Tentative steps toward normality

NEW Orleans last week made progress in recovering from Hurricane Katrina as floodwaters receded and the airport reopened to commercial traffic, but many hotels remained closed, and full airline schedules had not been resumed as of the Travel section’s deadline Tuesday.

Among the changes:

Airlines: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport reopened Tuesday to commercial passenger service. Airport officials reminded potential visitors that the city and Jefferson Parish were still under mandatory evacuation, that few hotels were open and that rental-car services were limited.

Among the affected airlines, as of Tuesday:

Southwest, the largest carrier to New Orleans, which usually has 56 departures a day, did not resume flights to that city or announce a start-up date. Spokeswoman Linda Rutherford said that when the airline resumed service, it would be “on a very limited basis, initially.”

Through Oct. 15, frequent fliers who have earned award tickets on Southwest can donate them to evacuees and relief workers. Sign on to your Rapid Rewards account at www.southwest.com and follow the instructions.

Other airlines are accepting donations of frequent-flier miles; contact your carrier for details.

Northwest was the first carrier to resume commercial service on Tuesday, offering two daily round-trip flights to and from Memphis, Tenn. Starting Monday, the carrier is expected to add round trips to Minneapolis and Detroit.

Delta expected to have resumed a large part of its New Orleans schedule by Friday, including four daily flights to Atlanta and one to Cincinnati.

Continental is expected to resume service Monday, said spokesman Martin DeLeon, with four flights per day departing for Houston.

Cruises: Although cruise terminals at the Port of New Orleans sustained only minor damage, passenger ships continued to pass up the city, citing the lack of ground transportation, sewer and water service, available hotel rooms and other facilities.

“We want to go back to New Orleans as soon as the tourism infrastructure is back in place,” said Carnival spokesman Tim Gallagher.

Meanwhile, itineraries were being altered. Carnival’s Ecstasy, Holiday and Sensation passenger ships were expected to remain out of commercial use for several months because they have been chartered for relief efforts.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sun ship, departing Sept. 30 from Los Angeles on a Panama Canal cruise, is to arrive Oct. 16 in Houston instead of New Orleans. Thereafter, it will operate Caribbean cruises, first out of Houston, through Jan. 8, then out of Miami, through April 16.

For details on re-routings, see your travel agent or contact the cruise line.

Hotels: Among companies issuing updates last week was Hilton Hotels Corp., which operates, among other brands, Hilton, Embassy Suites and Hampton Inns. More than 20 of the company’s hotels in Louisiana and Mississippi remained closed or were open only to relief workers and evacuees. Tentative reopening dates to accept guests ranged from Sept. 30 to April 30.

Trains: Amtrak’s Sunset Limited, which usually runs between Los Angeles and Orlando, Fla., now runs between L.A. and San Antonio.

Fuel costs: Katrina’s effects rippled across the travel economy as high fuel prices were pushed higher by devastation on the Gulf Coast, a major source of oil.

Among the changes blamed on fuel costs:

Northwest Airlines said it would suspend its daily nonstop service between New York’s JFK airport and Tokyo on Oct. 2.

Foreign airlines raised fares. Among them was British Airways, which raised its fuel surcharge from $90 to $110 for long-distance round-trip flights, matching a Sept. 5 increase by Virgin Atlantic.

Effective Tuesday, Amtrak will raise most of its train fares 5% to 7%.

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Spirit to fly nonstop between LAX, Florida

LOW-cost Spirit Airlines, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will begin daily nonstop service Feb. 23 from LAX to its home city. Introductory round-trip fares start at $198, plus taxes.

From the Fort Lauderdale airport, fliers will be able to connect by way of Spirit to 11 tropical locations, including Cancun, Mexico, and cities in the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and the Bahamas.

Introductory fares must be booked by Sept. 30 at www.spiritair.com.

-- Jane Engle