Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

I'm kind of annoyed at my school at the moment. Right after our last regional they told us we should be prepared to pay $900 per person to get to Atlanta. This seems quite ridiculous in that they're making us pay, and that they gave such a high number. I searched on travel booking sites and found several deals that included airfare, hotel, AND a rental car for TWO people for under $800. I'd just like to get some input from other teams on how much they're being asked to pay to fly to nationals.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

We got some where around $400 canadians, though we are not flying and only staying there for the regional days, so about 3 days in hotels and 3 nights. Though that might be because we have some money to compensate the students too.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

RAGE qualified for the Championship based on last year's points system, so as soon as we knew the location and dates we booked group travel on airlines. This is difficult to do because there are so many teams trying to fly from CT to the same place at the same time and so few flights that will accept groups.

We are paying $308 per person for a round-trip flight. We are having to leave on Tuesday afternoon and coming home late on Sunday, so we booked the five night hotel package through FIRST-THS. Most of our students are staying in quad rooms, so the cost is $310 per person. Our adults are staying in doubles, so it is $497 per person. There will be additional meals to pay for on Tuesday, Wed, and Sunday, and dinner each night except for the team social.

We are responsible for paying our own way and since we meet year-round we do fundraising throughout the year to offset our travel costs.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

Who is "they"? Is they FIRST, or your team's administration, or some random person at the regional?

You are very quickly approaching the magic 3 week point for buying airline tickets. Buy your tickets as soon as possible. If you really need cheap lodging and transportation, get a hotel near the airport (ie, free shuttle to and from the airport) and then take the subway to the competition.

Right now, our current airfare looks to be $300-$400 from Rochester, depending on exactly when we want to leave. Check other airports also, as you may get good deals from LaGuardia or JFK, if you are willing to do that drive.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

"They" are our vice-principal and our school administration. =p

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

They are probably looking at the package cost of hotels still available. You can probably shop around for cheaper, but you won't get food, transportation, and other things like you do in the package. Remeber, you are paying for convenience with a package. I know one team is paying for $800 per person plus for bus, hotel, and transporation.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

We are paying about $600 per person for Hotel through THS and Airline. We payed about $850 per person last year in houston. It can get rather expensive. But this year we got ahead got cheap airline and got our hotel so we don't have to worry about possible over $900. It all depends on how many flights go to Atlanta from where you are.
Nate

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

we arent going.. but it would be somewhere around $1400 per person. Please dont complain..

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

We just bought plane tickets out of Hartford for $295 round trip on Delta nonstop Wednesday returning Sunday.

If you have any question about rooms you should ask team 386. They have some great ideas and cheap hotels. $49 a night. this works out to be $370 for air and room per-person. the hotel is walking distance to the site.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

we didnt know we were going until saturday so its gonna cost like 1500 a peson to go unless we do a lot of fundraising

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

ouch... :eek:

Our team does year-round fundraising. I think you guys will hate us if I post how much each person on Team PINK has to pay in order to go to Nationals. I would just say it is really affordable, and all that fundraising (and hard work) really pays off. No pun intended. Seriously.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

its about $350 for round trip bus, and hotel... we have to buy our own food and use the marta *subway, taxi, etc i think* to get around but the georgia dome is walking distance so no worries about that =D

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

We're staying out at the airport and the cost is approximately $70/night/room. Airfare from LA is about $230 round trip depending on the airline. Food is on your own, but the hotel has a free breakfast.

So we'll probably be running around $400 each. So if we can do it from LA for that, and $1500 each is what you just HAVE to pay, then somebody has some unrealistic expectations. Either that or you are sending a minimal team, and expecting those traveling to cover the entry fee as well.

BTW our reservations have been made in the past week, so it's not like we're getting huge advance discounts. We are also traveling as several small groups, rather than one big one. Sometimes groups wind up paying a premium to stay together.

ChrisH

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

I'm mot sure how much it's costing us, but instead of flying were riding a charter bus.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

Around $550 for us, albeit we made our reservations almost a month ago.

flying to Georgia should be much cheaper for EVERYONE than say flying into Houston, or Orlando.

Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world afterall :)

Cory

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

honestly i have no idea how much we have to pay....... all i know is that we raised all the money we needed in the beginning of the year by selling raffel tickets fro a segway.

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Actually, we get cheaper accomedations at Orlando than Houston or Atlanta.

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Have you accounted for the fact that the FIRST package of the post-event team social is nearly $100? You might be staying in expensive accomodations, and also take into account the fact that you are likely paying for your mentors to some extent. We are taking a bus down, driving overnight, sharing it with 1088, and coming back right after in order to cut costs.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

Cyber Blue is renting 3 vans, driving, and statying at a Homewood Suites about 15 miles from downtown. Less convenient than right downtown but it kept the trip affordable.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

Which is why I said flying...

