SOUTHWEST AIRLINES FARES TO/FROM NEW ORLEANS

[The USS Grant Alumni Association does not endorse Southwest Airlines over any other U.S. airline. The following information is simply provided to make shipmates aware that Southwest’s flight schedule is now available for the 2017 Grant Reunion.]

[First, if you are planning to drive to New Orleans, be aware that parking in the French Quarter is at a premium and most of these hotels ‘contract’ their parking at $25 to $35 per day.]

Southwest Airlines (SWA*) has published their schedule of flights which includes the 2017 USS Grant Reunion timeframe (Land – 10/11-15, Cruise – 10/15-22) AND the three days for the hotel’s contracted ‘shoulder days’, both before and after the reunion. SWA usually has significantly lower fares when the flights are booked online under the SWA “Wanna Get Away”* fares. Many times these fares are one-half the regular fare. Shipmates who plan to fly to the 2017 USS Grant Reunion might consider checking the Southwest website for flight information regarding flights from their home area [www.Southwest.com]. Be aware that these fares ‘sell-out’ quickly! Book early.

And - - - on Southwest Airlines, there is NO CHARGE for the 1^st and 2^nd checked bags.  (50 lbs. limit per bag)

NOTES: 1) If you cancel a “Wanna Get Away” reservation, you will NOT receive a refund, as they are nonrefundable. However, you WILL receive credit toward future travel on SWA for the originally ticketed passenger only. That credit MUST be used within twelve months. Changes can be made to the existing “Wanna Get Away” reservation with no change fee (as of now) BUT any fare changes will be made at the then current price.

2) Be aware that Sunday is usually a heavily travelled day. If you find higher rates on Sunday and you can do it, check the “Wanna Get Away” fare for MONDAY. You just might save enough to stay at the hotel Sunday night on a contracted ‘shoulder day’ at the contracted rate of $129.

3) Consider booking your ‘return’ flight no earlier than 1100 to allow time to leave the cruise ship, travel to the airport and complete the security check.

4) Details on the scheduled USS Grant group bus transportation (two trips) from the cruise terminal to the airport will be published on 9/1.

[*SWA and “Wanna Get Away” are registered trademarks of Southwest Airlines.]

2017 'LAND' REUNION UPDATE

HOW TO BOOK  A HOTEL ROOM FOR THE ‘LAND’ REUNION

To get hotel information for the ‘Land’ reunion, contact either Larry Jordan (940-569-8145/580-550-8270) or Ruth Jordan (940-569-8145/936-581-4810). Larry’s e-mail is lej_ss@sbcglobal.net and Ruth’s e-mail is oceangirl200@sbcglobal.net.

SHIPMATE QUESTIONS ABOUT 2017 REUNION

Several shipmates who have NOT previously attended a Grant reunion have asked some pertinent questions about the upcoming 2017 Grant reunion in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1. Can my spouse attend and participate in the reunion activities? YES. All Grant activities are scheduled with the shipmate and spouse in mind. In fact, we encourage the shipmates to use the Grant reunions as a vacation, family get-together or get-together for immediate friends. Shipmates' parents, brothers, sisters, in-laws, personal friends, etc., have attended most of our reunions. In Charleston, a group of five plank owner radiomen used the Grant reunion for their personal mini-reunion to get together after more than 50 years.

2. Can I ONLY attend the 'Land' reunion? YES. Shipmates and their guests can attend the 'Land', the 'Cruise' or both parts of the reunion. As of 2/20/17, we have more than 160 shipmates/guests who will attend at least one day of the 'Land' reunion and 114 shipmates/guests who have booked staterooms for the 'Cruise' reunion.

3. What is the cost for EACH person attending the 'Land' reunion? The DAILY registration fee has NOT been determined at this time but the total per person registration fee will be determined by the day the shipmate/guest arrives. Based upon previous reunions, the DAILY rate will probably be $12-$15 per day per person. As examples, a person arriving the FIRST day (Wednesday) will pay a $48-$60 registration fee and a person arriving on the LAST day (Saturday) will pay a $12-$15 registration fee. The registration fee covers the cost of the MidRats (Wednesday), the DAILY continental breakfasts, the Grant Pizza Party (Thursday), ALL the daily liquid and food refreshments in the Grant Hospitality Room (GHR) between 0800-2300 and the hotel's charge for servicing the GHR. The GHR will have an open bar with beer, wine, liquor, soft drinks, coffee, tea, snacks, selected sandwich fixings, soup, etc., which are ALL covered by the registration fee.

[Usually, a $100 bill will cover the 'Grant Lunch & Show' ($25), ONE Grant group activity and ALL four daily Grant Hospitality Room  registration costs for the entire reunion for each person. Remember --- the GHR costs include all GHR 'refreshments'/food, MidRats, Pizza Party and daily continental breakfast.] 

4. What is the cost of the Grant group activities listed on the POD? First, there is NO cost if you DO NOT participate in the activities, as they are totally optional. The cost for each of the activities, including admission and necessary transportation, has been negotiated and in most cases is significantly less than the individual cost of the activities. Check out the activity websites listed on the POD to determine if they are of interest to you. Final cost for each of the activities will be determined prior to September. Activities usually average $20-$30 for each person.

5. When and how do I pay the registration fee, 'Grant Lunch & Show', Grant group activity cost, etc.? ABOUT September 1, 2017, a Registration Form will be posted on the Grant website. The form will list the four possible arrival dates (Wednesday through Saturday), all the optional Grant group activities from the POD, the 'Grant Lunch & Show', the hotel-to-cruise transportation (if used) and the cruise-to-airport transportation (if used). The cost of each will be listed. The shipmate completes the form, calculates the total cost and sends the form and check to the Association Treasurer. We must collect BEFORE the reunion as many of the negotiated activities require a pre-payment.

6. How do I book the cruise or a hotel room? For a 'Cruise' reunion booking, use the information listed in the 'USS Grant Reunions' and '2017 New Orleans-Cruise' sections of the Grant website. To book a hotel room for the 'Land' reunion, contact either Larry Jordan (940-569-8145/580-550-8270) or Ruth Jordan (940-569-8145/936-581-4810) for information. Larry's e-mail is lej_ss@sbcglobal.net and Ruth's e-mail is oceangirl200@sbcglobal.net.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AND YOUR GUESTS IN NEW ORLEANS NEXT OCTOBER!

2017 LAND REUNION (New Orleans)

Wednesday, October 11 @ 1630 to Sunday, October 15 @ 1200

[Shipmates can make their hotel reservations NOW.]

2017 CRUISE REUNION (From New Orleans)

Sunday, October 15 @ 1600 to Sunday, October 22 @ 0800

The cruise will make port calls at the island of Roatan, Belize and Cozumel.

[Shipmates can make their reunion cruise reservations NOW.] 

UPDATE:  84 shipmates, families and friends have booked their stateroom for this cruise.  Don’t miss out on this fun time with your friends!  Make a call soon to reserve your stateroom.