Getting to game tough for fans, also
A travel company scrambles to book hotel rooms in New Orleans for islanders
From some indications, getting tickets to the Big Easy is going to be far from its namesake.
Hotel space is already tight for travel packages because many people have already booked rooms in anticipation of the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, said Ray Miyashiro, president of local travel agency Regal Travel Inc.
"I'm not sure we'll have enough for the demand," Miyashiro said yesterday. "We'll know for sure later. We're just trying to finalize everything in a day or two."
Regal operators started working at 1 p.m. yesterday in anticipation of calls from customers looking to reserve tickets to see the University of Hawaii Warriors battle the University of Georgia Bulldogs on New Year's Day.
"We normally don't work on Sundays, but we knew that they'll be calling," Miyashiro said. "But instead of waiting and getting stuck without packages, we worked well in advance."
Miyashiro said his company had already made hotel/air packages in anticipation of the Warriors' BCS bid to the Sugar Bowl.
The basic packages, which include air, hotel, tickets and transfers, can run up to $2,700, he said.
"We have a limited amount of group packages, and we have basically been in communication with our primary clients," Miyashiro said. "We're also booking people on an on-call basis. We're constantly monitoring all space availability at the hotels."
Operators at Panda Travel Inc., another travel agency, were not available. Its Web site, pandaonline.com, states that the company has a waiting list.
"We will retain your phone number and e-mail address on a waiting list and will contact you if and when a package becomes available," the Web site says.
The University of Hawaii athletic department has set up a Web site with information on how to buy tickets. Tickets can be bought at eTicketHawaii.com or at the Stan Sheriff Center ticketing office on the Manoa campus.
Vacations Hawaii said through the UH Web site that it has a limited amount of Sugar Bowl packages that start at $1,999 per person. It includes an American Airlines round-trip ticket with four nights at a hotel.
Packages were also offered on Bigeasy.com, the official travel company of the Sugar Bowl. The Web site promised more inventory by this morning.
The Louisiana Superdome has a capacity of 72,000. Tickets were on sale on eBay and Craigslist.org as well, running up to more than $300 per ticket.