Rangers put Penguins to shame, still rip off fans
A few weeks ago now, I explored the fantastic travel package that the Pittsburgh Penguins were offering their fans. It was something like $3,000 PLUS airfare.
At least the Rangers are including the flights as they screw you.
For $3,625, you get the following:
- Roundtrip air from New York, NY (JFK) to Prague, Czech Republic. Departs JFK on Thursday, October 2nd; Returns on Monday, October 6th
- Departing from JFK is a preference, not guaranteed. This flight could depart from Newark, NJ (EWR)
- Three night accommodations at the Hilton Prague Old Town Hotel
- Check in Friday, October 3rd and check out Monday, October 6th
- Reserved upper level tickets to the Rangers vs. Lightning game on Saturday 10/4
- Reserved upper level tickets to the Rangers vs. Lightning game on Sunday 10/5
- Roundtrip deluxe game transfers
- Exclusive access to the Rangers’ morning practice on Saturday with Rangers alumni
- Prague Castle Tour on Sunday morning
- Roundtrip deluxe airport transfers in Prague with porterage
- Daily breakfast at the hotel
- Official Rangers Deluxe Gift Bag
- Premiere Corporate Events staff pre-planning and on-site to assist
- Passport required for international travel
- All taxes and porterage fees included
- Limited number of lower level ticket upgrades available
The Rangers have partnered with Premiere Corporate Events to bring you this once in a lifetime experience.
If nothing else, this at least seems like a better deal because airfare is included
Once again, let’s break this down (remember 1 US Dollar= 17.5 Czech Kuronas).
- Round-trip flight from New York City to Prague on Delta with a stopover: $848 plus fees, taxes, etc. from Priceline.
- Hotel from Friday to Monday: $259.87 per night, or $849.76.
- Reserved upper level tickets to both games: Games are sold out, but people I’m assuming are reputable ticket brokers have them as low as the admittedly steep price of $148 a pop.
- A ride to from the airport: $50?
- A ride to the rink: Call it $60. I figured $15 both ways for both nights if it’s on the high side.
- Castle Tour: If you were going by yourself, it’d be $25.70 for the long tour and an English-speaking tour guide.
- Morning skate with Rangers alum: A morning skate costs $6 where I go. But the inclusion of Jeff Beukeboom and Darren Turcotte makes it “Priceless.”
- Breakfast: Assume $60, just like in Sweden.
- Deluxe gift bag: Assume a $50 value, even though it won’t be that much.
That leaves us with a grand total of $2,097.46.
Total markup: $1,527.54, or 72.8 percent. What a steal.
At least the Rangers also offer a package without airfare that costs $2,525. Even if you use the $848 airfare, you still get out cheaper than the deluxe package.
It’s not Penguins-grade price gauging, which was almost 100 percent PLUS airfare, but it’s close.
Once again, I implore you: stay home.
September 10th, 2008 at 9:18 am
I’ll be the homer here, but to the Rangers defense, when they do those giftbags and stuff, they are ususally loaded with some good stuff. Even the free ones I’ve gotten for various season ticket holder events have had like $100 worth of stuff in there. I would think/hope they’d go a little further on these, but of course it’s all a guess. It still doesn’t mean much, as they’re still making a ton off of any suckers going out.