How Do Other Schools Travel So Well To Bowl Games?

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stevedave23

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Maybe I'm reading too much into this but it seems interest for the bowl game this year has never been higher yet it feels sort of like we're reinventing the wheel when it comes to the travel options.

All current travel packages are sold out and the charter airline in our own hometown has no plans to add another flight. People are posting random flight options in and out of cities 6 hours drive from our destination.

So my question: how is it that Iowa and Wisconsin seems to "travel better" for bowl games? Is there something they're doing that we aren't?

For the record I'm not complaining about the prices. It just seems to me if the university and creative charters sold out their existing packages they'd add more. What am I missing?
 

I think the answer is: we don't know yet that they do travel better than us.

We haven't been to a Citrus Bowl type game in my lifetime. We'll have to see how Jan 1 turns out. If the Gophers take over Orlando we'll gain a reputation for traveling just as well as those teams.
 

stevedave23, The biggest problem with your question about charter flights is the inherent assumption that planes are available, I'm betting it's a case of no planes are available, plane availability during the holidays is always going to be limited.
 

I wouldn't be surprised if many websites to get planes us internet traffic flow functions that raise prices on flights when more people browse. It would make sense
 

1. They have charter flight only options to remote areas,

2. They are willing to fly to other airports and drive rest of way (eg. Atlanta, Las Vegas).
One year I was on a flight to Vegas and the plane was full of Badger fans heading to Rose Bowl. They rented cars from there and drove, and

3. They had better idea (in previous years) of where they were likely headed.
Big difference to find out week prior to Thanksgiving where you are headed vs finding out after a Sunday Selection Show when 1000s of people are finding out their teams' destinations.
There was more time to plan, prepare, and find flights.
 




I don't think we are reinventing the wheel on travel options here. The costs and limited flight availability we are dealing with is a function of the time of year and our destination. Here are a few things to consider:

1. New Year's is already one of the most expensive times of year to fly and stay in a hotel in most cities in America. If you were paying attention, flights from MSP to most Florida destinations were already very expensive for New Year's in the weeks leading up to the announcement.

2. Most cities that host desirable bowl games happen to be desirable places to spend New Year's independently of the bowl game. Anyone going to Orlando for the game will find it completely packed with tourists that didn't even know there was a bowl game going on. The week after Christmas is one of Orlando's busiest weeks, leading to high costs.

3. Airlines have limited ability to add seats to a route when demand spikes. They can upgauge to larger aircraft if one is available, but most of those planes are scheduled in advance. And when they are available, larger planes make less difference on total route capacity than you might think.

4. Chartered airplanes are a less efficient solution than most people think. Either the plane flys back empty after dropping people off, or it sits empty at the destination until the group is ready to fly home. Either way, there are costs associated with the charter model that make it a relatively expensive solution.

I think the difference between Gopher fans and those from other schools is that the other school's fans already know this stuff, and are more resourceful and flexible in how they get to the game. They fly out of and into alternate cities, or they suck it up and drive. I think they're also more willing to pay the high cost without complaining because there's a culture of supporting their team that we're still trying to figure out in Gopherland (see debate on increased season ticket "scholarship contributions", which are the norm elsewhere.)

Bottom line is there isn't a magic solution here, but resourceful fans that really want to go will find a way to make it work on their own. And they should take good notes so they're prepared in the upcoming years when New Year's Day bowl games become the norm for Gopher Football!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Our competitive fan bases are more mobile.

As in mobile homes, RVs and pick-up trucks with mattresses in the back.
 



Is it true that general public has not been able to buy from our allotment yet?
 

Despite all the reasons given, it's hard to understand that, here we are in one of the largest metro areas in the US, with a major airport being home to a Delta hub, and Sun Country HQ, and we struggle to get 5,000 fans to the game. How in the world would we ever take 45,000 to a Rose Bowl?

BTW, Sun Country Co-owner Mitch Davis is a Gopher season ticket holder. Come on Mitch, throw us a bone here. Not me, I already paid the piper, but throw a bone to those others still struggling.

I personally think we are seeing not only the relative inexperience of our fan base at this stuff, but absolutely are seeing the inexperience on the part of UofM organizers as well.
 


ewok said:
I don't think we are reinventing the wheel on travel options here. The costs and limited flight availability we are dealing with is a function of the time of year and our destination. Here are a few things to consider:

1. New Year's is already one of the most expensive times of year to fly and stay in a hotel in most cities in America. If you were paying attention, flights from MSP to most Florida destinations were already very expensive for New Year's in the weeks leading up to the announcement.

