the thing that bothers me today...

[mensane]

I am so frustrated. I was looking at the Tenclub site and reading about these “travel packages” that you can purchase for the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on">London</st1:City> or <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Munich</st1:place></st1:City> shows. A friend of mine emailed me to ask if I would do some searching to find out exactly how big of a rip off these are. It just really disgusts me that the Tenclub is letting this company sell these packages.
For example:

PEARL JAM
DELUXE TRAVEL PACKAGE
LONDON, UK
JUNE 17 - 19, 2007
3 Days // 2 Nights
*2-night deluxe hotel accommodations @ The Cumberland
*GA ticket OR reserved ticket within first 5 rows, Section S6 for June 18 show @ Wembley Arena (please specify upon registration) See Seat Map (http://pearljam.fanasylum.com/londonmap.pdf)
*Transportation to and from the show
*”Bootleg” cd of show
*Welcome party
*Pre-show party
*Special gift item & souvenir laminate
*24-hour on-site host <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

This package costs $2650.00 for two people. If you booked it yourself, the room is $406 per night. Ok…so that covers $812. Tickets are what- $120 for a pair? I have no idea how much transportation is, but the hotel is right near a Tube stop, so that isn’t really an issue. $30 for a couple of bootlegs. Okay, so I can’t approximate how much the Welcome/Pre-show parties are. The special gift item…what is that? So, I came up with $962 for 2 people. There is no way the Welcome/Pre-show parties, special gift item, and transportation is worth the additional $1688.00.
<o:p></o:p>
Okay….
So the thing that really frustrates me is that this is the sort of thing that I would love to do. I do this for people now and don’t make any money doing it. Just knowing that this is my dream job and not knowing how to make it happen kills me. I don’t want to be a typical travel agent. I don’t want to work on commission. I love the challenge of finding the best deals. If I were making a percentage of the cost, there would be the incentive to book higher priced accommodations. I like planning the whole thing. The hotels, the flights, the transportation, the maps….my tour folders are legendary. Everything you could possibly need for the whole trip in an obsessively organized manner. This is what I want to do….personalized tour planning. I just don’t know how to make money doing it.
<o:p></o:p>
Grrr….sorry….just a bit of ranting this afternoon…..thanks for listening.

[panthergirl]

i don't mean to be simplistic...
but isn;t there a way for you to do this??

you have a great idea for a niche business that you know so much about.
the idea is already there...what would it take to make it happen??
you could actually do something you love and make money doing it.

have you done any research online to see if anyone does this...??
you need a travel agents license? a business plan of some sort.
i'm sorry i know nothing about this stuff but
i think it's a brilliant idea and i want you to do it.

:nervous:

[oblio]

maybe this special gift item is a one night romp around the
hotel room with Mrs. Vedder(or Mr. or both depending on your
sexual orientation)??

it does sound like an insane amount of money to be paying for so little
in return.

[reallygroovN]

how many of us need to tell you that you should do this?????????

i mean, comeon - there aren't any hotels near wembly so that you dont even need transportation? that price is outrageous for a hotel room and a ticket - not even two tickets - one ticket.

i would always go on a trip put together by inSane tours! i have already :)

[panthergirl]

http://stores.channeladvisor.com/badlands-pre/Concert%20Trips/
http://www.qtravelshop.com/index.htm
http://concert.travel/default.asp

those are in england, i guess... but i was just doing a quick search...

[csmooth24]

sarathan records would use you!

[MonkeyBrains]

I'd imagine that they'd be geting a group discount on the hotel rooms too, so you could slash some cash off them..
It'd depend on where the welcome & pre party was I guess.. It might be somewhere super swank (I highly doubt it thought) & is costing a fortune..
Special gift item.. Um, poster maybe??
I'd email them & ask them what I was getting for my money!!!!!

We lived not far from Wembley, I could see it from my window..

Go for it Saney!! Then organise for me to get over tot he US again, real cheap!!

[A*FallsInMay]

that price is outrageous for a hotel room and a ticket - not even two tickets - one ticket.


Yeah, I mean they don't even have cooler surfing as part of the package! And what about bags of ice/sprinklers for when you are so hot you think you might die? Rubbish! Bollocks!

I would go on your trip over theirs anyday. Can I get an official tent setting-up concession from your company?

Seriously, though. I too think you have a great idea and should seriously seek out your options. I do think that the tenclub has good intentions though. They recognize that a lot of us travel to their shows and are offering us a way to make things as hassle free as possible. Is it unfortunate that the company they chose only has deluxe (overpriced & unaffordable to me) options available? Yes. But maybe it's because there aren't any mid-range/economy things out there. So go for it!

[MonkeyBrains]

Rubbish! Bollocks!



You're turning into one of them!!

[A*FallsInMay]

You're turning into one of them!!

Nah, I say these things sort of tongue-in-cheek. When I went home for break, I didn't have the urge to say them at all. It was brilliant. Ha.

[Highway23]

This is horse sh*t at its best. Is this tour being sponsered by Pepsi or Coke? Jesus

I, like you Shaley, find this completely insane. To think that it would cost that much, I would be expecting non stop alcohol in my room, hookers, a pink flamingo in the bathroom, a 8 course meal 5 times a day, more alcohol, and a chance to run through Eddie's clothes. Oh yeah, and to get on stage and be able to sing/play guitar with the boys.

