| PCRI Tech Tips
from Oh Pawlak
Tech Tips from Oh Pawlak is a monthly column that deals with the every day
equipment dilemmas that Paintball players face. The opinions expressed within
this article are not necessarily the opinions of PCRI. Have any questions
for Oh? Call 916-482-GAME.
"Travel Tips for the Tournament
Player"
Tournament throughout the world must concern themselves
 with
the rigors of traveling as well as the competition on the field. The average
tournament player will travel to 3-5 major events throughout the year. This
traveling usually involves the use of an airplane of some sort. As a result,
a tournament minded player should follow some key steps when planning out
their yearly agenda.
1. The first step a player should take is the choosing of a travel agent.
Most people feel they can shop around and "grab" the best deals. Ironically,
most travel agents who have "regular" clients can usually reserve the lowest
air fares without the hassles of calling around every other day. In addition
to keeping themselves abreast of the lowest air fares, travel agents are
best suited to "bend" the rules for their steady clients. Sometimes this
involves paying for a ticket after the deadline or changing a ticket without
losing out on a low fare. Every tournament minded player should sit down
in the beginning of the year and decide on the events they wish to attend.
Write these dates and destinations down and forward them to your travel agent.
He or she will then be able to keep aware of specials and low fares as well
as low costs on rental cars and hotels.
2. Once you have decided on the events and on a travel agent, sit down and
figure out which airlines best fill your needs. The majors will be best suited
to accommodate your traveling needs for the larger tournaments like the NPPL
events, while the smaller carriers will be able to handle your local and
regional stops. Make sure you sign up for the frequent flier programs for
all the airlines. This doesn't cost anything and can usually result in several
free tickets. Last year, I traveled such an enormous amount of miles that
I received 8 free tickets.
3. Along with frequent flier programs, most airlines will give groups a 5-10%
discount on their lowest air fares. This may sound like pennies, but when
you do the math it comes out to about $300 per 10 player team. At an average
of 3-5 events per year, this could mean savings up to $1500. How many of
us would make one or two extra phone calls foe $1500?
4. Finally, try and sign up with credit cards that offer frequent flier miles
for every dollar spent on the card. Not only do they offer frequent flier
miles, but some cards offer free tickets or two for one coupons for their
members. A little research could mean the difference of paying for 10 tickets
or getting a coupon or a two for one pass and paying for 8 tickets.
When the critics say you're not good enough to play this game...PROVE THEM
WRONG!!!
Oh Pawlak
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