Super Bowl XLV: The Ultimate Man Date

Guest post by Beth Feldman


Editor's note: Although, I would love to attend the Super Bowl event, in reality I will watching the  Super Bowl with my family at home.  How will you spending it?

Ask any football loving fan what their dream date would be and nine times out of 10 he'll say tickets to the Super Bowl. As my father-in-law always says, "you can't put a price on a good time," so if you're considering biting the bullet and treating your significant other to the ultimate "Man Date," follow this game plan and you'll come up a winner:

Super Bowl Tickets - You can reserve seats for the big game on StubHub - Ticket prices start at $2200 all the way up to nearly $400,000 for a coveted spot in the Hall of Fame Suite. If you've just won Powerball, then the Super Bowl Hall of Fame option is definitely for you. The best thing about Stub Hub is that fans are constantly buying and selling tickets on the site so you should keep checking back to see what's available or hedge your bets, and lock in right now!

Flights - While you can always hit the websites for your favorite airlines, my suggestion is to head over to Trip Advisor where you can select whether you'd like to take a non-stop or connecting flight and they arrange everything by price. Plus, there are ratings by customers on which flights they prefer.

Hotel Reservations - Head on over to the Arlington, Texas website which has detailed information on hotels in the area. You can aim for the Ritz Carlton, Hilton or a motel (if you've blown all your cash on the Super Bowl tix.)

Rental Car - If you're flying into Dallas/Ft. Worth airport, then head on over to RentalCars.com for a breakdown of all the rental car facilities near the airport. That way, you can choose from a diverse array of options and price points.

Parking Finding parking at a football game is never easy, and the Super Bowl is no different. Luckily, ParkWhiz.com has the scoop on Cowboys Stadium parking with over 40 Super Bowl parking locations for you to choose from. The site is super easy to use, and you can print you parking pass instantly - no worrying if the Postal Service will deliver your ticket on time.

You can even win free parking for the Super Bowl by entering ParkWhiz's Twitter contest. Follow @ParkWhiz on Twitter, re-tweet this link http://bit.ly/gBPrxv and be entered to win. One winner randomly selected.

Things to Do While in Arlington - If you're in town for the weekend, visit the NFL Super Bowl website for details about some great charity events taking place throughout the weekend that feature appearances by NFL players. Plus, the City of Arlington's official website also offers suggestions for attractions and dining options in the area.

So there you have it - treat your significant other to the ultimate "Man Date" and by the time Valentine's Day hits, you should be on the receiving end of something big and sparkly.

Disclosure: The post was sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer's Network.

Play Safe Buying Bears/Packers Championship Tickets

The Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois alerts fans purchasing tickets to the upcoming Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers NFC championship game on Sunday to be cautious when buying tickets online.

According to StubHub.com the secondary–ticket market is a $10 billion dollar a year industry which includes professional brokers, speculators and season ticket holders. Because many of these sellers are not licensed or bonded and are often found on unregulated online auctions, online classifieds, and bulletin boards using person to person sales sports fans need to be more skeptical and on the alert.

“Chicago Bears fans need to do their research before spending large amounts of money on NFC Championship tickets,” said Steve J. Bernas, president & CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois. “Sports fans are often blinded by their devotion to their team and run the risk of putting their trust in a seller that doesn’t deserve it.”

In the past twelve months alone, there have been 171 complaints filed and more than 20,000 inquiries to the BBB about companies in the “Ticket Sales – Events” category.

If you are considering buying tickets on the secondary market, the Better Business Bureau offers the following tips to ensure a successful transaction:

·         Check to make sure the broker is licensed as required in the state of Illinois.

·         Avoid paying cash for tickets in person from a stranger in case the tickets

may be counterfeit.

·         Do not ever wire funds for payment.

·         Deal only with brokers that provide clear details concerning the terms of the transaction.  For instance, you should know up-front the amount of the surcharge for each purchase; whether the tickets are guaranteed; how they will be sent to you and the timeframe for delivery; and the broker’s refund, rescheduling and cancellation policies. 

·         Check if the ticket broker is a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) and the Better Business Bureau.

·         Visit several Web sites to compare prices and ticket availability for the event you’re interested in attending. 

·         Do not buy tickets from Internet sites that are not secure or lack a privacy policy; fail to disclose their refund, rescheduling and cancellation policies; do not provide a telephone number and fixed place of business; or insist on cash payment.

·         Verify the location of the seats on a seating chart provided by the venue to avoid purchasing non-existent seats or seats with obstructed views.

·         Pay with a credit card or another secure form of payment so you can dispute the charge with your credit card issuer or bank.

“The most common way sports fans are getting scammed online is by either paying for counterfeit tickets or tickets that never arrive,” added Bernas. “Even if the tickets do surface, they are sometimes not for the seats the seller advertised – which can mean being stuck with seats that aren’t next to each other, up in the nosebleed section, or with an obstructed view.” 

For more information on finding ticket brokers you can trust, visit www.bbb.org