2. Most cities that host desirable bowl games happen to be desirable places to spend New Year's independently of the bowl game. Anyone going to Orlando for the game will find it completely packed with tourists that didn't even know there was a bowl game going on. The week after Christmas is one of Orlando's busiest weeks, leading to high costs.

3. Airlines have limited ability to add seats to a route when demand spikes. They can upgauge to larger aircraft if one is available, but most of those planes are scheduled in advance. And when they are available, larger planes make less difference on total route capacity than you might think.

4. Chartered airplanes are a less efficient solution than most people think. Either the plane flys back empty after dropping people off, or it sits empty at the destination until the group is ready to fly home. Either way, there are costs associated with the charter model that make it a relatively expensive solution.

I think the difference between Gopher fans and those from other schools is that the other school's fans already know this stuff, and are more resourceful and flexible in how they get to the game. They fly out of and into alternate cities, or they suck it up and drive. I think they're also more willing to pay the high cost without complaining because there's a culture of supporting their team that we're still trying to figure out in Gopherland (see debate on increased season ticket "scholarship contributions", which are the norm elsewhere.)

Bottom line is there isn't a magic solution here, but resourceful fans that really want to go will find a way to make it work on their own. And they should take good notes so they're prepared in the upcoming years when New Year's Day bowl games become the norm for Gopher Football!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Great post. Completely agree with all of your sentiments. And that you did it from your iPhone gets you bonus points. +100. :D
 



ewok said:
I think the difference between Gopher fans and those from other schools is that the other school's fans already know this stuff, and are more resourceful and flexible in how they get to the game...
Click to expand...

True, because Gopher fans haven't had the opportunity to travel to a New Year's Day Bowl since 1960-61. Comparisons to how well other schools travel to those New Year's Day Bowls are irrelevant. At least until after we see how much Maroon and Gold is in the Citrus Bowl on 1/1/15.

Otherwise it's just another exercise in finger pointing.
 

Firejumper said:
I personally think we are seeing not only the relative inexperience of our fan base at this stuff, but absolutely are seeing the inexperience on the part of UofM organizers as well.
Click to expand...

I suppose that President Kaler could ask the Governor to call up the National Guard to airlift fans in C-130s, but I wouldn't hold my breath. :)

However, I'll wholeheartedly agree that our inexperienced fan base is part of the problem. It's the University's job to build a football program that we can be proud of, and it's our job to figure out how to get to the game on our own. This is something that any committed fan of a big name program already understands, but that our fan base has to learn on their own from experience. The stories people are sharing about flying to Atlanta and driving for 6 hours, or road tripping the whole way from the Twin Cities, are par for the course at places like Nebraska, Wisconsin or Ohio State.
 


When much younger in my GA Bulldawg days in the late 70s and thru the 80s I probably went to 10 or so bowl games.

All were just college student or post-college road trips going from Athens/Atlanta to New Orleans, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Dallas, and Memphis (at least from what I remember). Didn't need a lot of $$$ and were within 12 hours.

Being in the upper midwest is a travel challenge to be sure. It is possible to cut the travel costs if you're willing to drive, either to shorten to airfare or get a hotel beyond the major city, but otherwise it's tough to reduce by much more.

If indeed the program is on the upswing long term then we'll start to anticipate, pre-book while cheap, and cancel where we need to.

TAW's earlier post in another thread really laid it out. Practice does help.

For us this time the "drive from Atlanta" option is best for us. Need to be flexible if the wallet is not...

Go Gophers!
 

Some guy said:
I wouldn't be surprised if many websites to get planes us internet traffic flow functions that raise prices on flights when more people browse. It would make sense
Click to expand...

This almost seems like a wasted first post (I've been lurking for years), but no, this does not make sense. Please elaborate on what point you were trying to express. That sentence is not at all proper and I have no idea what you are trying to say.
 

Buck_Buchanan said:
Iowa chartered 60 busses to 2003 Orange Bowl and many drove according to this article:http://m.globegazette.com/sports/orange-bowl-notebook-hawk-fans-take-over-stadium/article_bb787638-3d8e-5549-9b8d-51ad00565c32.html?mobile_touch=true
Click to expand...

