New Orleans an appealing destination for Eagles' fans, even after painful first visit

Few cities rival New Orleans as a destination for fans of visiting NFL teams.

Just like the Eagles, Philadelphia area fans now have the chance to make a second visit this season that’s hopefully more enjoyable than the first.

The Saints drubbed the Eagles 48-7 during a Nov. 18 trip. Now they get another opportunity in Sunday’s NFC playoff game at 4:40 p.m. (FOX).

Those itching for a winter getaway to a popular tourist destination while also watching their favorite football team could still purchase game tickets through various outlets.

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“You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has ever had a bad time in New Orleans, or maybe we should say one that was not self-inflicted,” said Jada Tidwell, public affairs manager at AAA Mid-Atlantic in Wilmington.

“It’s a fun city and there really is so much to do and see for everyone. You have the history. You can eat your way through the city. The music is amazing. There’s something there for everyone.”

New Orleans’ southern location usually means milder weather, and the fact the Saints play inside at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome means the weather won’t infringe upon enjoyment of the game.

This weekend’s forecast calls for morning rain Saturday with temperatures in the upper 60s, with Sunday expected to be drier and cooler.

AAA members were able to get a 15-percent discount on tickets for Sunday’s game through Ticketmonster, knocking the least expensive tickets from about $250 to $215.

Game tickets were also available on resale outlets such as StubHub, Gametime, SeatGeek and VividSeats. Each had availability starting at less than $200.

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In fact, VividSeats’ current crowd projections show 18 percent of those attending Sunday’s game in New Orleans will be there to support the Eagles.

That’s significantly lower than the percentage of Cowboys’ fans traveling to Los Angeles and fractions fewer than Colts’ fans journeying to Kansas City and Chargers’ fans visiting New England, though that could change, according to VividSeats.

Joe DiBiaggio, operator of PhansofPhilly.com, which creates travel packages for those who root for Philadelphia teams, had more than 100 buyers for last week’s Eagles’ game in Chicago and expects a similar number this week.

His offerings include everything except transportation, including two nights lodging near the French Quarter and choice of upper- or lower-level seats. There is also a four-hour all-inclusive tailgate party outside the Superdome before the game. Costs vary, but are about $789 per person for a double-occupancy room or $659 for four in a room.

“We get a wide range of people, including a lot who don’t even come from Philadelphia,” said DiBiaggio, of why he has his customers make their own travel arrangements. “We get transplants.

"For the Chicago game, we had someone travel over 7,000 miles from Scotland. He was a die-hard Eagles fan.”

DiBiaggio’s outfit had 1,500 fans for the Eagles’ trip to Nashville this season for the game against the Tennessee Titans and more than 1,000 for the regular-season visit to New Orleans.

“They travel really well,” he said of Eagles fans. “We can make sure they tailgate with all Eagles fans and sit with all Eagles fans, which is really important to some people because they don’t want to go into enemy territory, especially for a playoff game, and sit by themselves.”

Many of the closest hotels to the Superdome are about one-half mile away and most start at more than $200 per night. Better bargains are found closer to the city center. The French Quarter is about a 10-minute cab ride from the Superdome.

Like the game against the Bears in Chicago, airfare is the largest expense, as driving from Wilmington would require nearly 18 hours over almost 1,200 miles. At this late stage, most flights require a connection.

“I was sitting with one of our AAA travel agents this morning and in our 10-minute conversation there went from some availability with direct flights to no availability,” Tidwell said. “ . . . They were looking at roughly $575 with a connection.”

Tidwell added that those with flexible dates or a willingness to travel from a different airport, such as BWI, instead of Philadelphia may find better fares.

A kayak.com search yielded several fares less than $500.

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @kevintresolini.