Dear Fellow Alums and Other Friends,
The Rockets are going to the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and your University of Toledo Alumni Association is making plans to be there as well, but we need your help!
The Alumni Association is looking to book a charter airplane for the festivities, but because of the financial cost involved, we need you to make a commitment by 9 a.m., Friday, Dec. 2.
Here’s what will be offered in the package:
* Roundtrip plane flight leaving Toledo Express Airport at approx. 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19, returning immediately following the game on Dec. 21 (Projected return to Toledo between 3-4 a.m. on Dec. 22)
* All shuttles and transfers in Mobile for all activities
* Game Ticket
* Mayor’s Luncheon at noon on Dec. 20 featuring guest speaker Terry Bradshaw
* Mardi Gras Parade and Fireworks the evening of Dec. 20
* Alumni Association Mardi Gras Post-Parade Party with live band
* Alumni Association Pre-Game Tent Party at the game
* Two night hotel stay
The total cost of the package, based on double occupancy is $999 per person. The cost for a single is $1,149.
Signing up for the charter is as easy as calling the Alumni Association office at 419.530.2586 or 1.800.235.6766. We are asking for a $100 deposit that will be applied toward your reservation. We need to have 100 reservations confirmed by 9 a.m. this Friday, Dec. 2 to commit to the charter. You may pay by Visa, MasterCard, cash or check. We will not run any of the charge cards until the charter is confirmed, nor will we cash the checks or deposit the money.
Please let us hear from you before Friday and jump on the plane. Those of you who joined us for the Las Vegas Bowl in 1995 know that a great time was had by all!
For those of you who chose to travel on your own, we will offer game, party and transfer tickets on a cafeteria basis based on your needs beginning at 9 a.m. this Friday, Dec. 2. For those of you who are not going on the charter, but who are Athletic Department donors and/or season ticket holders, you may order priority seating for the game by calling Dave Nottke in the Athletic Development office at 419.530.2510.
Remember, if you want to join us for the charter, make your reservations before 9 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 2!
See you in Mobile!
Dan Saevig ’84, ‘89
Associate Vice President
Alumni Relations
Cut the cost by about 700 and I could possibly go.
ouch!!!
I have a feeling we will be there in spirit.
Go Rockets!
There is a flight out of Detroit at 10:30 on the 20th into Pensacola, Florida (58 miles from Mobile) for $358 round trip. Would require getting a rental car and booking hotel rooms, but that is far less than the $1,400 price tag offered by the Alumni Association. If enough people were interested, could split the rental car and share a couple of rooms - or at least split the rental car costs. I'm considering it, but I wish it was after Christmas instead of right before it, then I would just head over to Florida and catch some of the New Year's games and play some golf....
Alabama actually has some great courses along the Trent Jones Trail. Would need to get there on Sunday instead - and do my Christmas shopping there. Hmmm....that sounds even better. No difference in price for leaving on Saturday or Sunday - which is unusual....
Anybody else thinking that might not be so bad??
msopher Wrote:Cut the cost by about 700 and I could possibly go.
I am with you! Maybe some cheap flights will open up, but $350 round trip is not bad.
I'm thinking of putting a bid in on priceline.com. I'm betting I can get a ticket for $250. Only problem is - you have to go or forfeit the money. I could always put in a bid for $200 and see if it flies or not. (no pun intended). At that price, I would go and try to get a couple of rounds of golf in on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sounding better all the time....
Come on guys--once in a lifetime opportunity to go to Mobile, what's left of it. What's a grand? Go for it. If you die with a thousand dollars less in your estate, whats the big deal? The alumni association worked hard to get this great deal. Don't let your team down. The C-USA team will drive thousands in. Go MAC. Pack Ladd-Peebles.
For those of you who have raised the question, the Alumni Association will not make a single penny off this trip. We have been asked to coordinate a charter and although the bids from the charter carriers are not due until Thursday afternoon, we have been told by more than one carrier that the bids will come in at around $70-80,000. The high cost is directly related to the price of jet fuel. When one considers the cost of the plane, the cost of hotels, shuttle service (3 busses over 3 days), game ticket, tickets to three events, taxes and gratuity, the actual cost to the Alumni Association is $1,005 per person, based on double occupancy. This also does not take into consideration the charges we will bear for accepting credit cards. For many fans, charters are more convenient because you don't have to worry about changing planes, renting cars, finding hotels, etc.
