they can't yet legally vote.

While heavy rain disrupted his campaign appearances in the Keystone State yesterday, the McCain campaign is not giving up, believing the blue-in-'04 votes will turn red this year. Sarah Palin will be back in PA tomorrow, but for today she's in Bowling Green and Chillicothe, Ohio, beating the bushes in yet another 2004 swing state, while the top of her ticket holds what's billed as a "Joe the Plumber Rally" in Miami, Florida.

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