Travel Lessons From Tom Brady
Tom Brady has accomplished a lot in his life. He’s won six Super Bowls, hosted Saturday Night Live, and started a family with a loving wife who also happens to be the world’s highest paid model. The man’s even managed to endorse Ugg boots without looking entirely ridiculous.
This Saturday, Brady achieved something else remarkable, seemingly bending the physics of time and space to attend two marquee sporting events that occurred 1,600 miles apart.
Brady started the day in Louisville, where he attended the Kentucky Derby with teammates Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and Rob Gronkowski.
Derby time with the boys!
Posted by Tom Brady on Friday, May 1, 2015
Then, demonstrating the impeccable clock management that’s served him in countless two-minute drills, he jetted off to Las Vegas for the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight.
#MayPac king of kings #TomBrady pic.twitter.com/gp70IavnLy
— Jesse McMonagle (@LordMcMonagle) May 3, 2015
Tight schedules mean fewer workable travel options and higher trip costs. That’s true whether you’re trying to see the biggest race and the biggest fight of the year on the same night, or just trying to make it to a big meeting on time. And while there are many things separating Tom Brady from us mere mortals – important, insurmountable things including but not limited to talent, looks, wealth, and the adoration of millions of fans – he doesn’t possess any mysterious travel secret: just a private jet, and a familiarity with these common sense travel best practices we see Rocketrippers use every day.
Travel with Teammates / Coworkers<
Sharing a rental car, hotel room, or Airbnb with colleagues is a great way to cut down on travel costs. Brady did a (relatively) frugal thing by splitting the cost of his private jet with some very athletic coworkers. It’s unclear whether he also saved a few extra bucks by shacking up with Rob Gronkowski, but if he did, he probably would have ended up having the room to himself: no way Gronk goes to Vegas and doesn’t stay out all night.
Leave Early
Julian Edelman tweeted a picture of the Patriots on board their jet to Vegas with a timestamp of 6:50 PM EST. Post time at the Derby was 6:45 PM. The winning horse, American Pharaoh, took another two minutes and three seconds to cross the finish line. That would give the Pats less than three minutes to get from Churchill Downs to the tarmac. It seems likely that Tom and the gang left early.
@RobGronkowski @DannyAmendola @Zegna left derby now to the fight rocking out to that #geazy #patsboomsqaud pic.twitter.com/82njPrB3ZV
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) May 2, 2015
Even if you don’t have a prize fight to catch, it pays to get an early start on your travel plans: flights that depart before 7:00 AM are often the cheapest on a given route.
Take Advantage of Last Minute Deals
Hotel rates in Las Vegas plummeted in the days before the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, as many people who couldn’t get tickets cancelled their travel plans. When the fight was announced, rooms in the host venue, the MGM Grand, were going for a minimum of $1,600. But the night before the big event, that had come down to $499, and several properties around Vegas had rooms available for under $200.
Is it possible Brady – the king of the last minute comeback – took advantage of a last minute deal site like HotelTonight or Priceline?
Skip the Checked Bag
Sure, Tom Brady can probably afford a $25 bag fee. But on such a tight schedule, what he couldn’t afford was spending time waiting at baggage claim. Based on the photographic evidence, it appears that Brady did pack at least one change of clothes. During the day he wore a Derby-appropriate cravat and blazer, and by fight night he’d switched to a leather jacket and jeans.
There’s not much of a lesson here for business travelers, just another reminder that Tom Brady is the coolest.
Featured image by Flickr user Keith Allison
