Author Topic: Last Episode?  (Read 72675 times)

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Offline VegasSinner

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #75 on: September 10, 2009, 04:45:40 PM »
Not in a really good place to post, but here's just a little additional information on Vegas:

Passed by the Hollywood Chapel and the previously mentioned Chapel of the Bells on the Strip, negative response from both. The gentleman at the Chapel of the Bells says he recalls a production crew about a month and a half back (filming both outside and inside the chapel), but later adds that it was probably for a poker advertisement.


Chapel where Elvis lives.   lol

Offline walkingpneumonia

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #76 on: September 10, 2009, 10:07:25 PM »
Not in a really good place to post, but here's just a little additional information on Vegas:

Passed by the Hollywood Chapel and the previously mentioned Chapel of the Bells on the Strip, negative response from both. The gentleman at the Chapel of the Bells says he recalls a production crew about a month and a half back (filming both outside and inside the chapel), but later adds that it was probably for a poker advertisement.


Chapel where Elvis lives.   lol

Hmmm, if I was looking for Elvis - I'd go to Graceland... :elvis:

http://www.gracelandchapel.com
From there to here, and here to there,
funny things are everywhere


Offline Chateau d If

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #77 on: September 10, 2009, 10:55:12 PM »
I know there are several Elvis wedding places but I 'm going to put this one out as the one:  Graceland Chapel




Its location:

619 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89101

Google maps says it is 14 min from the airport

The flight from Chicago UA 551 (fastest route from Prague) landed at 2:07 pm.  If things going likitysplit then I can see them getting up to this chapel by about 2:30 pm.   :jam:



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Offline VegasSinner

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #78 on: September 27, 2009, 03:00:46 PM »
I know there are several Elvis wedding places but I 'm going to put this one out as the one:  Graceland Chapel




Its location:

619 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89101

Google maps says it is 14 min from the airport

The flight from Chicago UA 551 (fastest route from Prague) landed at 2:07 pm.  If things going likitysplit then I can see them getting up to this chapel by about 2:30 pm.   :jam:



Maybe I guessed right!

You are correct!!

Offline puddin

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #79 on: September 27, 2009, 03:27:28 PM »
Thanks VegasSinner!  :jumpy: Good job as always Chateau  :jam:


Offline apskip

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #80 on: September 27, 2009, 04:22:11 PM »
I know there are several Elvis wedding places but I 'm going to put this one out as the one:  Graceland Chapel




Its location:

619 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89101

Google maps says it is 14 min from the airport

The flight from Chicago UA 551 (fastest route from Prague) landed at 2:07 pm.  If things going likitysplit then I can see them getting up to this chapel by about 2:30 pm.   :jam:



Maybe I guessed right!

I agree that UA551 landed at 207pm on August 7. Now the people who think that anyone can get to a taxi with camera/sound equipment checked, drive an average 14 minutes to the Strip through afternoon traffic and reach the Graceland Chapel in 23 minutes please raise your hand. They would be lucky to get it done in 53 minutes UNLESS WRP provided 3 more camera/sound crews so teams did not have to wait for the ones following them on the plane to get checked equipment. That is the only way that 23 minutes would be conceivable.

Offline Chateau d If

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #81 on: September 27, 2009, 04:33:22 PM »
I know!  Sometimes it takes more than 23 min to just off the plane.  But what other option is there?

The 2:30 pm time is also a rough remembrance.  So you could conceivable tack on 10 min of uncertainty to the 23 min.  Does 33 min sound better?
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Offline alittlebird

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #82 on: September 27, 2009, 06:16:47 PM »
If you keep off the strip, 23 minutes is possible.

Offline VegasSinner

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #83 on: September 28, 2009, 02:56:54 PM »

I agree that UA551 landed at 207pm on August 7. Now the people who think that anyone can get to a taxi with camera/sound equipment checked, drive an average 14 minutes to the Strip through afternoon traffic and reach the Graceland Chapel in 23 minutes please raise your hand. They would be lucky to get it done in 53 minutes UNLESS WRP provided 3 more camera/sound crews so teams did not have to wait for the ones following them on the plane to get checked equipment. That is the only way that 23 minutes would be conceivable.
[/quote]

Not possible at all!  There is too much traffic here every day/every hour on and around the airport and the strip.  An hour at least from plane to chapel, with or without camera crews.

Offline Slowhatch

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #84 on: September 28, 2009, 07:02:48 PM »
FlightAware has 551 landing at 14:01. Did I read it wrong? Or are there better sources available?


