The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

[davyd83]

Perhaps it's been awhile since bb_dl flew out of MQT? I mean, it was only a few years ago that United to ORD service replaced Delta to MSP service at CMX. And I know bb_dl graduated well before that.

It was late 2011 or early 2012 that MSP service ended.
It was so much nicer for flights to the west. Heck two yrs ago i flew to MSP from MQT in about and hour and a half. Now it's quicker to drive than to fly Delta to MSP via Detroit, although you can do it in about 4 hrs on American thru OHare.

 

[stuckinwi]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

Perhaps it's been awhile since bb_dl flew out of MQT? I mean, it was only a few years ago that United to ORD service replaced Delta to MSP service at CMX. And I know bb_dl graduated well before that.

Doesn't mean a lack of facts will ever stop him from ranting!

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

It was late 2011 or early 2012 that MSP service ended.
It was so much nicer for flights to the west. Heck two yrs ago i flew to MSP from MQT in about and hour and a half. Now it's quicker to drive than to fly Delta to MSP via Detroit, although you can do it in about 4 hrs on American thru OHare.

Yeah, I don't think the CMX-ORD connection is much of an improvement. A friend of mine does all his business travel from Houghton through O'Hare, on United. He's using his frequent flyer miles for our January ski trip to Steamboat, going to Hayden (HDN). But he has to go through O'Hare and Houston to get on the flight to Hayden, which is just stupid, IMO - coming from Detroit, I only have one connection in MSP both ways. We're arriving a half hour apart from each other. Can't figure out why O'Hare doesn't have more flights to Hayden then the much smaller MSP.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

It was late 2011 or early 2012 that MSP service ended.
It was so much nicer for flights to the west. Heck two yrs ago i flew to MSP from MQT in about and hour and a half. Now it's quicker to drive than to fly Delta to MSP via Detroit, although you can do it in about 4 hrs on American thru OHare.

I haven't lived up there since 2008. Last I knew there was a Minneapolis flight.

Also, I still think the best plan is to go out of Iron Mountain. It is a 30 minute drive from downtown Marquette to Sawyer. It is an hour and 30 minute drive to the Iron Mountain airport. From Iron Mountain you can go to MSP, and from there its nonstop to Alaska. That extra hour on a bus is much quicker, and easier than an extra connection or 2 and multiple more hours in layovers and time on planes.

 

[davyd83]

I haven't lived up there since 2008. Last I knew there was a Minneapolis flight.

Also, I still think the best plan is to go out of Iron Mountain. It is a 30 minute drive from downtown Marquette to Sawyer. It is an hour and 30 minute drive to the Iron Mountain airport. From Iron Mountain you can go to MSP, and from there its nonstop to Alaska. That extra hour on a bus is much quicker, and easier than an extra connection or 2 and multiple more hours in layovers and time on planes.

Now try to get all those players and all that equipment on those little bitty puddle jumpers they fly out of Iron Mountain. It's only since they've put the bigger planes in Marquette that NMU has flown out of there instead of Green Bay more often. When NMU was able to fly out of Marquette with the smaller planes, they had to run a van with equipment to GB or MSP. Booking for a hockey team and equipment is a much different animal than booking you and a friend. I did a check on flights 90 days out (February). Currently flights from MQT to FAI are cheaper than IMT and get you in at 5 in the afternoon as opposed to 11 pm.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

Booking for a hockey team and equipment is a much different animal than booking you and a friend.

Is it more of a challenge, yes. It is ****ing rocket science, no.

edit:
Iron Mountain to Fairbanks - http://matrix.itasoftware.com/view/details?session=b8943bd8-c8e4-4346-8d25-a3bfa2c3b350
$1270.70/ticket
Depart Iron Mountain @ Wed 2:10PM CT
Arrive Fairbanks @ Thurs 1:56AM AT

Drive to Airport - 1:45
Flight 1 - 1:18
Layover 1 - 5:15
Flight 2 - 3:51
Layover 2 - 1:44
Flight 3 - 3:51
Total - 17hours 44minutes

Layovers 2

Marquette to Fairbanks - http://matrix.itasoftware.com/view/details?session=b8943bd8-c8e4-4346-8d25-a3bfa2c3b350
$1093.40/Ticket
Depart Marquette @ Wed 7:45AM ET
Arrive Fairbanks @ Wed 10:46PM AT

Drive to Airport - 0:30
Flight 1 - 1:35
Layover 1 - 1:15
Flight 2 - 4:00
Layover 2 - 2:30
Flight 3 - 2:37
Layover 3 - 3:13
Flight 4 - 3:51
Total - 19hours 31minutes

3 layovers

It depends on what you find more important, the ticket cost or a few hours and extra flights/layovers. You can get more convenient flights from Marquette-Fairbanks but the ticket cost goes up.

edit: There is a Delta itinerary from MQT to Fairbanks that leave at 6-something AM and gets in late afternoon, that is a very similar price to Iron Mountain. But with Delta flights out of Marquette, it looks like you're back to a 50-seater again, just like Iron Mountain. They seem quite similar.