Whether you are considering traveling with us or on your own, please make every effort to join us in Mobile. On Friday, we'll post all of the Bowl-related information so that if you are traveling on your own, you will be able to join other Rocket fans at all of the festivities.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at 419.530.2586 or 1.800.235.6766.
Sincerely yours,
Dan Saevig '84, '89
Associate Vice President
Alumni Relations
NIU70 Wrote:Come on guys--once in a lifetime opportunity to go to Mobile, what's left of it. What's a grand? Go for it. If you die with a thousand dollars less in your estate, whats the big deal? The alumni association worked hard to get this great deal. Don't let your team down. The C-USA team will drive thousands in. Go MAC. Pack Ladd-Peebles.
Good points NIU70. We need to send people to this game so that we have other opportunities in the future. I'm not saying that $1,400 is easy to come by, but look at all options before throwing in the towel. Flights from Tampa aren't much better...looks like I'm going to make the 8 hour drive instead.
GO ROCKETS!
For those of you able to make the trip down, seriously look into driving. It may be an intimidating drive, but it really isn't as bad as it looks. Once you get to Louisville, it's a straight shot down I-65 all the way to Mobile. I drove down to New Orleans in October on a Friday afternoon, and then back home on a Saturday afternoon, helping someone pick up their belongings at their apartment after the Hurricane, and it really wasn't that taxing of a drive, and there were only 2 of us in the car. Pile a few people in, and make the drive, it's pretty easy!
NIU70 Wrote:Come on guys--once in a lifetime opportunity to go to Mobile, what's left of it. What's a grand? Go for it. If you die with a thousand dollars less in your estate, whats the big deal? The alumni association worked hard to get this great deal. Don't let your team down. The C-USA team will drive thousands in. Go MAC. Pack Ladd-Peebles.
I would but I am a graduate student and I have yet to see 1,000 dollars yet alone have that amount.
Rocket fans:
I thought everyone was all fired up to go somewhere other than Detroit. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but it wouldn't be any cheaper than flying to the Rose Bowl.
Don't take this the wrong way but, geez, suck it up! You said you wanted to go somewhere other than the MCB. Well, you got it.
Some folks have a legitimate problem with the price (msopher - I'm looking at you!). But, since my roots are in journalism, let me tell a little story ...
Before BG got its GMAC invite last year, my wife said that if the team made a bowl trip, I'd be watching from home. God smiled on me and on the same day the GMAC invite arrived for BG, I got the payout information on my year-end bonus (good year, I maxed out). So we cut a deal - if I could do it for under $1,000, we could go. Yes, two people (me & Noah), less than $1,000.
You better bet your sweet Internet that I made it work. I got two ridiculously cheap flights into New Orleans, rented the absolute cheapest car and drove to Mobile. We stayed at a hotel that had a kitchenette and, yes, I packed food; we didn't sample the Southern cuisine, instead eating several meals in the hotel room.
As someone whose team is already done for the season, let me say that you need to take advantage of these opportunities when they arise. We had fun at the 2003 MCB, but the GMAC Bowl was an absolute blast. Beg. Borrow. Steal. But go.
End soap box rant.
BGSUalum1987 Wrote:Rocket fans:
I thought everyone was all fired up to go somewhere other than Detroit. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but it wouldn't be any cheaper than flying to the Rose Bowl.
Don't take this the wrong way but, geez, suck it up! You said you wanted to go somewhere other than the MCB. Well, you got it.
Beg. Borrow. Steal. But go.
End soap box rant.
Alum, I couldn't have said it better myself.
Rocket fans, this is our chance to show the country what we got. Lets put on a good showing down in Mobile. I know its a long haul, but try and find a way to get down there. I hope to see a sea of midnight blue and gold down in Mobile.
