Looking for advice on air fare & rooms

[Skeeter]

I'm heading to Vegas this summer, and I've started the long search for cheap air fare. I've always had good luck with expedia and travelosity, but still feel like I could have gotten cheaper rates.

What are some of your tips for saving money on flights.

And while on the subject, I could use tips on how to get the cheapest room rates in Vegas as well. Taking my brother for the first time, so probably looking to stay on the strip.

[Jorddyn]

Originally posted by Skeeter
I'm heading to Vegas this summer, and I've started the long search for cheap air fare. I've always had good luck with expedia and travelosity, but still feel like I could have gotten cheaper rates.

What are some of your tips for saving money on flights.

I think you're searching too soon. I've found that the best rates seem to happen 2 months or so before travel. Right now, they're in the standard "see if the plane fills up"* rate. Next will be the "we need more butts in the plane"* rate, and finally the "HAHAHAHAH you're desperate"* rate. I say check the sites every 2-3 weeks to see what you can find, but don't expect low rates for June until at least late March/early April.

Jorddyn

*technical industry terms

[Parkbandit]

I don't think anything is cheap from Ohio.. but there are plenty of great packages you can get via a travel agency. Normally.. the flights are at late/early times and the rooms are off the strip.. but CHEAP is key. I took my management team to Vegas one year from CT. I think we spent like $200 per person for 3 day 2 night stays.. airfare and hotel all included.

I bet you can find good deals if you google like Cheap Vegas Vacation or something along those lines.

I will say though.. that hotel rates across the country will be higher this year than the past 3 years as the industry tries to get back to the pre- 9-11 average rates. I'm talking double digit growth here. They estimate we have about 18 months of this great rate growth and then supply will finally catch up with demand.

Yahoo.. bonus for 2005


[Edited on 1-4-2005 by Parkbandit]

[The Cat In The Hat]

I booked a flight from VA to Ct with just over a weeks notice through orbitz.com. Round trip with 3 nights at the Raddison hotel, cost = 358.00

Check Orbitz, definatley. I always use them and have never had any problems.

[Edited on 1-4-2005 by The Cat In The Hat]

[Chelle]

When going to Vegas we have always found that MLTvacations is always the cheapest and they provide discount coupon books to use while in Vegas. And on the plane you can buy Show tickets in advance at a discounted price as well. It's literally saved us hundreds of dollars.

The best place to stay, in my opinion:

One of the last few times we went (it was late winter, early spring) we stayed at Ceasars Palace, and when we got there they upgraded our room to a Jacuzzi Suite. It was sweet. Ceasars Palace is very hospitable, and really take care of you especially during the off seasons. Granted its sometimes a little more expensive to stay at Ceasars than say Excalibur, but it's well worth it. Oh and their Buffets are THE best, especially the Breakfast Buffet. Yum yum. And of course the Forum Shops are loads of fun if you like to shop, like I do!!! :D And so close, dont have to get in the car and drive, just go downstairs and go shopping!! Weee! A girls paradise I tell ya! Send the dorky husband to the BJ table and the shops are all yours for hours and hours and hours! Okay I'll calm down before I send myself into spazims.

The worst place in my opinion:

Excalibur, because there is always millions of lil noisy brats running round. The rooms are crappy and old looking. (Probably because of those brats.) Or at least they were when we were there. You couldn't PAY me to stay there again. It was noisy. Their Roundtable Buffet sucks. But what I (do) like is their dinner show with the jousting. The food is good and the show is good. You should go to that show when you go to Vegas.

The best place to stay if you dont want to shell out the bucks for Ceasars is, in my opinion.

Luxor, because the service is great. The rooms are very nice, clean, and comfortable, and pretty to look at. Especially if you are an Egyptology nut like I am. The snack bars and little restaurants are easily accessable. Their buffet is yummy and worth the price. Its affordable and worth the money. Their pools are spectacular. However, there are a few kids running around but they have a special spot for them so it isn't such a bother. They have IMAX theatres and arcades that keep the brats out of the way. hehe. I love their little shops. They've got a few good shows too.

