Frequent Traveler University (FTU) Events [merged]
Sep 16, 2014, 12:45 pm
#16
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,620
If cash transactions were not prohibited on CC we could find out here on FT. But it seems to me that the fee should be comparable to the associated expenses for non-local attendees: roughly $400 for the hotel and either $100 for parking or about $500 for travel. Would I pay $1000 for AFTU? Nope. Would 100 people pay that? I think so.
I suggested on VFTW that the organizers attempt to cut the expensive hotel out of the equation next time. Go cheap all the way and charge more for the event itself. Everybody wins except the local attendees, who were getting too good a deal before.
I suggested on VFTW that the organizers attempt to cut the expensive hotel out of the equation next time. Go cheap all the way and charge more for the event itself. Everybody wins except the local attendees, who were getting too good a deal before.
Apparently it did not survive moderation...guess I need to go change the wiki in this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/exter...-comments.html
(and yes, this post is designed, in part, to shame Gary into un-moderating my post 
). ETA: YAY! He unmoderated it 5 or 10 minutes after I posted this. My comment is now directly above yours. Thanks, Gary!!!
Last edited by kokonutz; Sep 16, 2014 at 1:05 pm
Sep 16, 2014, 12:57 pm
#17
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,620
Hm. Apparently Tommy held back some tickets for bloggers to sell (not give away, sell) to their readers:
http://hackmytrip.com/2014/09/ftu-ad...ack+My+Trip%29
Enter now for the chance to pay $250 to go to FTUA3!
http://hackmytrip.com/2014/09/ftu-ad...ack+My+Trip%29
Enter now for the chance to pay $250 to go to FTUA3!
Any one sells tickets in the black market?.
Sep 16, 2014, 3:45 pm
#19
Suspended
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Sep 16, 2014, 6:17 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: DFW AA PLT
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Posts: 1,045
Does anyone have the link to the booking link for the "group rate" for the Marriott Chicago O'Hare? I never received it for next week's conference. I have e-mailed the event organizers, but I haven't heard anything back.
Sep 16, 2014, 8:19 pm
#21
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,620
Plenty of tickets available today for the Chicago FTUA in 10 days: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/exter...kets-sale.html
And, Gary, please don't call me a troll in your comments. It hurts my feelings very deeply. Besides, I did say 'thanks' for unmoderating my post!!! :-: (this is kinds fun....you send me messages in your comments, I send you messages here...it's just like the Sandra- Keanu movie The Lake House!)
Sep 16, 2014, 8:41 pm
#22
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
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Sep 16, 2014, 8:59 pm
#23
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,620
Sep 16, 2014, 9:28 pm
#24
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Indianapolis
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Posts: 7,377
Every one if these show sells out, and in the last week mire tickets are ?For Sale,
See it happen at every show..
Went to Seattle last year instead of a Chicago,
Randy put in a nice show...and the hotel, was much better than The Holiday Inn,
No complaints on either show..,always pick up, something new..,
See it happen at every show..
Went to Seattle last year instead of a Chicago,
Randy put in a nice show...and the hotel, was much better than The Holiday Inn,
No complaints on either show..,always pick up, something new..,
Sep 16, 2014, 9:45 pm
#25
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I have a room at the hotel conference rate that I wont be using.
Sep 16, 2014, 11:17 pm
#26
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: YYC
Posts: 4,035
As vacation time/money are limited, we thought if someone is already paying to fly to SAN in March we should choose a nice property that could be used as a base for a vacation. That way they could extend their stay either before or after the event and enjoy the break from winter. As of now, there are already more Wed/Thurs/Sun/Mon bookings than we've ever had before, so it appears some people shared our thought.
OTOH, the next events will have hotel rates in line with past events (~$99 / nt) and be very close to the airports. Different options for different people.
I won't be in SAN, as I'll be enjoying an Aeroplan F RTW trip with my wife, but hope to see some of you at the other events.
Sep 17, 2014, 4:52 am
#27
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
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As the guy who negotiated this round of FTU/FTUA (more to be announced soon), I can speak to that.
As vacation time/money are limited, we thought if someone is already paying to fly to SAN in March we should choose a nice property that could be used as a base for a vacation. That way they could extend their stay either before or after the event and enjoy the break from winter. As of now, there are already more Wed/Thurs/Sun/Mon bookings than we've ever had before, so it appears some people shared our thought.
As vacation time/money are limited, we thought if someone is already paying to fly to SAN in March we should choose a nice property that could be used as a base for a vacation. That way they could extend their stay either before or after the event and enjoy the break from winter. As of now, there are already more Wed/Thurs/Sun/Mon bookings than we've ever had before, so it appears some people shared our thought.
I must have gotten in just under the wire around 745 AM Pacific time. By the time I booked the hotel I saw that Sunday night was sold out but that the group rate was open for several other days.
Thank you so much for coming here and joining the discussion. koko's vision for this forum is coming true: We have a place for organized exchange of information about happenings in our hobby outside FT.
Sep 17, 2014, 7:32 am
#29
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: YYC
Posts: 4,035
That makes perfect sense. Living in California I sometimes forget that winter occurs elsewhere.
I must have gotten in just under the wire around 745 AM Pacific time. By the time I booked the hotel I saw that Sunday night was sold out but that the group rate was open for several other days.
Thank you so much for coming here and joining the discussion. koko's vision for this forum is coming true: We have a place for organized exchange of information about happenings in our hobby outside FT.
I must have gotten in just under the wire around 745 AM Pacific time. By the time I booked the hotel I saw that Sunday night was sold out but that the group rate was open for several other days.
Thank you so much for coming here and joining the discussion. koko's vision for this forum is coming true: We have a place for organized exchange of information about happenings in our hobby outside FT.
Sep 17, 2014, 8:10 am
#30
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,624