Real ID isn't required until May 7, 2025. It's not an issue here.
Anyone do travel sports with their kids? Tips to make it more affordable?
- Thread starter Mdragger88
- Start date
Little update..
She had her last tournament of the regular club season this weekend & they qualified for the Nationals in Vegas! I am so happy for them but also very stressed about how we’ll pay to get there/stay there
Currently stalking flights and also learning about them. I have never flown/bought a plane ticket before so I’m freaking out a bit. She’s excited! No fear!
I’m currently weighing my options of cheapo but direct flights (spirit)
Vs - nicer but longer rides with interruptions (southwest).
They both end up within $100 or so in price after bags. Found out this morning that southwest is easy to change if needed (like if the price drops) so I’m kinda leaning that way. They seem easier to deal with.
I’ve finally got numbers for those so my stress level is a little better but the rooms are still a big unknown as to what will be available to us with the stay to play situation.
The best part is yesterday while I was still wrapping my head around the vegas thing we got a message that says -
“Congratulations on your bid to the USAV Nationals. To prep for our post season, I would like to share some information regarding the USAV Nationals and our warm up tournament. The USAV Nationals is a “stay and play” so please be patient and wait to make any hotel arrangements until we are given the hotel list by the USAV.
We are also playing in a warm up tournament in New Orleans on May 25-27th. This tournament is not a “stay and play” so you can freely make the hotel arrangements on your own or decide as a team.
We are going to give our players a little time off from volleyball and resume our practice starting May 13th. Our practice days will be Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-8pm.
The post season price is listed below. The first payment of $600 is due by the first practice on May 13th. The remaining balance will be due June 1st.
11’s- $1,135
12’s-13’s=$1,190
17’s=1,200 “
Thankfully the scholarship she has applies to post season tuition but my goodness! New Orleans (6hrs away) on memorial day weekend 24 days from now
I guess the good news, aside from her making the Nationals, is that Vegas, overall, is pretty much the cheapest place in the country to fly into.
When I had a team that was spread across the US, we tried to find places that were the overall cheapest to have face to face meetings in. Vegas was usually the cheapest, but we did not have a building there (and corporate looked at you funny if you said you were having a team meeting in Vegas). The next cheapest place (and where we had a building) was Tampa
I used to like flying. Now, not so much. It really has become a cattle call and delays much of the time.
For a cruise, definitely fly in the day before. I would never attempt to fly in the day of a cruise. Sometimes we cruise out of a port that is drivable (Bayonne NJ has Bermuda cruises that I like). Even then we leave PLENTY early to get to the port (but on the same day - it is about a 45 min drive)
What I don't like is that a passport isn't good enough to get a Real ID. You also need a document with your SS number and two documents with your address on it. Part of me thinks I'll skip the Real ID and keep using my passport.
I have Global Entry. If I am flying domestically I use the Global Entry card as my ID. My Global Entry required a lot more than a Real ID ever will (fingerprinting, background check, and in person interview). I should just be able to use it to get a real ID.
If I am flying international, I use my Passport.
My drivers license is still non-Real ID
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Congratulations!
My vote is for the direct Spirit Airlines flight if it is price-competitive. Dealing with the add-on fees, limited legroom, etc is all worth it IMO to save the hassles, risk, and extra time that an airport transfer entails.
Plus you get an assigned seat in Spirit*, and there always tends to be plenty of bin space b/c of the personal item size limits, so the boarding process is much more pleasant than Southwest's and you have no reason to rush onto the plane or into a boarding position.
*I never pay extra for an assigned seat, and Spirit always has given my family seats together in one row.
My vote is for the direct Spirit Airlines flight if it is price-competitive. Dealing with the add-on fees, limited legroom, etc is all worth it IMO to save the hassles, risk, and extra time that an airport transfer entails.
Plus you get an assigned seat in Spirit*, and there always tends to be plenty of bin space b/c of the personal item size limits, so the boarding process is much more pleasant than Southwest's and you have no reason to rush onto the plane or into a boarding position.
