I was thinking the same as all of you, that the prospect of so many people may have prompeted the change. And it wasn't just the racers but their camera crews as well. Either way it sure wasn't Tina. I was laughing at that.

siggie by ARnutz
bounced by Icey

It costs alot of time and money to make a spur of the moment change like that...now like someone else in this msg mentioned if Amazing Race producers lets them know well in advance (airlines makes its schedules/equipment choices 120 days in advance) then its plausable to make such a change.

Welcome aboard!

I agree that the airline made the decision to switch to a bigger plane when they realized they had a large group of people show up with TV camera crews, 30 or so seats filled and good PR when the episode airs. One person making noise at an airport doesn't prompt that sort of change.

Which leads me to wonder if the producers of the show give any heads up to the airlines that a bunch of Amazing Racers are coming there way

Don't know.

But I imagine there is a heck of a lot of who are you people and what is with all the cameras type of conversations that they cut out before the business as usual stuff they put on the air happens.

I can't believe no one ever asks what the heck is going on.

That IS so funny that we never see that happening (the surprised looks and questions). Maybe it is a lot of good editing I was thinking about the camera crews too at the very beginning of the race, when they kicked off the race from LA and all the contestants ran for their cars. There weren't even shadows of the camera crews on the ground!

Tina is a hag, and just worsened her standing (yes, what standing?) in the group by constantly bragging that she helped everyone. I especially loved it when she said, "you don't have to pay me!" Yuck!

Not that I have an opinion one way or another ;)
Signature by tribephyl

The flight was oversold. GOL already made their money due to the over sale...its a game the airlines play...they sell more seats than the aircraft holds hoping not everyone shows up...but when they do its a HUGE mess...thus what happened here with the teams...with other airlines and flights the norm would not be to switch to a larger plane...and as a stated in my initial post there more than likely were other issues not shown on tv that caused the switch..namely a mechanical...trust me I have worked in the aviation industry for 2 years and in my years have NEVER seen our carrier switch a/c to accomodate more passengers...not to say that what you mentioned is not true.

I defer to your superior knowledge of airline operations.

now your in the know..

And I will say "no way" to the prior dominant opinion. cmakla has his opinion of how Brazilian airlines schedule and that opinion is different from mine(based on years as a travel agent and international traveler). I consider it highly likely that the following scenario unfolded:

1. First, Jim Bracchitta the recap writer is all wet with his statement "only to discover that the only scheduled flight to Fortaleza wasn't leaving until hours later at 11:30AM." That was the only TAM flight that morning, but there were 0645 and 0945 flights on GOL from Salvador to Fortaleza, both with stops in Recife.

2. World Race Productions was not idle prior to an Amazing Race 13. They calculated all the logistics throughly and they knew weeks before teams started the race that 40 people(2 team members, one camera one sound for each of 10 teams) would want to leave on the 0645 plane. They had to have communicated that to GOL Airlines.

3. GOL was being coy in the "we're switching to a bigger plane" charade since they had planned to do that all along. They just wanted to get the credit on camera in what I consider to be a staged drama.

4. I guess you can also infer my opinion of Tina's non-role in the entire charade based on what I have just said.

LAST EDITED ON 10-07-08 AT 06:44 PM (EST)

>And I will say "no way"
>to the prior dominant opinion.
>cmakla has his opinion of
>how Brazilian airlines schedule and
>that opinion is different from
>mine(based on years as a
>travel agent and international traveler).
>I consider it highly likely
>that the following scenario unfolded:
>
>
>1. First, Jim Bracchitta the recap
>writer is all wet with
>his statement "only to discover
>that the only scheduled flight
>to Fortaleza wasn't leaving until
>hours later at 11:30AM." That
>was the only TAM flight
>that morning, but there were
>0645 and 0945 flights on
>GOL from Salvador to Fortaleza,
>both with stops in Recife.
>
>
>2. World Race Productions was not
>idle prior to an Amazing
>Race 13. They calculated all
>the logistics throughly and they
>knew weeks before teams started
>the race that 40 people(2
>team members, one camera one
>sound for each of 10
>teams) would want to leave
>on the 0645 plane. They
>had to have communicated that
>to GOL Airlines.
>
>3. GOL was being coy in
>the "we're switching to a
>bigger plane" charade since they
>had planned to do that
>all along. They just wanted
>to get the credit on
>camera in what I consider
>to be a staged drama.
>
>
>4. I guess you can also
>infer my opinion of Tina's
>non-role in the entire charade
>based on what I have
>just said.

