Airline Sponsorships
 

Has anybody had any success in getting an Airline to sponsor your team? (ex. discounted or free tickets) I'm just wondering to see it it was worth my time to try.

we get discounted tickets from delta...but i think its only cuz were buying tickets in bulk

I think that FIRST should have an official airline..like how TV shows and such have their own official airline. Good publicity for the airline to be envolved in such a valuable and worthwhile program and cheap tickets for FIRSTers. Just an idea.

~Angela who's never had to worry about plane travel for FIRST

Yes, yes we did. Two years ago Hawaiian Airlines sponsored us and offered to deliver our robot to the site of the competition.

Of course that implies that an airline would be interested. ;) Othewrise I think I'm going to make a pitiful attempt at getting JetBlue to sponsor us with tickets in some fashion. JetBlue is a year-old discount airline that flies out of random cities including Orlando and all of the cities in Upstate NY. I don't know why they choose all the cities in Upstate NY, I just know that means I can fly on them easily. ;)

Matt

Hey There!!
So my team, number 192, hasn't yet actively pursued a full sponsorship from an airline, however we have been able to get some discount. This year I am going to actively pursue a full sponsorship, as in not paying, because United uses San Francisco as one of its hubs. I'll keep you up to date okay? Cheers.
Matt Sorgenfrei

After attending the Chief Delphi Invitiational last year, I learned a lot from a break-out session about getting tickets early and how to deal with the airlines. We bought our tickets in December and got a great deal to go from Indiana to Texas on Continental. Your team leader needs to get those tickets early! As for our robot, as sponsorship, we get free shipping anywhere from BAX Global. They even did an article on us last year and put it in their quarterly magazine that goes out literally around the world! They've been great.

I've tried to hit airlines for all different types of sponsorship and so far, no luck.

(And David, this is post #3!) :)