If you were to start booking a SB trip...

[Irv]

2 minutes ago, Just Jack said:

 

It's a little over 20 hour drive for me, depending on traffic and weather.  But flying would be more expensive.  

Dude.  You're paying $7K per.  Just fly.  

[strive_for_five_guy]

14 minutes ago, Just Jack said:

 

Trust me, I thought of that, and that's why I put "If" in the thread title. 

 

 

I'm divided, go for what could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see them live in a SB, or go to Buffalo for what could be a week-long party if they win. 

I’d wait for the party for multiple reasons.  If you go to the game or even just Nola and they lose, you’ll have spent a ton of money and be sick to your stomach.  If they win, you’ll have just as much fun or more spending the days after in Buffalo, and spend way less money.

[ticketssince61]

Book whatever you can now as long as refundable

 

For airlines, try and use freq flyer miles or if using $ at least buy on an airline you fly frequently so can re-use the dollars for another flight

 

Hotels are really expensive for Sat and Sun night - $750+ even for dumps if there is even any availability. After each round of playoff games, check the hotels as fans of losing teams who had tentative hotel reservations will be cancelling them

 

I am a season ticket holder so hoping to get from lottery but even then not sure would go

a) face value is a few grand

b) the opportunity cost of not selling them

c) all of the other travel time and expenses

 

On the other hand... the chance to see a super bowl win ...

 

[RyanC883]

if the hotel is refundable and flights go back to credits (that you will use), do it now.  

[Westside]

23 hours ago, boyst said:

StubHub allows sales of sports and concerts up to 1 hour after the event has begun. I've used this to get fire sale prices for various things. $35 4th row seats to Fleetwood Mac but I missed the opening song. 

Cheap skate! lol 

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

The only way I go to the game is if I "win" the opportunity to buy face-value tickets in the STM lottery.

[Kirby Jackson]

Hey, if anyone is looking for advice on restaurants, hotels, neighborhoods, tours, etc in New Orleans, feel free to PM me. I spent 13 years there and am happy to help with trip planning. I think, God willing, the Bills do make it, I’ll start a thread with all of the thoughts in one place. 

[RiotAct]

On 1/6/2025 at 9:02 AM, BuffaloBillyG said:

As long as you make sure everything you reserved is refundable, no harm in booking early. Prices only go up the closer you get to an event.

nope. Case in point: the last several Wild Card games in Orchard Park

[BuffaloBillyG]

13 minutes ago, RiotAct said:

nope. Case in point: the last several Wild Card games in Orchard Park

If you are solely talking tickets, you are correct. People want to move the tickets 

 

When booking travel for an event like the Super Bowl, a WrestleMania, ect. the closer to the event (months out be weeks out) and the more scarce things like lodging becomes the more the price is raised to take advantage of last minute travelers desperation. 

[beebe]

When buying Super Bowl tickets, the sweet spot - generally - is to buy roughly 2-4 days before the actual game. There are a few graphs circulating from prior Super Bowls with data to back this up. Last year's Super Bowl in Vegas, the optimal time to buy was Friday at noon. Tickets largely dropped in price until that time. Then from that point forward, as tickets became more scarce, the prices shot up 20-25% from their lows. 

 

The prior year, in Arizona, the optimal date to buy was Saturday. 

 

The optimal time to buy for the Super Bowl in LA if memory serves was gameday.

 

The optimal time to buy for the Super Bowl in Miami was Thursday (maybe Friday). 

 

NFLonLocation I have found to be the best place to buy tickets. If you call them directly, they'll generally work with you a bit with discounts on fees as well. I've used them for three different Super Bowls and found their prices to be best. They also come with a VIP pre party whereas some tickets from other resellers do not. 

 

Size of stadium matters. Barring something unforeseen, I think it will be best to wait this year. The SoFi and Phoenix Super Bowls both had capacities above 70k. Miami and Las Vegas were closer to 60k. And in Miami and Vegas, both stadiums allot a ton of seating to clubs, premium lounges, etc. It's no surprise that Miami and especially Vegas trended toward the more expensive side. New Orleans will seat more than 70k. 