And besides, the FIRST packages are EXTREMELY reasonable for what they give you. Just staying in some of those hotels for 2 nights would cost more than the entire package does for four nights, plus you get tons of other included stuff!

Cory

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

Which hotels? Staying at the Omni with 4 people for 4 nights is $950, but the FIRST package is $1100. The Marriot Marquis is $640 and again, the FIRST package is $1100.

Yes, you do get a lot with the FIRST package, and are decently priced for what you get (depending on the hotel). But, you exagerated way too much.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

As both a team mom and the school vice-principal, I realize there are two sides to this cost issue. Teams that travel cheaply tend to travel as clubs, i.e. non-official school activity. As soon as the school travel policies, insurance, "cleared" chaperones, etc. are brought into the picture, the costs begin to climb astronomically.

Unfortunately in today's lawsuit happy society, the first mishap to a team member has the potential to bring thousands of dollars and gobs of unwanted publicity upon a school district and they are understandably nervous. IF you are traveling as a school function, it will not be cheap.

The Beach Bots travel cheap, but we have no "school" insurance protecting us -- all students and mentors are paying their own way to Atlanta -- all students are traveling with a family member or are being "adopted" by another parent for the trip -- all are traveling as individuals on a trip who happen to be going to the same place to compete in the same competition.

If your school will let you travel in that way, you can save considerably. If not, then start fundraising now for next year!

Penny

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

It's going to cost us $160 each, technically it's supposed to be $225, but since our PR/Finance team ROCKS (yeah, i'm on it... :cool: ) we got money from our school board to pay $85 of each person's fare...plus we're taking a bus not a plane from IOWA...it's gonna be a long ride.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

We have over 30 members traveling to nationals this year. Originally each member was going to have to pay in the area of $600 per person. Last week our school board amazingly decided to give our program $10,000. Our school does not have the money to pay for it, but somewhere they found it, most likely due to our win in St. Louis! (Thanks 16 and 967) Each student only has to pay about $150 now and we will be taking a plane and staying for four nights with the FIRST package. After reading the other prices for teams, I feel incredibly lucky for what our team has been given. Good luck to all the other teams traveling. Don't give up on business sponsorship and funraisers. They pay off!

~Hannah, Charger Robotics Team 537

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

it co$t our team only $625/ per person and that includes Plane, Hotel, And Rental car and that is for a 5 night stay

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

For 192, about $700 - getting into ATL Wed afternoon, leaving either Saturday night or Sunday afternoon; price includes food, lodgings, flight. Unfortunately, this year nationals falls on the same weekend as prom, so those seniors who wanted to fly back early in order to make it to prom had to pay more, closer to $800 for them.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

Just to let you know the package pricing is not that bad. I just checked and the Omni for 3 nights is $180 per person for 4 people. Then add in the breakfast for 3 days $30, Lunch vouchers for 3days $30 and team social $90 that makes it $330, but the THS package is about $250
Pretty good savings to stay at the arena and in that nice of a hotel. I have stayed in the Omni and wow. Plus take into account the lack of needed travel around town and the saftey of being right there and it is worth even more to me.

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

We have been told $250 for nationals which I'm assuming included airfare and hotel. We had to pay $150 each for the Chesapeake regional which was on a bus and for three nights. It's ridiculous to make people pay more than $400 for nationals. You work your tail off all year just to have to pay three months of you paychecks to go for three days? Worth it, but still. I'm glad we have sponsors that donate enough money so we don't have to pay any more than we do. We should start a fund for people who can't afford to go to nationals!!

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

we've been extremely fortunate enough that our sponsor (GM) is paying for nearly our entire trip for the entire team. they are paying for 5 nights at the omni and airfare, with around two people to a room. the only thing that the students have to pay is food that is not included in the package, and extra spending money.

as for the regionals, the students had to pay 100 dollars for both regionals combined (for the busses and the pre-ordered food)

if it werent for our sponsor though, we'd be paying around $800+ each to go to the nationals.

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Yeah and our sponser probaly helps us out too.

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Where does the other $20 go? There must be a typo somewhere...or your PR/Finance team "ROCKS" at ripping the rest of the team off :ahh: [/Sarcasm]

Re: Cost of Going to the Nationals
 

its costin us $160 and that is unbelievable cause it cost us 160 to go to UCF we are going to nats which is we are gonig two more nights and driving a extra 400 miles. All i know me and two other team members are drving by ourselves and its going to be a awesome rode trip