I've been to Vegas 9 or 10 times. I stayed at the Luxor 3 times, Ceasars 2 times, Golden Nugget 2 times, Excalibur, Plaza, and The NewYorkNewYork. The Golden Nugget is really nice and affordable too. I notice lots of old people like to stay Downtown near the Freemont Experience. I guess cus their old school Vegas goers. And the NYNY was just too crowded and noisy. The room though was very nice. The workers there aren't as hospitable though. I wouldn't stay there again.

The funny thing is... I don't gamble. Just not into it. I might play a few slots, or some video poker, but that's just for entertainment, not expecting to win anything. I go for the shows, shopping, and dining.

Shows I like are:

American Superstars. They are very good impersonators, and you can buy a dinner with it for a discounted price.

Crazy Girls, is a good interesting show, but when we went you could hardly see anything on stage the lighting was a bit dark, for some reason. It is a topless show.

Lance Burton the Magician is a good one.

LeFolies Bergiere is a good show, but my husb didn't care for it much. I liked it alot. It's a topless show too. You'll find most of the shows are topless.

In the summer its hotter than a blazing oven in hell so dress lightly. :D

Here's some good websites to check out:

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/

http://www.worryfreevacations.com/


If you got any questions, maybe I can help some so just U2U me.

[Skeeter]

get this. flight from Dayton (where I live) to Vegas with 1 transfer in the natti. 260.

Driving my own ass the 60 miles to the Natti to get on THE SAME FUCKING FLIGHT 340

[Chelle]

http://www.worryfreevacations.com/

Provides hotel & airfare in their package and its very cheap. I live in Oklahoma. Last time we went it cost us around $600. bucks total for me and my husband and that included hotel room and we stayed at Ceasars Palace.

[Brattt8525]

DON'T FLY DELTA!!!!!!!! no matter how cheap they offer you tickets............:whistle:

[TheRoseLady]

This is a timely topic for us as well. We are going from Columbus to San Fran then either to Vegas or Tahoe before we head home.

My husband just told me to start looking at the alternatives.

BTW, we stay at Harrah's properties. Rio, Harrah's, Ceasar's and I forget what else. They have properties all over the country so when we go to other cities, chances are our comp cards are valid there as well.

[Jolena]

Originally posted by Chelle
http://www.worryfreevacations.com/

Provides hotel & airfare in their package and its very cheap. I live in Oklahoma. Last time we went it cost us around $600. bucks total for me and my husband and that included hotel room and we stayed at Ceasars Palace.

w00t! Not often I see people from Oklahoma. Not that ya know..it's such a happenin place. Hell all we have going for us is the Sooners.

[Ylena]

Five words of advice, regardless of where you end up staying:

Dont. Gamble. On. The. Strip.

Seriously. Go downtown.

The Bellagio buffet is expensive, but worth every penny.

If you're willing to consider non-Strip hotels, think about the Orleans. Big rooms, reasonable rates. Restaurants in it are good. Terrible's liquor store in there is cheapcheapcheap. Short cheap cab rides to Strip and to Industrial Road Adult Entertainment.

[Caramia]

Look for "package" deals, to save money.

Summer in Vegas is off-season, so the room rates are generally cheap, cheap cheap Sunday through Thursday. They make more money off you drinking, eating, and gambling. About 8 years ago I got a corner jacuzzi suite at the Luxor, during a weeknight in late July, for $79. A bathroom the size of a small studio apartment, a huge bedroom, a small sitting room, and an elevated jacuzzi against the windows, with a view of the mountains.

http://www.luxor.com/superset.php3/accommodations/jacuzzi.php3

In season and on weekends, the room goes for $169 - $359.

[DeV]

Originally posted by Chelle
Excalibur, because there is always millions of lil noisy brats running round. The rooms are crappy and old looking. (Probably because of those brats.) Or at least they were when we were there. You couldn't PAY me to stay there again. It was noisy. Their Roundtable Buffet sucks. But what I (do) like is their dinner show with the jousting. The food is good and the show is good. You should go to that show when you go to Vegas.

When I went to Vegas last year I stayed at the Excalibur and it was a really nice experience all around. The Jacuzzi suite was awesome and the room we stayed in was really nice as we were at the end of the hall as it was a corner suite and it was dead silence the entire week I was there. I actually wondered at some point if we were the only ones on the entire floor. The Medieval Times dinner and show were entertaining and the food was good and very filling so I definitely agree with you there. Sucks you had such a bad experience staying there... must have been that time of year for them.

