Grin 'n' Bear it: Fans scramble for pricey Super Bowl trips

INDIANAPOLIS -- Jeramy Devasher was still inside the RCA Dome celebrating the Indianapolis Colts' ticket to the Super Bowl when he launched his own campaign to be part of what he calls "the game of a lifetime."

Immediately after the Colts' 38-34 AFC championship win over the New England Patriots, Devasher joined thousands of other Colts fans scrambling to find a way to Miami -- and a ticket for the Feb. 4 game between the Colts and Chicago Bears.

"I was calling people saying, 'Get on the Internet, start checking flights. You know, help me out here,"' Devasher said. "I'm almost 30 and I've waited a long time for this. Who knows when it will happen again?"

Getting a ticket to the game at Dolphins Stadium will be another matter. Devasher said he might be willing to pay up to $1,500, but is heading to Miami regardless of whether he can get a ticket.

Already, some premium seats are already being offered on eBay for up to $20,000.

Super Bowl XLI tickets may be going for record prices as fans scramble to get a seat for the Feb. 4 game between the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts. (CHARLES REX ARBOGAST ~ Associated Press)

Renny Harrison, co-owner of Circle City Tickets, said demand for Super Bowl tickets -- particularly among Bears fans -- are driving prices for the game to record levels.

The company's Web site listed prices of up to $9,000 each for lower-level seats at Dolphins Stadium, between the 25- and 50-yard lines. The cheapest were $4,150 for a seat in the upper level of the end zone section.

"Right now it appears it's going to be the most expensive Super Bowl ever, largely driven by the demand in Chicago," Harrison said. "Indianapolis fans I think are going through a little bit of sticker shock right now."

Among the fans who'll be heading south without a ticket is 30-year-old Josh Andrews, one of 16 friends who've rented two RVs and will be driving the 1,200 miles to Miami. He said it would be cheaper to fly to Miami, but more fun to make a road trip of it.

No member of the group had tickets to the game, but he said just being part of the crowd outside Dolphins Stadium would be worth it.

"I wouldn't miss this for anything," he said. "We're just planning on hanging out. If we can find tickets at a decent price, we'll get them. If not, we'll just hang out for the party."

For some well-off fans, money is no object.

By midmorning Monday, Indianapolis-based Grueninger Tours & Cruises had sold out a 170-passenger charter flight from Indianapolis to Florida for the Super Bowl, company spokeswoman Debbie Clason said.

That $5,599, four-day package includes tickets in the upper end zone at Dolphins Stadium, three days in a luxury hotel in Naples, Fla., and a game-day party cruise of coastal Miami before the yacht moors to deliver the guests to the game. The trip requires a $500 deposit.

"The plane is full, but we're working to find more tickets and more space on another plane because we know there's the demand for it," Clason said.

For high rollers with no spending limit, prices could go far higher.

A company that caters to the well-heeled, carefreelifestyle.com, is offering VIP packages -- Super Bowl tickets not included -- for a minimum of five nights in luxury settings. The $75,000 Platinum Package offers a waterfront mansion for 10, a private chef, a choice between a Lamborghini Gallardo and a Bentley and entry to a party thrown by Dallas Cowboy Terrell Owens.

For average football fans, Super Bowl Sunday will likely be spent at home or their favorite hangout, such as Blue Crew Sports Grill, a Colts-themed eatery with a horseshoe-shaped bar.

Everett Myers said he and his two co-owners of the restaurant may end up drawing straws to determine which two members of the trio get to head to Miami, and which one remains behind to run the business.

"If they let me go and not have to stay here and work the grill, I'll be there," he said.