Good posts guys. We all want UT to be perceived as a National program. We talk the talk, but we need to walk the walk. As fans, we need to make every effort to make games such as this. If we do not, we will not get the opportunities in the future.
Students should view this as an opportunity to pile in the car and party for a few days while supporting the team that represents your University. I'm looking at it that way...I'm just a few years removed from school.
Make the effort people...lets make a good showing at the GMAC.
I'm not sure if this will help anyone but Akron has direct flights to Pennsicola, FL (Less than an hour away) for very reasonable prices. I would definitely be there except my wife is supposed to give birth around the 21st.
I'll be cheering for the rockets from the hospital!
emanoh Wrote:For those of you who have raised the question, the Alumni Association will not make a single penny off this trip. We have been asked to coordinate a charter and although the bids from the charter carriers are not due until Thursday afternoon, we have been told by more than one carrier that the bids will come in at around $70-80,000. The high cost is directly related to the price of jet fuel. When one considers the cost of the plane, the cost of hotels, shuttle service (3 busses over 3 days), game ticket, tickets to three events, taxes and gratuity, the actual cost to the Alumni Association is $1,005 per person, based on double occupancy. This also does not take into consideration the charges we will bear for accepting credit cards. For many fans, charters are more convenient because you don't have to worry about changing planes, renting cars, finding hotels, etc.
Whether you are considering traveling with us or on your own, please make every effort to join us in Mobile. On Friday, we'll post all of the Bowl-related information so that if you are traveling on your own, you will be able to join other Rocket fans at all of the festivities.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at 419.530.2586 or 1.800.235.6766.
Sincerely yours,
Dan Saevig '84, '89
Associate Vice President
Alumni Relations
I don't think anyone was questioning whether the alumni association was making money or not - I assumed they were not. However, there are cheaper alternatives by booking flights ourselves. The real issue is putting pressure on the carriers to get a price that is their best number. They figure there is a need that has to be met and all will come in with less than the best figure. All flights have the same issue - cost of the aircraft, insurance, jet fuel, fight crew salaries, yada - yada - yada. I hear it all the time from suppliers we deal with. Tough nuts. Get one bid and cut it by 20 % and get the next guy to match that. Get his bid and take it to the next guy less another 20%. If they have aircraft that aren't flying, they aren't making money. It's easier to book a flight for one at a deep discount because the airlines are counting on the business travelers to pay steeper fees for travel. But - if they are charging more than about $450 per seat on a charter, they are not giving you their best price - I guarantee it. Who is negotiating the pricing? You should be demanding the bids back sooner so you have some wiggle room for other alternatives. I would not have given them more than a day to come up with a bid. The more time they have, the more the negotiations swing in their favor and the less time you have to give them the right of last refusal to meet the lowest bid. Like I said, we do this on a daily basis for a lot more money than the cost of charter flight. Break down the costs and if you are at $450 for the flight, then the rest of the costs just don't add up for double occupancy in a hotel for three nights to come to over $1,000. Any hotel in Mobile should be offering big discounts for groups that guarantee three nights of stays.
Just my opinion - and I love to negotiate...
If you can't afford it, DRIVE. It is a easy drive, especially if you leave the day before after work, stay in Bowling Green, KY or Nashville (5-6 hours) and go the rest of the way the next morning and still not miss much. Other than the blizzard coming home last year, it was a very easy trip.
DO NOT MISS THE PARADE!!!!!!!
factman Wrote:DO NOT MISS THE PARADE!!!!!!!
Especially if you're brining your kid(s).
It's not a question of affording it but of getting the best deal. I don't like the idea of sitting on a plane having paid $600 for a ticket and the guy next to me paid $200 or $250. You have to know how to work the system and do it far enough in advance that you have time to negotiate. I can understand the dilemma of trying to work out deals without knowing how many spots you are trying to commit to based upon responses from the alumni not being in yet.
Having said that - the fun is in driving down, coming back always sucks because the excitement of the trip is over. I could always take the DVD recorder down, record the game, then watch the replay on the portable DVD player on the way back....while somebody else is driving of course.
So, Moto, did you get my email and PM?