*I never pay extra for an assigned seat, and Spirit always has given my family seats together in one row.
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- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,957
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- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
That makes me feel better being our first plane ride experience. I am personally terrified & don’t want to sit separately. I would also prefer to be on the plane as short of a time as possible.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,957
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Its not cheap during 4th of July weekend!
I should probably mention that I've only flown Spirit twice, and that our kids are younger. I think they generally try to seat parties on one reservation together, even if you don't purchase assigned seats, but I'm not sure if they take kids' ages into account.
Still, if you're some of the last people to board a fully-booked Southwest flight, you'll be sitting in separate middle seats unless you can convince a fellow passenger to trade spots with one of you. I much prefer the assigned seating approach used by Spirit and every other airline except Southwest.
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I pay the extra $20 per ticket on Southwest to get the automatic checkin. I'm always in the A group, usually in the top 30.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,957
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Exactly my thoughts!
- Jul 17, 2019
- 3,731
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True that. We just got back from vacation and left the resort at 9am yesterday morning and did not land back in Dallas until 1am. If I had a dollar for every socially unacceptable thing I saw on my trip, I would have paid for my trip and then some. Just use common sense like: Dont take off your shoes on the plane, don't flip your long hair over the seat so it touches the person's leg behind you for the next 3 hours, don't face time in the seating area using speaker phone so all can hear (especially if you are talking about how you cheated on your boyfriend on the trip), don't watch your inflight movie without headphones, sit in your assigned seat and don't try to use puppy dog eyes when the person who actually booked that seat doesnt want to sit in your crummy middle seat, and my personal favorite don't get drunk on a catamaran tour and peel the weave off your head because its hot
. As for the $, I totally get it. There are lots of good freelancing sites where you can do temp jobs online to make some quick cash. Try someplace like Upwork.com and see if you can sign up for some of those jobs to pay for some of the trip.
JJ_Tex, I've witnessed most of those behaviors on my last few flying trips. Along with a passenger who showed up so sloshed that she had to be escorted off the plane before takeoff, and another one who burned a cigarette in the gate area just before boarding.
These behaviors seem to be more prevalent on the cheapo airlines, but are by no means exclusive to them...
These behaviors seem to be more prevalent on the cheapo airlines, but are by no means exclusive to them...
- May 23, 2015
- 24,507
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- 16000
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- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
True that. We just got back from vacation and left the resort at 9am yesterday morning and did not land back in Dallas until 1am. If I had a dollar for every socially unacceptable thing I saw on my trip, I would have paid for my trip and then some. Just use common sense like: Dont take off your shoes on the plane, don't flip your long hair over the seat so it touches the person's leg behind you for the next 3 hours, don't face time in the seating area using speaker phone so all can hear (especially if you are talking about how you cheated on your boyfriend on the trip), don't watch your inflight movie without headphones, sit in your assigned seat and don't try to use puppy dog eyes when the person who actually booked that seat doesnt want to sit in your crummy middle seat, and my personal favorite don't get drunk on a catamaran tour and peel the weave off your head because its hot
As for the $, I totally get it. There are lots of good freelancing sites where you can do temp jobs online to make some quick cash. Try someplace like Upwork.com and see if you can sign up for some of those jobs to pay for some of the trip.
<<<< tfp expert slowly and inconspicuously slips feet back into shoes under his desk>>>>
Wearing pants is a plus as well. Just sayin.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,507
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Show me where it says that in the Terms of Service!!
… some of us just like to feel a little more free and airy when traveling … either that, or I have to have my emotional support tarantula with me
A GREAT way to keep your personal space at the airport and on the plane. People would suddenly understand the (former) 6 ft rule, and likely quadruple it just to be sure.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,507
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
A GREAT way to keep your personal space at the airport and on the plane. People would suddenly understand the (former) 6 ft rule, and likely quadruple it just to be sure.
They’re just very misunderstood creatures … just like me …