Air Travel Advice

[lanna.stars]

WOW!!! Thank you to everyone who gave some input for air travel! I think we have a few ideas of what to expect now! When I first put this out on the forum, I wasn't sure what to expect but I never doubted the support of the FIRST community!

To those attending the Alamo Regional, we will see you there! We will be flying out from Buffalo Sunday February 23rd and heading home Sunday March 2nd.

As always thank you again for all your advice!

[Fausto Vazquez]

Hi

We had traveled from Mexico to US , 4 years and besides all the good advices that other had posted, another important is the battery handle , we had been requested to ship the robot without batteries to be able to sent it by the carrier and avoid issues at the border.

Besides of the 2 batteries that regional or championship provides us *we had contact them before to confirm it, our strategy, it is buy extra batteries by internet and send it to the hotel where we will stay, use at the regional and if we pass to the championship, we shipped it to San Louis, after the champions ends we give them away to one team in US as a gift,(Our robot can be sit at the border forever due to the batteries so we prefer give it away)

It not cheap but at least we have been able to assure some extra batteries for the game.

I do not if the same applies for the Canadian/US border, so investigate this point before to ship your robot.

Hopefully one year you decided to go further to south and come to Mexico City Regional.

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by Madison

We've only lost one kid so far and we got him back after not too long.

To help keep the kids on top of their game, I remind them that the school board considers a grade of 97 an A+, so we can lose 3% of the kids and still be considered excellent.

[lanna.stars]

Originally Posted by Fausto Vazquez

Hi

We had traveled from Mexico to US , 4 years and besides all the good advices that other had posted, another important is the battery handle , we had been requested to ship the robot without batteries to be able to sent it by the carrier and avoid issues at the border.

Besides of the 2 batteries that regional or championship provides us *we had contact them before to confirm it, our strategy, it is buy extra batteries by internet and send it to the hotel where we will stay, use at the regional and if we pass to the championship, we shipped it to San Louis, after the champions ends we give them away to one team in US as a gift,(Our robot can be sit at the border forever due to the batteries so we prefer give it away)

It not cheap but at least we have been able to assure some extra batteries for the game.

I do not if the same applies for the Canadian/US border, so investigate this point before to ship your robot.

Hopefully one year you decided to go further to south and come to Mexico City Regional.

We have crossed the Border before numerous times with the robot and batteries before as well as we have shipped the robot with no issues (except when we shipped it to the wrong location). How about tools? We usually have a huge toolbox and setup when we go to the State Regionals we drive too because we have room on the bus, plus a few Mentors drive down. Any advice about how this would work out? Thanks!

[Fausto Vazquez]

How about tools? We usually have a huge toolbox and setup when we go to the State Regionals we drive too because we have room on the bus, plus a few Mentors drive down. Any advice about how this would work out?

In our case normally the robot is shipped by air so probably this is reason of the battery handle.
Regarding tools, we usually bring this at airplane, we document extra binder with us without exceding the max weigth allow by airline(we pay the extra charge) , obsviously we limited the number of tools to the basic one.

some airline charge more for a 3rd box or binder than for a 2nd, so we document one extra for each mentor or team responsible instead to document it to a single person.

Besides we split mainly the manual tools in small package and ask to team members to put it their bags * this works only with tools that can pass the security point without issues.

When we need a specific tool that we do not carry, we trust on the gracious professional of the other teams and the support of the regional workshop, this helps to improve our relationship with them.

[Coach Norm]

Originally Posted by lanna.stars

To those attending the Alamo Regional, we will see you there! We will be flying out from Buffalo Sunday February 23rd and heading home Sunday March 2nd.

As always thank you again for all your advice!

As Scott said above, lots to do in and around San Antonio. Drop Brad, Scott or I a message if you need any advice on the area. Plenty of hotels within walking distance of the Convention Center.

Look forward to competing with the teams from far and wide this year: Ontario, Pakistan, Hawaii and Florida.

[efoote868]

Before you fly, have everyone traveling review the TSA and the airline's rules for carry on, especially for liquids (3-1-1 rule) and luggage size. Airlines have different rules for carry on size, and checking bags take extra time and can be costly. Also remember the 1 plus 1 rule, that is one carry bag and one small personal item.

Also review the type of airplane you're flying and plan accordingly. Some planes are big enough that there is no valet tagging (you get your carry on back when you arrive and leave the plane), but overhead space is at a premium and if you're last on the plane you may be forced to gate check (you need to get your carry on from baggage claim). Knowing this ahead of time will save headaches.

My last bit of advice is to review with your team recommended clothing and packing, to speed up security. For instance, wear comfortable shoes that slip on and off easily. Avoid wearing belts, or lots of jewelry. Keep your pockets empty before going through security - put your wallet, cell phone, and keys in your bag, but keep your identification and ticket in hand. Pack your laptops and liquids so you can quickly and easily remove them from your bag. The faster you can get your team through security, the sooner you can breathe easily.


Good luck!