This is good perspective! We live in a major Delta hub city and we also have Sun Country Airlines. Yet we feel our options for affordable air travel to bowl games are limited. Imagine living in Iowa! NO major airports. NO hubs. NO local airlines. The ONLY real option is to charter buses! We complain but yet we actually have it REALLY good by comparison!

That said ... some charter bus options would be a nice addition to the air/hotel packages that have been offered thus far.
 

ewok said:
I suppose that President Kaler could ask the Governor to call up the National Guard to airlift fans in C-130s, but I wouldn't hold my breath. :)

However, I'll wholeheartedly agree that our inexperienced fan base is part of the problem. It's the University's job to build a football program that we can be proud of, and it's our job to figure out how to get to the game on our own. This is something that any committed fan of a big name program already understands, but that our fan base has to learn on their own from experience. The stories people are sharing about flying to Atlanta and driving for 6 hours, or road tripping the whole way from the Twin Cities, are par for the course at places like Nebraska, Wisconsin or Ohio State.
Click to expand...

I'd rather take a bus over be crammed in the back of a C-130 with about 120 other people with my knees in my chin because thats about how much room you have back there when configured for a troop movement.
 


Are people looking for non-stop only or just delta ot what? I'm seeing plenty of options from MSP to Orlando. Around 600 bucks though
 

So, from reading this thread I learned we are struggling to sell 5,000 tickets. That's ridiculous...the latest update was something like 4800 and it has been about half a week! Also, we have already surpassed what Wisconsin brought last year so I don't believe the myth about them traveling better.
 

Some guy said:
I wouldn't be surprised if many websites to get planes us internet traffic flow functions that raise prices on flights when more people browse. It would make sense
Click to expand...

Try this "I wouldn't be surprised if many websites to get planes USE internet flow functions that raise prices on flights when more people browse"

Some websites for airfares do use an algorithm to raise the cost of an airplane seat based on browsing history. I don't know if this person is suggesting that the same is true for charters, or if people even use some website to find planes to charter. The key here is the missing E.
 


Firejumper said:
Despite all the reasons given, it's hard to understand that, here we are in one of the largest metro areas in the US, with a major airport being home to a Delta hub, and Sun Country HQ, and we struggle to get 5,000 fans to the game. How in the world would we ever take 45,000 to a Rose Bowl?

BTW, Sun Country Co-owner Mitch Davis is a Gopher season ticket holder. Come on Mitch, throw us a bone here. Not me, I already paid the piper, but throw a bone to those others still struggling.

I personally think we are seeing not only the relative inexperience of our fan base at this stuff, but absolutely are seeing the inexperience on the part of UofM organizers as well.
Click to expand...

You are making the assumption that the majority of alums/the fans base is located in the Twin Cities. If we were to go to the Rose Bowl, Gophers from all over the country would be travelling to see it. With such a large student body every year, there are tons of Gopher alums. The football team hasn't done anything to get them excited since the 60s.
 

Just one person's opinion....

This is still relatively new.
We don't have a strong tradition of planning trips around possible bowl destinations.
If you know your team is going to be playing in a solid bowl going into the year, people start planning to save that money and clear their calendar knowing they are going somewhere, just not sure where.

For us, it has been a question in the past of going to Houston (I'll pass) or areas like Music City / El Paso, or Motor City type bowls. Not much that you would start planning in August for.
 

AF_Howie_2180 said:
I'd rather take a bus over be crammed in the back of a C-130 with about 120 other people with my knees in my chin because thats about how much room you have back there when configured for a troop movement.
Click to expand...

Should be a cheap flight, no need to land, just push people out the back with parachutes. Can drop them directly into their seats in the stadium as part of the opening ceremony.
 

GopherHomer said:
So, from reading this thread I learned we are struggling to sell 5,000 tickets. That's ridiculous...the latest update was something like 4800 and it has been about half a week! Also, we have already surpassed what Wisconsin brought last year so I don't believe the myth about them traveling better.
Click to expand...

I thought that update was from yesterday which would be just a little more than 48 hours after they went on sale. I imagine there are still people getting plans figured out too. I think everything is just fine.

Offering a few buses would make sense. That would keep the cost down. Too bad Amtrak doesn't have a good route to Florida from the midwest. A train full of Gopher fans would be fun.
 

LittleBrownJug said:
This almost seems like a wasted first post (I've been lurking for years), but no, this does not make sense. Please elaborate on what point you were trying to express. That sentence is not at all proper and I have no idea what you are trying to say.
Click to expand...

Internet flight prices are influenced by Internet traffic searching that route.
 

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