You don't get the same advantage going to Fairbanks that you do going to Anchorage, since there is the direct Delta flight to Anchorage out of MSP. I don't think there is a direct Fairbanks flight, at least I haven't found one.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

why hasn't this thread died yet?

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

why hasn't this thread died yet?

Post limits are gone, at least for the time being.

 

[davyd83]

Is it more of a challenge, yes. It is ****ing rocket science, no.

edit:
Iron Mountain to Fairbanks - http://matrix.itasoftware.com/view/details?session=b8943bd8-c8e4-4346-8d25-a3bfa2c3b350
$1270.70/ticket
Depart Iron Mountain @ Wed 2:10PM CT
Arrive Fairbanks @ Thurs 1:56AM AT

Drive to Airport - 1:45
Flight 1 - 1:18
Layover 1 - 5:15
Flight 2 - 3:51
Layover 2 - 1:44
Flight 3 - 3:51
Total - 17hours 44minutes

Layovers 2

Marquette to Fairbanks - http://matrix.itasoftware.com/view/details?session=b8943bd8-c8e4-4346-8d25-a3bfa2c3b350
$1093.40/Ticket
Depart Marquette @ Wed 7:45AM ET
Arrive Fairbanks @ Wed 10:46PM AT

Drive to Airport - 0:30
Flight 1 - 1:35
Layover 1 - 1:15
Flight 2 - 4:00
Layover 2 - 2:30
Flight 3 - 2:37
Layover 3 - 3:13
Flight 4 - 3:51
Total - 19hours 31minutes

3 layovers

It depends on what you find more important, the ticket cost or a few hours and extra flights/layovers. You can get more convenient flights from Marquette-Fairbanks but the ticket cost goes up.

edit: There is a Delta itinerary from MQT to Fairbanks that leave at 6-something AM and gets in late afternoon, that is a very similar price to Iron Mountain. But with Delta flights out of Marquette, it looks like you're back to a 50-seater again, just like Iron Mountain. They seem quite similar.

You don't get the same advantage going to Fairbanks that you do going to Anchorage, since there is the direct Delta flight to Anchorage out of MSP. I don't think there is a direct Fairbanks flight, at least I haven't found one.

We just went to FAI, 6:20 departure, arrived FAI 4:07, layovers in Detroit & Seattle. Total time 13:47 and got there in time to go to the rink, unpack, skate and have a good dinner and get a good sleep. I should know. Did it just a little over a week ago. There was no advantage to flying from Iron Mountain, Escanaba or even Green Bay. I could have flown $125 cheaper from GB, but when you add $65 round trip for gas, $28 for parking and a meal each way, well, not worth the 3 1/2 hour drive each way to save $16!

 

[Squarebanks]

There are summer nonstop MSP-FAI and ORD-FAI on Delta and United, respectively. Doesn't do much good in hockey season, though.

Is it more of a challenge, yes. It is ****ing rocket science, no.

edit:
Iron Mountain to Fairbanks - http://matrix.itasoftware.com/view/details?session=b8943bd8-c8e4-4346-8d25-a3bfa2c3b350
$1270.70/ticket
Depart Iron Mountain @ Wed 2:10PM CT
Arrive Fairbanks @ Thurs 1:56AM AT

Drive to Airport - 1:45
Flight 1 - 1:18
Layover 1 - 5:15
Flight 2 - 3:51
Layover 2 - 1:44
Flight 3 - 3:51
Total - 17hours 44minutes

Layovers 2

Marquette to Fairbanks - http://matrix.itasoftware.com/view/details?session=b8943bd8-c8e4-4346-8d25-a3bfa2c3b350
$1093.40/Ticket
Depart Marquette @ Wed 7:45AM ET
Arrive Fairbanks @ Wed 10:46PM AT

Drive to Airport - 0:30
Flight 1 - 1:35
Layover 1 - 1:15
Flight 2 - 4:00
Layover 2 - 2:30
Flight 3 - 2:37
Layover 3 - 3:13
Flight 4 - 3:51
Total - 19hours 31minutes

3 layovers

It depends on what you find more important, the ticket cost or a few hours and extra flights/layovers. You can get more convenient flights from Marquette-Fairbanks but the ticket cost goes up.

edit: There is a Delta itinerary from MQT to Fairbanks that leave at 6-something AM and gets in late afternoon, that is a very similar price to Iron Mountain. But with Delta flights out of Marquette, it looks like you're back to a 50-seater again, just like Iron Mountain. They seem quite similar.

