Do team USA get to fly on business class or first class for olympics?
 

Not sure which forum I should post this question. Anyway, do any of you guys know? And who pays for those flights??

Most likely the USOC pays. I'm not sure if they travel on scheduled fights or on charters. United is the official airline of the USOC /Team USA.

Many of the teams fly over early to get acclimated and to eliminate jet lag (I think that tom911 posted that the US swimming team trained in France for a week before arriving in London)

For what its worth, the united commercial featuring the usa team showed them boarding under the premium economy signage.

From ESPN

This particular ERA (Equality in Row Assignment) appears to be a nation-by-nation battle. USOC communications chief Patrick Sandusky said U.S. teams, regardless of sport or gender, are given one economy-class ticket per athlete, coach and official. (U.S. teams fly on official sponsor United Airlines.) Individuals can choose to upgrade on their own dime if they wish, he said.

They said this because in response to the stories about some countries putting the men in business class and the women in Economy

I believe the USOC pays for the seats, they usually fly scheduled flights (there are tons of stories about this team or that team being on a plane full of people)

From a wrestling publication

I flew with the Greco team from Colorado Springs to Chicago today, and as you might expect, there is a buzz and excitement among the guys. Justin “Harry” Lester, despite being seated in the back of the bus for the flight to Chicago, is as eager to compete as I have ever seen him. He has won two World bronze medals, but he is ready and focused to deliver on the World’s biggest stage in the Olympics.

A huge cheer went up on our United Airlines flight to Chicago when it was announced that the U.S. Olympic wrestling team was on board. The U.S. women and freestyle teams will be heading to London in the next couple of days.

The swim team did a music video (call me maybe) parts of the video occurred on the plane they were flying and it definately wasnt first class' really looked like economy.

Can't be sure, but I think those were actors. I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

3x3 seating on a narrow body in the US is not Business.

Cute video though.

Anybody want to bet whether the basketball "dream team" and the volleyballers upgraded for cash or miles? ;)

They fly business class on Air China! :D

I saw a Youtube vid of them on the flight. It was steerage. If you think about it, there are more athletes than C and F seats and I suspect some of the flights are charter anyhow.

Consider yourself corrected. ;)

This was sent to me by Tom last week.
Meant to include this video the swimmers produced. You'll see Natalie on it and she gets credit for "airplane choreography". Watch her dancing down the aisle in a yellow shirt. When I first saw it yesterday it had 300 hits. Today? Over 300,000. Talk about viral. Closer to 3 mil today. :eek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPIA7mpm1wU.

anyone think theyre all on refundable fares ? prob makes it easy to upgrade

Since UA is a sponsor, the USOC probably offsets the cost of the tickets against what they get from UA for being the "Official Airline of the US Olympic Team". My guess is that the USOC doesn't actually have to pay any cash.

a friend of mine was squash world #1. she paid her own ticket. she won the qatar sponsored event as #1 and stayed #1. she sat in the back of the plane both ways, and paid for her own ticket.

i have also known sailors who have competed. they paid their own way over and back.

guess it depends on the sport. i had posted elsewhere as to whether some of the seats were pulled out to fit the basketball players into the plane.

Not the Call Me Maybe Video. My daughter can rattle off ever swimmer in that one! The UA video with athletes hanging around the gate and finally boarding....