Flights for Stanford & Oshkosh

[Bubba PV]

Hi Guys and Gals. I booked my flight last night on Frontier for $138 from Houston to San Jose so if you have been waiting on some low fares, here you go.

I know that Appleton is the closest airport to Oshkosh but it’s quite a bit more expensive than flying into Milwaukee or Green Bay. Does anyone have any insight on the best way to do this? Are there shuttles from Applteon that would offset renting a car at a further airport? Souleman – I’ll pay you to come get me!! If so, where do you want me to fly into? I know you're going and you're in my division. Thanks! Bubba

[souleman]

Bubba, I'll check it out and let you know. I think Green Bay is closer to Oshkosh than Milwaukee is. Darth Vaulter would know for sure. We'll get it figured out. Later............Mike

[master]

And then, regarding Oshkosh, there is the question about shipping poles. Are planes that fly into Appleton large enough to accept pole tubes? Does anyone know for sure?

- master

[Robert schmitt]

I grew up in the 20-30 miles from appleton area --Millwaukee is a small air port.Greenbay and appleton are even smaller -in fact I was not even aware appleton had a commecial airport. Unless something has changed I doubt anything bigger than a puddle jumper flies into the appleton or green bay airport. Even though Greenbay has a nfl team it's not much bigger than 50,000-60,000 I think. Decamouse is from kohler WI and works for gill. I would contact him and see if he has any ideas

[Darth Vaulter]

I would call Milwaukee's airport a medium size airport. Midwest Airlines is based here and has the most non-stop flights but I don't think they fly poles. There is no Southwest service. Northwest and Frontier are the only airlines that fly poles that fly full size planes into Milwaukee. When I last flew with poles out of Milwaukee I took America West (now US Airways) but I think that it now offers just regional jet connecting service to one of its hubs. My experience has been that even the airlines that fly poles don't take them on the smaller planes. There are 14 airlines that fly to Milwaukee but half use regional connectors. Appleton and Green Bay are small airports with only regional jet service (with a few Northwest flights from Green Bay to Detroit and Minneapolis on full size planes. Oshkosh is 50 miles south of Green Bay; 20 miles south of Appleton and 90 miles north of Mitchell Field in Milwaukee. For those not afraid of a little drive, Midway Airport in Chicago has Southwest service and is 185 miles south of Oshkosh (O'Hare is 5-10 miles closer to Oshkosh).

[Bubba PV]

Great info. Thanks! As a rule we ship our poles via BAX so we don't have the airport hassles and they are at the venue before we get on the plane. For the $20 extra it costs they pick it up and deliver it back to our local high school.

We learned this many years ago flying into Boston when we had to pay a shuttle extra to take poles after we just paid to get them on the plane. Not to mention getting them to the airport checkout and to the car.

A couple of years ago a buddy going to Reno was told at the counter that he couldn’t take his poles, and he couldn’t leave them there, and by the time he got back from putting them back on his car, he would miss his flight.

For DC indoors we are sending two bags on the Friday before and five people are splitting the costs – about $125 each. The poles will be there by Wednesday and come back Monday morning.

Hope this helps. BTW – I use my coach, Kris Allison as he has a commercial account that has exclusions for weight and lengths because he always ships poles. For info –kris@lonestarpv.com. Bubba

[master]

Thanks to everyone with information about the airport services in the area. It sounds to me like much of the same issues I always face when traveling with poles. When you use the BAX Global shipping alternative as BubbaPV described, it can be very convenient but there are a couple of "complications". BAX will only pick up from a 'business' or place that commonly has regular shipping (they won't pick up from a house address but they will return it to a house). The BAX price increases significantly the farther you are from the closest airport that has planes that can fly poles. That applies to both the 'home end' and the 'event end' of the travel. For the 'event end' I would think this would be the case for Oshkosh but not a problem for DC. If I could get my poles to Oshkosh this way for $125, I would jump at the chance. I'm afraid it would be much more expensive than that, and I most often don't have the benefit of sharing the cost with someone else who is traveling to the event.

I continue to look for better ways to get poles to an event but have not yet found any.

- master

[Bubba PV]

Good points. I'm going to World Masters Games in Sydney in October and already have a full line of poles ready at the site through my Australian connections. Someone always seems to have access to poles at each meet. That's usually a good back up position. Sure it's not optimal but you never know. In 1997 my poles were lost on the way to South Africa and I borrowed poles and got 3rd. Both me and my training partner luckily found poles we could borrow/rent there, some the exact flexes of our poles. Bubba

BTW - for DC we have two girls poles in our bags, one for each girl, who are splitting costs with us.

[artparry]

This isn't about transportation to Oshkosh and Stanford, however, I am currently planning on attending both events and will be driving. I will be bringing 3 poles and will be willing to share them. I will most likly have a 13/160, 13/170 and a 13-7/160. I may have a 13-7/165 by July but that is up in the air (no pun intended)

[Bubba PV]

Awesome Art. I think it's good for everyone to say what they have. Good call. I've got 14/167-82. Bubba

[Decamouse]

Milwaukee is an ok airport and poles if the airline will take is again doable - O'hare in Chiacgo is only just over an hour south of that -- I will be driving up from Champaign - lots of relatives in Wisc. - but will be bringing my poles plus what else I drag with -

[nambi]

Has anyone ever flown AirTran? They have nonstop flights between San Diego and Milwaukee. Thanks.