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Originally Posted by anat0l
(Post 15837489)
The South American option looks quite attractive, although a visit to ORD would be nice rather than IAH, unless there's something big happening in IAH.
It does rely on TAM staying with *A (i.e. due to the LATAM merger, anything could happen). I just think it'll be magnificent enough to have a chartered flight fly that long. Hopefully that will convince people to fill up the plane quickly and with less fuss. Yes, there is a higher price tag, but for the experience and the uniqueness of the events you can't put a price on that (and provided the AUD stays strong against the USD, I won't :)). Question would be who would stump up the aircraft to fly us to GRU, overnight it there and then fly to DEN. Most intriguing! Does anyone know if most countries should be alright to get into Brazil without having to explicitly apply for a visa? Except the US - no visa but a Reciprocity Fee of $140. http://www.consbrasdc.org/english/article.asp?id=12 |
Having missed out on SMD I, I like alt 1... though if the majority go with alt 2 I can't say I'd be desolated at the opportunity to visit Embraer.
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Originally Posted by lili
(Post 15839245)
From most countries you need a visa. ($35 Australia, $65 Canada)
Except the US - no visa but a Reciprocity Fee of $140. http://www.consbrasdc.org/english/article.asp?id=12 There's an additional 20 bucks if you do it by mail or use an agency (who would, of course, charge you an addiitonal fee). It takes a couple of weeks, 2 photos, and a copy of your round trip itinerary. If you are self-employed, you have to include a bank account statement, too. And, on arrival, you get the joy of being treated the same way the U.S. treats foreigners, complete with fingerprinting. |
Originally Posted by mhnadel
(Post 15840308)
U.S. citizens do need a visa in advance aor Brazil and it has to be obtained at the consulate that handles their jurisdiction. Most Western Europeans don't need a visa for Brazil, however. The fact that they call it a reciprocity fee doesn't make it like Chile where you just pay it on arrival. Technically the visa is free, but you still need one.
There's an additional 20 bucks if you do it by mail or use an agency (who would, of course, charge you an addiitonal fee). It takes a couple of weeks, 2 photos, and a copy of your round trip itinerary. If you are self-employed, you have to include a bank account statement, too. And, on arrival, you get the joy of being treated the same way the U.S. treats foreigners, complete with fingerprinting. |
Originally Posted by tommy777
(Post 15836238)
So let me throw this out there:
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I think IAH is only interesting again if we really get to see some behind-the-scenes stuff, not just a reception in a hanger. It's tempting to repeat the PC crawl though. :D But i guess IAH vs. ORD doesn't make that much of a difference to me.
As for the international part, GRU seems more exotic and having an extra-long charter flight would be fun too...the SMD2 charters went by waaay too fast. Who's willing to put on a bigger show: Embraer or Bombardier? So where do I put down my deposit? |
Originally Posted by carsonheim
(Post 15655661)
here's another idea, and perhaps it could be a pre-DO field trip. I've *always* wanted to go to the unclaimed baggage center. How fun would THAT be with a big group of crazy FTers????
Re ideas for the StarMegaDoIII I'm in favor of Asia itinerary too but happy with either proposed options. |
Alt 2 in F - would be great to visit TAM and Embraer. Would also prefer to leave from ORD if possible, I like Chicago a lot.
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I know this will be way out there.... But how about a North America - GIG/GRU. Visit GRU-JNB and a SAA visit then fly back JNB-FRA and then back to your homes....:D
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Originally Posted by NewbieRunner
(Post 15837583)
Sorry to pour cold water on the suggestions but some of us visited the UA HQ already during SMD I. Also is there anything to suggest we'll get a bit more than what we had in IAH during SMD II?
I would also welcome some European elements. That's not a visit to United's HQ. I'm talking about a real visit to the HQ downtown, then to the airport for other areas not visited before. We can certainly to ORD-GRU-DEN, but the price will go up slightly as the plane has to come from EWR or IAH. The equipment we are talking about is this: http://seatexpert.com/seatmap/135/Co...nternational)/ Yes, there will be a European part. After speaking with Lufthansa and SAS, we can get some GREAT business class prices, but it needs to be before Sept 15th. |
Alt II would require many hours in economy for most of the participants. Personally if I'm going to fly to GRU, I would want to be able to spend a few days visiting. Others may feel the same. Plus the visa issue will prevent any last minute people from signing up. I think that for SMDO II the "late" registration was not insignificant.
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Originally Posted by fly-yul
(Post 15846773)
Alt II would require many hours in economy for most of the participants. Personally if I'm going to fly to GRU, I would want to be able to spend a few days visiting. Others may feel the same. Plus the visa issue will prevent any last minute people from signing up. I think that for SMDO II the "late" registration was not insignificant.
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My vote is for Alt I.
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Either option is fine for me. However, the preference is for Alt I
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Originally Posted by fly-yul
(Post 15846773)
I think that for SMDO II the "late" registration was not insignificant.
For SMD3 this should be reasonably easy to handle by the modern airline wisdom, reducing capacity ;). (or at least say after filling up a 737, do a wait-list, and if it does amount to be large enough, up-gauge to a 757). Also, I'm sure that any charter like this would be a very fun and enjoyable flight. (And feel much shorter than it actually is). Plus of course, if there is a mileage credit for the charter - more miles are always merry (for a relatively similar flight price comparing options: 849/10648=8cpm vs 699/2360=30cpm). |
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