You don't get the same advantage going to Fairbanks that you do going to Anchorage, since there is the direct Delta flight to Anchorage out of MSP. I don't think there is a direct Fairbanks flight, at least I haven't found one.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

We just went to FAI, 6:20 departure, arrived FAI 4:07, layovers in Detroit & Seattle. Total time 13:47 and got there in time to go to the rink, unpack, skate and have a good dinner and get a good sleep. I should know. Did it just a little over a week ago. There was no advantage to flying from Iron Mountain, Escanaba or even Green Bay. I could have flown $125 cheaper from GB, but when you add $65 round trip for gas, $28 for parking and a meal each way, well, not worth the 3 1/2 hour drive each way to save $16!

Did you not see my edit? Or just chose to ignore it?

 

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

While I'm not sure how much it costs...airlines will also operate charters, so that may also be an option.

 

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

While I'm not sure how much it costs...airlines will also operate charters, so that may also be an option.

It's too expensive for most schools, and almost assuredly for WCHA member schools. If UAH could afford to do it, we would. As far as I know, we've traveled via charter twice — to our two NCAA tournament berths. I was on the second trip, and let me tell you, 59m gate-to-gate was pretty amazing. I shudder to think of what it cost, though.

GFM

 

[Jimjamesak]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

It's too expensive for most schools, and almost assuredly for WCHA member schools. If UAH could afford to do it, we would. As far as I know, we've traveled via charter twice — to our two NCAA tournament berths. I was on the second trip, and let me tell you, 59m gate-to-gate was pretty amazing. I shudder to think of what it cost, though.

GFM

UAA does charters for the Fairbanks trip AFAIK. They use one of the local regional airlines in exchange for discounted advertising.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

Charters are usually done by the mile or by the flight hour, so Alaska is prohibitive.

However, there are some charter companies out there that specialize in chartering college sports teams. Normally on a larger turbo prop like a Dornier, or a Saab or maybe a Dash 8.. it is still expensive, but competitive with busses when you consider driving around the lake adds a lot of miles.Trips such as maybe bowling green to Houghton or Bemidji. for those it makes sense.

the speeds are lower than a jet but with the distances involved it's usually about 1.5-2 hours and half the cost of a jet charter.
the way to get costs down is to use them a lot. if it's a one off thing, it's pretty expensive.

 

[Squarebanks]

UAA does charters for the Fairbanks trip AFAIK. They use one of the local regional airlines in exchange for discounted advertising.

Last couple of GC's they've gone commercial on Alaska. I've been on the same flights.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

Just saw an article that said that Carpenter (BGSU) broke his foot now. That has to be a pretty big hit for BGSU, as he's a pretty solid player. Wish I wouldn't have wasted a fantasy pick on him....or we drafted AFTER he was hurt the first time.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

he'll be back fairly quickly I assume. and since he hasn't played a game against wcha competition, how can he be one of the top players?

So far I'd have to give nmu the nod on being the best team in the league. They have done pretty well out of conference and will be a team no one wants to play down the road.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

he'll be back fairly quickly I assume. and since he hasn't played a game against wcha competition, how can he be one of the top players?

So far I'd have to give nmu the nod on being the best team in the league. They have done pretty well out of conference and will be a team no one wants to play down the road.

Carpenter was their top returning scorer....I think that might be the definition of "one of their top players"...

I haven't looked at schedules, but hasn't LSSU outperformed NMU pretty handily out of conference?

edit: LSSU swept Union on the road, a team that has been pretty **** good lately. Swept an admittedly weaker team at home in Robert Morris, and they got away from Wisconsin with one tie. NMU was swept at Wisconsin, split with a weak UNO team at home, and had a win and a tie against Western Michigan, which is pretty decent. I still think the LSSU resume is more impressive though.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA 3, Revenge of the Sieve (2013-14)

they have a better record, but against wisconsin, i'd give nmu the nod since wisconsin is not the same team they were prior to the goalie going down. NMU doing as well as they did last week at wmu was big.