Stranded in Hawaii, no joke, help/ideas?

[sanddrag]

This afternoon we received word that Aloha Airlines folded and the flight our students/teacher were supposed to take back home tomorrow is canceled. The district is requiring they fly together on the same flight so we aren't too hopeful about getting in by standby on Hawaiian. We can't get through to United (waited on hold over an hour) and we have zero dollars. Any ideas?

[Kyle]

Wow, I just read about that airline going bankrupt and I thought about all the people that was going to screw. I wish there was some way I could help. Try pleading your case to other airlines see what can come out of it.

But if I was stuck somewhere Hawaii would be my #1 choice

[artdutra04]

Public relations and the news media can be powerful.

If the local television news channels are doing stories on Aloha Airlines, contact them. Get on the news, and make sure your situation is known and seen by hundreds of thousands of eyes.

Your situation definitely meets the drama value that news stations die for.

Originally Posted by Nawaid Ladak

our mentor ...

Those are the kinds of stories that require rule number one and two, no exceptions.

[danshaffer]

enjoy an extended spring break?
but seriously... good luck getting back. hopefully your district can waive their regulations and allow you to fly back in smaller groups, perhaps with a mentor each?

[Lavapicker]

You're not going to get much sympathy from the Mainland!!! Seriously though, don't forget that there are direct flights to the mainland from Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. See if Hawaiian can fly you interisland and then put you on one of those flights. It happened to us a few years back, now you see what we Hawaii teams have to go through, and we flew to Maui from the Big Island to catch a direct flight to the Mainland. The airlines picked up all the costs and did the arranging. Don't forget to mention to whomever is helping you to check the flights out of our Neighbor Islands as well!!! Good luck!

[Matt H.]

I would push your school district to ease up on regulations. Hit them with the idea that the team may not get back for several days and that everyone is running low on money and they might be more willing to cooperate. Now would be the time to pull all the district connections you can think of. Perhaps you could contact some of the local teams and see about getting temporary help?

[Woody1458]

Honestly Id say do what you mst to get home. Most likely your district will never find out, not like they have a task force patroling this stuff. And If they do, then I'm sure with enough sweet talk and convincing language you could make them understand you had no other choice.

[Nawaid Ladak]

Originally Posted by Woody1458

Honestly Id say do what you mst to get home. Most likely your district will never find out, not like they have a task force patroling this stuff. And If they do, then I'm sure with enough sweet talk and convincing language you could make them understand you had no other choice.

i second that

our mentor drove 120mph across SC on our way to the Philadelphia Regional a couple of years ago. doesn't mean the district knows

[Michelle Celio]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

This afternoon we received word that Aloha Airlines folded and the flight our students/teacher were supposed to take back home tomorrow is canceled. The district is requiring they fly together on the same flight so we aren't too hopeful about getting in by standby on Hawaiian. We can't get through to United (waited on hold over an hour) and we have zero dollars. Any ideas?

Have you tried talking to other teams who flew to hawaii from the west coast? Using the idea below and any possible extra tickets might help with the situation.

Originally Posted by Matt H.

I would push your school district to ease up on regulations. Hit them with the idea that the team may not get back for several days and that everyone is running low on money and they might be more willing to cooperate. Now would be the time to pull all the district connections you can think of. Perhaps you could contact some of the local teams and see about getting temporary help?

I second this.

Originally Posted by Woody1458

Honestly Id say do what you mst to get home. Most likely your district will never find out, not like they have a task force patroling this stuff. And If they do, then I'm sure with enough sweet talk and convincing language you could make them understand you had no other choice.

Lying to the school district is never a good thing to do, if anyone ever did find out the team/teachers would be in big trouble and there would be a risk of the district not letting them travel too far out side of their zone. You might not see this as a serious issues - just lie and hope you get away with it, but when you're talking to liability of the school for the students to the parents it's very important that policy is followed.

Originally Posted by Nawaid Ladak

i second that

our mentor drove 120mph across SC on our way to the Philadelphia Regional a couple of years ago. doesn't mean the district knows

I'm thinking they might now.

[Rick TYler]

There are two or three problems jammed together here:

1. Getting home. Another airline (looks like it will be United for flights to the mainland, and Hawaiian for inter-island flights) will honor the tickets. It's actually SOP when an airline goes toes up. The problem is not buying tickets, it's waiting for United to have enough seats during spring break season. No suggestions, but you will get off the island. Check with Aloha to confirm that it is United, or if they don't answer, call United.

2. A place to stay until you can get a flight. The idea of contacting local FIRST teams is a good one. I'd pursue that.

3. School regulations. Even the most stiff-necked school district is going to be flexible when the alternative is having students stuck somewhere for a week or two. (I'm dreaming of course, schools can be stunningly dedicated to their rules in the face of reasonable exceptions. They can also make exceptions -- there's no way to generalize.) (One of the reasons we moved Exothermic to an Explorer Post is so that we don't have to deal with these sorts of school rules. I generally follow the Boy Scout youth protection rules which are just about as strict as the school district, except that they admit the possibility that some adult other than a teacher can be a responsible party. But I digress.)(Actually, the Boy Scout rules are stricter than local school districts when it comes to youth protection, and I'm all good with that.)(But I'm digressing again.)

Good luck. Think of what a great story this will be to tell next year's rookies!

[waialua359]

Sorry to hear about your situation.
Let us know via PM if we can be of help!
My sister works, or I should say worked at the airlines for the past 16 years. Its sad to have heard that she has to look for another job now.

Maybe I can ask her what the options are for you folks.

[115inventorsam]

Get home by whatever means you can, put your guys on separate flights, you guys are already low on money. Probably should contact the district about this, so they don't go "Why didn't you tell us?" if they were to find out(I think they will). The way you're describing the situation, the district shouldn't give you guys a hard time, especially if you guys can make them understand the circumstances.

If for some extremely crazy reason they stand by their policy, I would defy them, this is an emergency, and the chances of getting everyone on one flight are extremely low.

Good luck getting home, and be safe.

[Billfred]

Unfortunately, the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001 had a provision to help here--but it expired in 2006. In the meantime, I suggest drafting an extremely well-defined plan to split up the team into smaller groups (each with a responsible adult at the helm) and get communicating with the district that this is about the only hope for getting the team back in the current situation. Rules are good, but this is a unique situation. (Even better is if you can actually get some seats, which would give you some leverage.) Either way, getting in line at Hawaiian might work.

Good luck!

[Vince lau]

I heard about Aloha Airlines folding this morning and was wondering about teams that went to the Hawaii regional. Hopefully you can get your school board to allow you to fly back in groups, each teach/mentor takes back a group of students. Wish there was more that I could do, but good luck and stay safe, hope you can find flights back soon

[Shelbo]

You need to step outside your box to get the help you need...from the Hawaii FRC teams...
One of the FRC Hawaii teams needs to take up your cause. They can contact local church and civic groups (VFW, Ruritan, Rotary, etc.) about getting you better/cheaper accomodations in a church hall or another building with kitchen facilities. They can pull together and provide your meals while you wait this out. While you stay with your team as a chaperone, the Hawaiian mentors can approach the airlines directly, not via telephone. Someone should also contact the public relations department at the Navy Base.

No matter where you are stranded, an FRC team should always be nearby, to help out, and get the ball rolling for you. If none of the above pan out, reply back and I'll see what else I can pull together.

~Shelbo's Mom