Flyin'Mom

Canarsie, I already am!

I have a goal for this time around too. I'm going to get in that lifeboat by myself.

Last time I got up the side and then got stuck top half in the boat and bottom half hanging over the side. I don't know who grabbed my back pocket and hauled me in (thanks to whoever that was) but I am determined to make it on my own next time around.

Just for curiosity's sake...who made it in on their own last time? Can we have a role call on this please?

Canarsie

You do realize that there are rungs on the side of the life raft...?

ifette

Question - I understand some of the events are not logistically possible to duplicate, e.g. it may be difficult to get two groups of people into tech ops. However, for areas that are already duplicated (RWT), would it be possible to go past the 60 people line and do 3 classes for e.g. 90 if there is a sufficient level of interest?

Canarsie

atldlff and I are way ahead of you, as that is one of many options we are considering.

Please keep in mind that the solutions we present also need to be agreed to by Delta Air Lines. Consider that minimal disruption of normal operations is of paramount importance in such vital areas of Delta Air Lines as the Operations Control Center and the Technical Operations Center. Just as an example, if I am not mistaken, to gain access to the Technical Operations Center, requests for admittance must strictly follow Federal Aviation Administration guidelines and be approved by the Transportation Security Administration as the Technical Operations Center is located within the active airport boundaries. It was no small feat to gain approval for the event last year. Also, I believe that one Technical Operations Center employee was needed for every five FlyerTalk members when touring the facility for safety reasons, so now Delta Air Lines resources such as personnel are affected. In touring the Technical Operations Center, you will quickly see that with strict policies, duplicitous procedures and care, Delta Air Lines spares no expense when it comes to safety, so one can appreciate that we cannot just walk on in as a group.

With all venues of the event, there are a number of factors that must fall into place in order for the event to work as successfully as last year.

xanthuos

I'm a little peeved this was announced while I was disconnected from the world this weekend...and given the size of the attendee list and the waitlist, I think it's probably pointless to even express my interest in attending.

Oh well, maybe next year.

Canarsie

What I am thinking of doing is announcing in advance when the Internet web site will be ready for official registration and confirmation so that everybody has a chance to sign up for the venues that they want to attend, but that Internet web site will not be ready until we have the venues confirmed, the cost to attend figured and more information.

Some venues should be free of charge; others, such as the Road Warrior Training, will have a fee. FlyerTalk members should be able to choose the venues in which they want to attend ŕ la carte.

ULDB65

Does that mean we will start all over with the mad scramble to get on this list, or will you find a way to honor the existing "first 60"- perhaps limiting initial registration to those user names already on the list?

DiverDave

Don't give up the ship. Fall is a long ways off, and once final dates are announced there will be some folks who cannot come.

I sneaked into the 2009 DO with about two weeks notice, as my work schedule unexpectedly cleared and atldlff ^ ^ was able to work me in. (Don't know if I ever thanked him, but I did appreciate that!)

Not me. I was the last one in the water, and got designated to be the unresponsive passenger whom had to be dragged into the raft.

David

Flyin'Mom

But the rungs only go up to the bottom of the life raft, at least on the side I was climbing up. I would have made it by myself if the rungs had extended up the side of the raft itself...which is really tall BTW!

And you performed your role so well...very realistic performance!

Crazyhotelguy

Gee, while responding to this thread, I just noticed that I have missed the list.... Can we add me +1 to the waitlist? Dates would be necessary before I can confirm.

DevilDog438

The post you quoted has me asking the same questions.

me4yankees

I hope they honor the first 60, otherwise, this is going to become way too complicated.

Dovster

Naa, just honor whoever is # 28 at this moment.

Perhaps the best way would to pay his Biz Elite airfare from TLV.

Canarsie

First, you are all assuming that the first 60 FlyerTalk members on the list will want to attend every single venue during every single day of the event — that is, if all of them are available and actually able to attend when the final dates for this event are announced.

If last year was any indication, that is not going to happen.

Second, we have received communications from those who already posted in this thread before atldlff and I spoke to Delta Air Lines three days ago that they should be considered first, but they posted their availability for May and not for September or October — and I see their point as well. We want to be as fair to everybody as possible.

Third, as I posted here earlier, the limit of 60 attendees per venue may or may not be the absolute limit, other than experienced volunteers and we are attempting to think of ways to accommodate as many people to the event this year as possible, but without compromising the factors that made the event so successful last year.

Fourth, we are still looking at the technology available to us for an Internet web site regarding this event, hoping that it will do everything we need for it to do to run this event smoothly.

Finally, we are nowhere near finalizing what venues will be available at the event, or even how many days the event will occur. There are still too many unresolved variables to definitively respond as to how to determine the final turnout for the event for this year. When things associated with this event become clearer, we will certainly keep everyone informed.

Thank you for your patience.

Gargoyle

As I see it you have two choices of technology available to you:
Deltamatic and Pars.

Whichever you choose, half the people will disagree and flame you, so don't worry about it, just plow ahead and do whatever you can. If there are glitches, well, we're all used to turbulence. Just blame it on the weather and not on mechanical issues.