You are a travel agent. You have NEVER worked the front lines of operations at an airline. You deal with the schedules, pricing, and logistics of the travelers needs. I myself have worked for 2 years at a domestic carrier along with 6 months training with an international carrier and deal with the day to day running of an airline and in my years:

1) Have never seen a carrier just change a plane size for a group. We try to accommodate as many as we can on one flight communicating with the group leader that there may be a chance of a split up.

2) The only time we did a plane swap was due to a mechanical. And that depended on if we had another plane ready at another gate. And it could be smaller thus creating a whole other problem. An over sale for pax who had seats on the regular plane now wanting an explanation as to why they will have to take another flight or sleep in a hotel room. Something you travel agents do not have any hands in. And when the pax calls you guys you never give them a straight answer, but more run around.

The only thing you were correct on was points number 2 and 3.

So I suggest you know something before you post against someone who does have first hand knowledge in the airline industry. Which I do.

Is this Dan?

And I suggest you learn a little bit about the guidelines on this forum. Bashing other posters is not permitted here, and if you want to continue posting here, you will stop now.

If I were married to Tina, I would cheat, too...that is, if I weren't driven insane by her nagging and her obnoxious arrogance and self-serving BS. I was glad Terence stood up to her and was upset taht he apologized - the only thing he should have apologized for is that he didn't yell louder.

At least we have our villains for this season. And surprisingly, they're competent. Damn you and your one-upsmanship, Bruckheimer - that is, until Ken tries to second-degree someone.

Congrats Red Wings! 2008 Stanley Cup Champions!

Our fellow posters with all the airline knowledge above have seemed to overlook the most obvious premise:

The airline was in on the joke!

The good money is on the fact that the Producers asked the airlines to tell the racers that there was only one seat left to see what they would do. Would one person grab the lone ticket? Would they all race feverishly to another ticket counter? Would they ask to be on "stand-by"? Would Tina eat her young?

The whole time there were plenty of seats on the regularly scheduled large plane that was worked out months prior, and those that hung around long enough (everyone!) got one!

All this from somebody who was NEVER a travel agent OR worked at an airline....go figure.

>Our fellow posters with all the
>airline knowledge above have seemed
>to overlook the most obvious
>premise:
>
>The airline was in on the
>joke!
>
>The good money is on the
>fact that the Producers asked
>the airlines to tell the
>racers that there was only
>one seat left to see
>what they would do.
>Would one person grab the
>lone ticket? Would they
>all race feverishly to another
>ticket counter? Would they
>ask to be on "stand-by"?
> Would Tina eat her
>young?
>
>
>The whole time there were plenty
>of seats on the regularly
>scheduled large plane that was
>worked out months prior, and
>those that hung around long
>enough (everyone!) got one!
>
>
>
>All this from somebody who was
>NEVER a travel agent OR
>worked at an airline....go figure.
>

The flight only had one seat left and a stand by list was being generated....info obtained on an inside database.

With all due respect, is it any surprise that an official database for the airline confirms the official story (even if concocted) as presented for broadcast? None of us really buy the story that was broadcast, and we appreciate your input, but BOY has brought up a significant point. Namely:

If, in coalition with the TAR production company, the Brazilian airline company knew well enough in advance that they would need a bigger plane for that route on that day, and not being a US airline company subject to US rules and air traffic conjestion and business demands and rules and regulations, which it being a Brazilian airline company operating in Brazil the case could certainly be made (as well as a case could be made that maybe Portuguese doesn't translate exactly into English), isn't it possible that the airline was in on the joke well enough in advance that it could have had a larger plane there anyway and just pretended they didn't? Would they oversell as if it were a normal day with a normal-size aircraft with that route, etcetera and so on?

I really do respect your knowledge of airline operations, what I ultimately question is only just how that knowledge applies outside the US and, in particular, whether it encompasses unusual situations such as being filmed for TV broadcast or cinema.