 

The one caveat here is that if it's Bills vs Lions, or Bills vs Vikings, the Super Bowl drought and starved-for-success fans could be far more likely to buy up tickets and drive up price. If it were Packers or Rams, and to a lesser extent Eagles, I think it would be on the cheaper end.

I have found the best way to gauge timing is to go to a site like OnLocation and track how many tickets are available each day. For the first full week, you'll notice that ticket inventory will be pretty stable. Sometimes ticket inventory actually increases the first week. But then it will get lower and lower. You'll know when it's time to fire when you start to see drastic drops in availability.

Edited yesterday at 04:56 PM by beebe

[Albany,n.y.]

I'm waiting until the clock hits 0:00 in the AFC Championship game & then it's right to the computer.  I'm torn between paying the big bucks & doing the full NFL On Location with hotel for 15-17 grand, or trying a cheaper way like spending Saturday in Houston & taking morning flight to N.O.  The best hotels are all taken by travel agents & the NFL.  Be careful booking a hotel in N.O.  Read the reviews 1st, some are pretty dreadful. 

Edited yesterday at 05:02 PM by Albany,n.y.

[Heitz]

The agency I work for is doing a bunch of activations at the SB this year - I def have space reserved on an airbnb floor should the conditions warrant. I'm also on vacation until the 7th, so might need to fly from Banff to New Orleans, again, should the conditions warrant.  

[RiotAct]

1 hour ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

If you are solely talking tickets, you are correct. People want to move the tickets 

 

When booking travel for an event like the Super Bowl, a WrestleMania, ect. the closer to the event (months out be weeks out) and the more scarce things like lodging becomes the more the price is raised to take advantage of last minute travelers desperation. 

that’s true, I was just thinking tickets and not travel-related expenses 

[Straight Hucklebuck]

On 1/6/2025 at 8:57 AM, Just Jack said:

when would you start making reservations and looking for tickets?  Now, before playoffs start? Or after the Conference Championship?  

Whatever you do, don't tell the Bengals you're doing this. 

[Mango]

We’ve talked about this at home since Allen arrived.
 

As cool as the SB would be to attend, I’d rather watch the game in Buffalo. If the clock were to strike 0:00 with a Bills win I’d much rather be with my people.
 

Also would you rather be at some generic expensive party hosted by Shaq or whatever and a million strangers who have never been to Buffalo? Or the one where they have to grease the lamp posts?

Edited yesterday at 06:12 PM by Mango

[Charles Romes]

On 1/6/2025 at 8:59 AM, RobbRiddick said:

I'd wait until they're at least 21 points up in the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl. I like a sure thing

we were up 21 v the Lions in the fourth and I was sweating bullets - for good reason!

[DaggersEOD]

I’ve read (here actually but can’t recall the poster) that the best thing to do is bet $200 when the season starts for the Bills to win the AFC Championship Game and the Bills to go to the Super Bowl. 
 

Payout is around $20k, which would cover the cost of going to a Super Bowl. 
 

Obviously doesn’t help this year, but I expect to be in the Super Bowl hunt for a few more years minimum!

[BearNorth]

On 1/6/2025 at 12:16 PM, Mr. WEO said:

 

the SB is its own huge draw--hence the minimum of $7000...

Corporate bigwigs hosting investors and their counterparts from their largest customers. Not real price sensitive.  Also Mardi Gras is Mar 5th, so the Big Easy will already be well into party mode.

[Mr. WEO]

4 minutes ago, BearNorth said:

Corporate bigwigs hosting investors and their counterparts from their largest customers. Not real price sensitive.  Also Mardi Gras is Mar 5th, so the Big Easy will already be well into party mode.

 

Some of that maybe.  But there is no shortage of NFL fans who can spring for $7000 seats.

 

Mardi Gras is a month later.

[Drew21PA]

On 1/6/2025 at 9:04 AM, Mr. WEO said:

already too late---minimum price of admission is $7000+.  plenty of cheap rooms available though if you want to just be "Super Bowl adjacent"...

I know I’d just go for the Bills parties - would be awesome to party with the mafia