Then, I would feel like I was getting my money's worth.


Shaley, I would really look into doing something like that. Being a small business and one that does well is not by ripping of customers but treating them the best. Money starts to fall when you are getting it going. That'd be totally awesome

and I know of about 20-30 people who would be calling you up when they were ready to take a trip :)

you could even hook them up with concert tickets and shit like that...man..that'd be AWESOME!

[MonkeyBrains]

I would be expecting non stop alcohol in my room, hookers, a pink flamingo in the bathroom, a 8 course meal 5 times a day, more alcohol, and a chance to run through Eddie's clothes.

When (and I say WHEN) I come & stay at your place, this, THIS is now what I'm expecting.. Especially the pink flamingo.. And getting to try on your pants!! YeeHAH!!

[Highway23]

for shizzle

Ask Dom and Roberta...they've had a share of the boulie pants :)

[mensane]

thanks guys. we (me and my good friend with a reputable fan based website) are going to look into this. i just talked with our sales manager for a while to get his feedback and ideas. who knows, by the next U.S. tour, we might have something.

if this happens, be prepared to have ideas bounced off of you....

[mensane]

http://stores.channeladvisor.com/badlands-pre/Concert%20Trips/
http://www.qtravelshop.com/index.htm
http://concert.travel/default.asp

those are in england, i guess... but i was just doing a quick search...

thanks for this. i think my issue is that i dont think we could do ticket packages for pj since most people would do fanclub tickets. (unless tenclub were involved.)

[panthergirl]

awesome!
you have my wholehearted support
and I want to be a charter member.

{{shaley!}}

[Highway23]

bah, you can actually get tickets just as good as the tenclub tickets for the right price.

Judging from the shows that I have been to, there is easily a price to pay...and I'm thinking that though tenclub members get the "best" seats, there are also plenty of seats down there that are saved to the house.

there is no way that ALL house seats are given to the band. I just don't see that happening.

[mensane]

so...i just called the number listed on the package information....
they dont know yet what the "special gift item" is. she said in the past it has been a t-shirt or program. the transportation is a chartered bus. she said the hotel is approximately 45 minutes from the venue. i dont know where wimbley is, so i dont really know how true that is. i asked about the welcome/pre-show parties. they have appetizers and they will give each person a few drink tickets.

hmmm...still not worth $1688.00

[Highway23]

holy shit...

I hope that the dopes on Synergy aren't buying this crap

I just threw up a little bit in my mouth

[Highway23]

maybe it's in Pesos?

[MonkeyBrains]

The Cumberland is central London, (Hyde Park, Oxford St) Wembley is Nth West from there.. Getting to Wembley would involve a quick walk to Marble arch tube station, a change at Bond St onto the Jubilee line & then straight out to Wembley..
I think it'd take about 45 mins at the least by bus, probably longer depending on what time you were heading out there.. It'd take about the same time on the tube..

[merlin]

And these prices dont include airfare, correct?

[mensane]

correct.

Cost of package does not include air transportation to London, UK. We can assist with booking your airfare; please contact us for details. Do NOT book your travel until you have received a reservation e-mail from us, returned all travel package documents and received our confirmation e-mail stating we have received all your travel package documents. Please note you are not confirmed on the travel package until you receive this confirmation e-mail.

and for the record, this is NOT tenclub. the phone number is for a company in california (although they do answer the phone as pearl jam travel or ten club travel or something). i just wonder if tenclub realizes how much these people are charging above actual costs. and how much of a cut does tenclub get?

[merlin]

Wow...those prices are ridiculous. I thought they were high without doing any investigation, and now that Shaley has shed some light on them, they seem really inflated.

[Highway23]

didn't Rubysdad post about this?

I assume they know all about it...

there is a nice long 8+ thread on this, on synergy...it looks as though people aren't buying it...

[Not_Trapped]

people will pay this...that is why they can get away with it...

shaley...you need to find a way to do this for a living...you are wonderful with it.

[prism]

you can bounce idears off of me anytime Shaleybabe. okay so i never get to go outside of my tiny little corner of the country, but there's zillions of places that i'd like to see, and I have on occasion been known to have an idea. and cheap i do cheap well




this is right up your alley

[yer ardy]

i agree with dominic, shaley...this type of thing is perfect for you and you'd be so good at it, everyone would be jealous! :)

what's sad is that there ARE people maxing out their umpteenth credit card to make this trip/package happen. i mean, if you've got disposable income or you are a trust-fund baby, then go for it but there's a lot of people who totally and completely cannot afford something like this but will go into debt just for the sake of being there....pleh.

someday those bills will have to be paid.

[Buannan]

correct.

Cost of package does not include air transportation to London, UK. We can assist with booking your airfare; please contact us for details. Do NOT book your travel until you have received a reservation e-mail from us, returned all travel package documents and received our confirmation e-mail stating we have received all your travel package documents. Please note you are not confirmed on the travel package until you receive this confirmation e-mail.

and for the record, this is NOT tenclub. the phone number is for a company in california (although they do answer the phone as pearl jam travel or ten club travel or something). i just wonder if tenclub realizes how much these people are charging above actual costs. and how much of a cut does tenclub get?
if ten club is getting a cut, they sure as hell can afford to hire a few more people to ensure the next ticketing debacle works more smoothly...can't they?