Offline georgiapeach

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #85 on: September 28, 2009, 09:32:53 PM »
This is what flightstats has:

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Offline alittlebird

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #86 on: September 28, 2009, 09:58:12 PM »
Note: Taxis are usually easier to get at Terminal 2. 

And I have personally driven all the way downtown from the airport in under 30 minutes.

Offline georgiapeach

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #87 on: September 28, 2009, 09:59:14 PM »
I am starting to think we may need a different flight.
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Offline VegasSinner

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #88 on: October 01, 2009, 03:09:54 PM »
Note: Taxis are usually easier to get at Terminal 2. 

And I have personally driven all the way downtown from the airport in under 30 minutes.

I've lived here all my life, and on a Friday afternoon...waaaaaaay too much traffic.  lol

Offline alittlebird

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #89 on: October 02, 2009, 07:08:32 PM »
Friday?

Offline apskip

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #90 on: October 02, 2009, 07:17:18 PM »
 I expect that World Race Productions has edicted that all teams take the same flight combination from among these 4 flight combinations to get from Prague to Las Vegas:

Leaving Prague at either 1550 or 1625 and going nonstop to Paris-CDG on CSA 4766 or AF4907 or their codeshare equivalents and arriving at 1735 or 1815
Connecting at CDG to AF8 or several codeshare equivalents to go nonstop to JFK, departing 1910 arriving 2110. Then for most cases there is an overnight transfer to Newark, followed by an early morning departure from Newark to various places. Having to transfer from JFK to EWR in the middle of the night on a bus is cruel and unusual punishment, so whether teams are required to do that depends on WRP's view of this (diabolical sneaky way of tiring teams out or not).

Here is the list of airport codes in alphabetical order for the codes (not the cities), the flights taken to get to them and the connecting flight from there to Las Vegas for those connecting cities that arrive from 1pm to 130pm on Friday August 7:

CLT - dep. EWR UA1581 0545 0646  to  US1789 1120 1258 (actual arrivla 8/7 was early at 1231)

IAH - dep. EWR CO611 0545 0812  to  CO197 1150 1307 (actual arrival 8/7 was 1304)

MSP - dep. EWR DL2721 0606 0811  to  DL 2726 1150 1322 (actual arrival 8/7 was 1351)

The one that does not use the PRG to CDG to JFK connection are:

SEA - PRG FRA LH5261 1335 1505  to  FRA SFO LH9186 1725 1953  to  SFO SEA UA52 UA52 2245 0045  to  SEA LAS AS604 1040 1307 (actual arrival 8/7 was 1258)

« Last Edit: November 29, 2009, 10:25:58 PM by apskip »

Offline Chateau d If

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #91 on: October 03, 2009, 12:23:38 PM »
Apskip, You have two different flight numbers and takeoff times for your PRG to FRA.  I suspect the one you meant is LH 3261 taking off at 1:55 pm.

I'm having trouble believing that teams would take those flights because if they were to just sit and wait around a few hours at Prague's airport then they could take a flight sequence that lands them at Las Vegas faster than any of your flights!  

As Neobie has already pointed out there is this faster flight sequence to take starting on August 6th:

OK 702 to Madrid, 2005-2255
IB 6401 to Mexico City, 0120-0605
MX 990 to Las Vegas, 0710-0900

So why would they choose a slower flight?   :duno:
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Offline apskip

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #92 on: October 03, 2009, 02:00:48 PM »
Chateau,

You are quite aware of the fact that WRP creates situations where the time of release from the pit stop can create environments for teams to make suboptimal flight decisions. TK and Rachel in AR12 were famous for that.

However, the main reason why teams would not get on the latest and quickest set of flights is lack of knowledge by either a travel agent, airline ticketing agent or racer. If you ask for the schedules for PRG LAS, you would get an array that most certainly does not include any of my flights and also not yours. That is no surprise since we developed them by leg by leg to get the best possible results. Airlines reservations systems do not always do that, particularly if 3 or 4 legs are required or if it is not a "normal" way of going from point a to point B. It would be easy for teams to take a less than optimal routing/schedule.

On the specifics of Madrid to Mexico City, the array of alernative flights offers me these:

IB6403 1250 1805
AM002/UX3221 1430 1945
MX1587 1510 2050

There is no mention of any IB6401, although it is obviously close to a real flight number for a different time.