I'm wanting to try the Luxor this year.. but its still up for debate.

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Ylena
Five words of advice, regardless of where you end up staying:

Dont. Gamble. On. The. Strip.

Seriously. Go downtown.



Come now.. depends on what games you are playing. Most games don't have worse odds on the strip or off.. so where you play makes no matter.

Personally.. I would never play games like Slots anywhere.

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Caramia
Look for "package" deals, to save money.

Summer in Vegas is off-season, so the room rates are generally cheap, cheap cheap Sunday through Thursday. They make more money off you drinking, eating, and gambling. About 8 years ago I got a corner jacuzzi suite at the Luxor, during a weeknight in late July, for $79. A bathroom the size of a small studio apartment, a huge bedroom, a small sitting room, and an elevated jacuzzi against the windows, with a view of the mountains.

http://www.luxor.com/superset.php3/accommodations/jacuzzi.php3

In season and on weekends, the room goes for $169 - $359.

Or work for a big hotel chain and get a room from $0-$79 year round.

:whistle:

[The Cat In The Hat]

When I was in Vegas we stayed at the Luxor, it was hardly a year old at the time but I loved it. I took TONS of pictures. if you want I can scan em and post some. Definatley a nice place to stay.

[Skeeter]

Last time we were there we stayed in the Luxor. It was the wife's first time and she loved it. I've also stayed in the Excalibur which was ok, and Circus Circus which was definately a step down from Excalibur. Oddly I don't even have kids.

We're close to a big Delta hub, so I may try them, but I'll be sure to be angry about it to support Bratt. ;)

[Jazuela]

We stayed at the Excalibur and noticed a lot of kids too. But it wasn't unbearable (and that's saying a lot for me - I can't stand little rugrats). The room was old, but clean, and we spent a lot of time at the OTHER hotels anyway so it didn't really matter. I think we paid $49 a night for 6 of the 10 days we were there, and $79 a night for the other 4 days. That was for the Memorial Day week.

As far as gambling goes, I'm normally a blackjack player, know all the rules, play by the rules, often win by the rules. But this time around I had no luck in my first hour of gambling so I decided not to play blackjack the entire rest of the week.

My first 10 minutes in a hotel while waiting for hubby to call his friend who was staying there: Tossed some change into the table-slot at the bar. Four quarters. Won 20 bucks. Kept the money, hubby came, we went to another hotel.

Few hours later - tossed maybe 5 nickles in a nickle machine, progressive. Won 100 bucks. Kept the money.

Next day - unloaded around 5 bucks worth of quarters in another progressive machine, won maybe 200 bucks. Kept the money.

I went to Vegas with $300 spending money. Bought tickets to Cirque de Soliel for me and hubby (90 bucks each, not even including dinner!), bought buffet lunch for me and my sister two days in a row, bought my show ticket for a couple of other shows....

Came home with:

(drumroll)
$290

It cost me 10 dollars to spend 10 days in Vegas, thanks to the slot machines. The only thing that I didn't pay for was the hotel and airfare and hubby picked up the tab for that.

I love Vegas!

[Galleazzo]

Also fly out of smaller airports. Fly out of Boston, you're gonna get boned bad on the fare. Do Manchester or Providence and it's a lot cheaper. Probably the same all over.

[Caramia]

Don't forgot the hilarious Star Trek ride at the Hilton, at the end of the strip. I say hilarious because the replica of the Next Generation bridge from the television show made us giddy and gleeful, like we were really on the Enterprise. It's a hoot. Sit in the first row of the shuttlecraft.

[SpunGirl]

One of my favorite Strip hotels is TI, actually. Their standard rooms are uber nice with giant bathtubs, and room service is actually on the cheap side. They also have a great pool with massive daquiris.

Take Ylena's advice and DO NOT gamble on the strip. Just take a cab downtown. I like Fitzgeralds, Four Queens (sob), and the El Cortez is GREAT for laughable break-in dealers, low-limit tables and basically getting away with murder. Freemont is OK. The Nugget is usually more crowded than I prefer, but it's also great for cheap rooms off the Strip. Avoid the Plaza and the Las Vegas Club. Mermaids has deep-fried twinkies for $0.99, which I find disgusting but my husband likes them.

-K