Getting to Oklahoma City . .

[chopper602]

My daughter is, again, representing the UK in the Ladies Amateur World Highland Games competition. She came second last year, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and with there being 6-7 competitors from Europe we were hoping it might be held over here this year. It's being held in Oklahoma City in 2024.
We used BA Newcastle > Heathrow > Dallas > Tulsa. BA decided not to bring our baggage to America so we were without it for 4 days. Then 'cos it was the daughters 21st the day after the comp we went to Vegas for a few days - this end went fine (seven flights - not one on time, BA the worst, AA staff surly).

Can anyone come up with a better way than Newcastle > Heathrow > Dallas > Oklahoma and hopefully with someone other than BA ? Leaving from Teesside would be ideal and that would mean Including Schiphol, but I have no problem with that.

If you've ever thought Tulsa might be an interesting place, don't, 24 hours is as close as I want to get again . . .

Edited by chopper602 on Tuesday 9th January 13:19

Edited by chopper602 on Tuesday 9th January 14:02

[anonymous-user]

Have you thought about going via Dublin? Means you keep going in the right direction and you can clear US customs there as well, meaning you are treated as a domestic arrival in the US.

[chopper602]

Bluequay said:

Have you thought about going via Dublin? Means you keep going in the right direction and you can clear US customs there as well, meaning you are treated as a domestic arrival in the US.

I've had a look, but limited flights to Newcastle might mean a lengthy transit

[Truckosaurus]

Bluequay said:

Have you thought about going via Dublin? Means you keep going in the right direction and you can clear US customs there as well, meaning you are treated as a domestic arrival in the US.

And should be cheaper as no UK air passenger duty to pay (have to do the UK to Ireland leg on a separate ticket).


Edit to add: you could do something similar by flying from Newcastle to Amsterdam, for example.

[wrencho]

it's surely more straightforward, and therefore less likely to encounter a hiccup, to fly LHR DFW and drive the 4 hours to Broken Arrow? I would assume you will save the time on the Tulsa leg by not having a layover.

Adding legs is a recipe for disaster (not that it should be).

[chopper602]

wrencho said:

it's surely more straightforward, and therefore less likely to encounter a hiccup, to fly LHR DFW and drive the 4 hours to Broken Arrow? I would assume you will save the time on the Tulsa leg by not having a layover.

Adding legs is a recipe for disaster (not that it should be).

I have considered that. It's less than 200 miles to OKC, I'd have to factor that in for the return leg too as I'd have to return the car to the same place

[wrencho]

Generally more fun to drive through somewhere than fly over it where practical to do so if you ask me. One less chance for BA to lose your bag and you can get yourself a massive truck in the process!

[chopper602]

For last years trip, as it was multi-leg, with hotels and cars, I employed the service of a local personal travel agent, which made the whole trip easier. She has given me a price for this years trip and it follows the route we took last time. I don't want to be in the position of losing luggage again, hence the reluctance to use BA. We can't take her hammer boots (heavy boots with steel blades sticking out of the front) as hand luggage. Luckily we split them up last year and they arrived after only two days. The competitors bag arrived after the competition, but we did get to buy lots of equipment (and clothes and wash-kit for four) and got it refunded by AA

[Mortarboard]

American airlines uses DFW as a hub, and it's a 5 hour drive to Tulsa. Simplest option. Multi-hpur drives in the US are easy (occasional roadworks notwithstanding)

M.

[chopper602]

The event is taking place in CHOCTAW, OK in 2024. The web address is https://unitedscotsok.com/festival

It's a bit strange watching, what is, grown adults playing dress-up in kilts, some of whom take it very seriously . . . it was even weirder at the first event we attended in Germany

[alangla]

Not sure when you’re going, but if the dates fit then how about driving to Edinburgh, then Delta to Atlanta and on to Oklahoma City. For a random date in June it’s saying about 8:45 to Atlanta and 2:15 from there to Oklahoma City.

Unfortunately Edinburgh to Atlanta appears to be seasonal

[Chucklehead]

KLM/Delta NCL through Amsterdam and Atlanta is 2 stops and probably the fastest you are going to get to OKC. Otherwise it's BA through Heathrow and Dallas, as already said.

It's not really cheaper to go through Atlanta via Dublin and would also be an unprotected transfer, so I'd skip that option - unless you were looking for business/1st as there'll likely be more of a saving.

[chopper602]

Trip isn't until mid-October and only then if we can afford it . . . did a crowd-fund last year, which helped but it's still expensive for one day event. You get a hotel at the venue but no other expenses.
She's doing an international competition in France in June, but there is prize money, assistance with travel expense and she's doing a talk to some French school kids and gets paid for that! (Driving to that one though!)

[chopper602]

Bringing this thread full circle, I've actually booked a return trip from Teesside > Schiphol > Atlanta > Oklahoma City, but it's not cheap. Car hire is included as I'm told Oklahoma City is so vast and bereft of public transport that it's a must. Now just have to find something to do on the days not in competition, as there seems to be not a lot of interest . . .

[K50 DEL]

OKC is a nice place from what I remember (it's a few years since I was last there)

I'd make sure to do the State Capitol tour (I've probably done 40 or so different Capitols now and they're all excellent, especially if the legislature are in session and you can spare a 1/2 day to watch.

I also spent time at the OKC memorial and museum, I remember the bombing and found the museum fascinating

Dinner and drinks in Bricktown was fun too

There's also a bunch of different museums and a couple of nature reserves, I should think you could kill a week in OKC itself pretty easily but as you're in the area with a hire car, make the most of it, get off the beaten track and explore all the little places where they'll likely never have heard an English accent for real before.

I've covered 40k miles or so of road trips through 48 states over the last 20 years and never been bored!

I'm over here now actually, about to set off from Indiana into Ohio, with a dinner stop planned at a diner in a tiny little backwater in rural farm country Indiana.

[acer12]

I think you need to reconsider how you are viewing this trip, turn it from a need to into a looking forward to mentality.

I call myself lucky to have worked for a deep south hq'd company and make a few trips there every year. The only reason I am happy to put myself through the travel inconvenience is the opportunities to explore that part of the US, I find rural US fascinating. As a car forum who can not love the country effectively built around the car, dont think I would live there but love exploring it.

My recommendation for you is to add on a few days and explore, there is so much to do and see off the beaten track; OK is on route 66, take a spin down to Dallas (a really boring city but highlights is the grassy knoll), go for a hike on one of their many trails, try get a local sports game / nascar in, airplane museum, oil museums, head to tulsa to see the golden driller. Options are endless.