When I check the Iberia Airlines timetable, there is no mention of IB6401. The only Iberia plane which landed in Mexico City yesterday, a Friday, was IB6403. However, it is possible that IB6401 was terminated between 8/7/09 and 10/2/09. In fact, Flightstats does indicate that flight for departure from MAD 0120 and arrival in Mexico City 0616.

So, you have an obscure though real flight and an obscure route. How could people miss it? Easily. I did and I did an exhaustive serach of the US and Canadian largest airports but never gave any thought to whether major Mexican airports should be included. Why would a travel agent think of it?

I am not about to toss my above routings and schedules just because they are not the absolute best. We will see what actually happens. The latest departure I was able to develop was 1625. If it turns out that the pit stop release was after 1530 and before 1900 , then the only possible alternative will be your routing.

Offline georgiapeach

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #93 on: October 03, 2009, 02:54:16 PM »
Remember too that last season the routing was pre decided. While the racers were not aware of it, when they requested a flight to Hawaii, the booking agents ALREADY had their names on the list. Suggesting to me that even if there was a team who discovered a better flight...chances are good they would not have been able to take it.
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Offline theschnauzers

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #94 on: October 03, 2009, 09:09:21 PM »
I would think, or at least hope, that teams would try to get the fastest possible connection that allows them to clear US customs before they reached Las Vegas.  Is there anything that fits that scenario and gives the teams time to get to where and when they were seen in Las Vegas?
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Offline apskip

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #95 on: October 04, 2009, 07:14:12 AM »
the schnauzers,

Sure, they is about a dozen flight combination that all have one thing in common:
they depart from Prague on August 6 in the MORNING and they arrive Las Vegas before midnight.
Since those did not fit the parameters I was using (arrival between 10am and 2pm August 7), I discarded them. If a flight arrived before 10am, like MX990 from Mexico City, I ignored it but I can tell you that there was only the one through JFK transferring to Newark, then goign Newark nonstop to Lsa Vegas that I recall doing the same.

Offline puddin

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #96 on: November 29, 2009, 08:00:23 PM »
:bump:

Offline apskip

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #97 on: November 29, 2009, 10:04:27 PM »
It is clear that the ep. 11 finish time for Brain/Ericka is in the dawn of Aug. 6. I am going to guess that with sunrise at 536am they finished around 5am. With a 8 hour pit stop, they would release at 1pm. Getting to the Prague airport 6 miles from downtown wouild take maybe 20 minutes at that time of day. With an allowance of 1 hour for getting tickets, through security and boarding, they could get a flight after about 1420. I expect that World Race Productions has edicted that all teams take the same flight combination from among these 4 flight combinations to get from Prague to Las Vegas:

Leaving Prague at either 1550 or 1625 and going nonstop to Paris-CDG on CSA 4766 or AF4907 or their codeshare equivalents and arriving at 1735 or 1815
Connecting at CDG to AF8 or several codeshare equivalents to go nonstop to JFK, departing 1910 arriving 2110, then an overnight transfer to Newark, followed by an early morning departure from Newark to various places. Having to transfer from JFK to EWR in the middle of the night on a bus is cruel and unusual punishment, so whether teams are required to do that depends on WRP's view of this (diabolical sneaky way of tiring teams out or not)

Here is the list of airport codes in alphabetical order for the codes (not the cities), the flights taken to get to them and the connecting flight from there to Las Vegas:

CLT - dep. EWR UA1581 0545 0646  to  US1789 1120 1258 (actual arrival was early at 1231)


IAH - dep. EWR CO611 0545 0812  to  CO197 1150 1307 (actual arrival was 1304)

MSP - dep. EWR DL2721 0606 0811  to  DL 2726 1150 1322 (actual arrival was late at 1351)


The rest that do not use to PRG to CDG to JFK connection are:

SEA - PRG FRA LH5261 1335 1505  to  FRA SFO LH9186 1725 1953  to  SFO SEA UA52 UA52 2245 0045  to  SEA LAS AS604 1040 1307 (actual arrival was 1258)

I know that Chateau thinks the quickest route through Mexico City is the way to go, but my perspective is obviously different. We'll see in one week if either of us is right.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2009, 10:28:51 PM by apskip »

Offline Chateau d If

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Re: Last Episode?
« Reply #98 on: November 30, 2009, 03:56:47 AM »
Mexico City?

No.  Read what is in the timeline table:  For August 7th

Neobie's Prague to Frankfurt, LH 3267: 0600-0710 then Frankfurt to Chicago, UA 945: 0825-1033 then Chicago to Las Vegas, UA 551: 1153-1339

And until something better comes along, that's what I will stick with, thank you very much.
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