Open Stack

On Wed, Mar 02, 2016 at 04:11:48PM +0000, Alexis Lee wrote:
:Walter A. Boring IV said on Mon, Feb 22, 2016 at 11:47:16AM -0800:
:> I'm trying to follow this here.   If we want all of the projects in
:> the same location to hold a design summit, then all of the
:> contributors are still going to have to do international travel,
:> which is the primary cost for attendees.
:
:My understanding is that hotel cost tends to dwarf flight cost. Capital
:city hotels tend to be (much) more expensive than provincial ones, so
:moving to less glamorous locations could noticeably reduce the total
:outlay.
:
:EG 750 flight + 300/night hotel * 5 nights = 2050
:   750 flight + 100/night hotel * 5 nights = 1250
:
:(figures are approx)

Not sure howmuch cost optimization is reasonable to attempt.  It is
true hotel costs in the current arrangement have been a multiple of
flight costs for me at least.

It's also true that hotels in secondary cities tend to be cheaper (not
sure if they're 1/3 though).

If we are going to consider detailed costs, we should also consider
that flights to secondary cities are more expensive.

A semi random pricing comparison of Manchester -vs- London from Boston
USA (picked the dates of Austin summit since that about the time
distance I book things for)

BOS->LHR $900 (nonstop) + London hotel ($250 * 5)      = $2150
BOS->MAN $1200 (1 stop) + Manchester hotel ($120 * 5 ) = $1800

So it is cheaper but $350 on a week's travel isn't a stay or go choice
here.  For different city pairs and times this will all move around
so with out more detailed comparisons this is still pretty sloppy but
I don't think the cost different enough to be significant.

I think availible facilities and local OpenStack community should be
larger factors in location selection than this level of travel cost
optimization.

-Jon