Vegas Trip Information for anyone looking to go this year.

[tonge]

Hi

Posted a few weeks ago (page 243), was a bit unsure where to stay, decided on aria which at time was about £1k, it's shot up a bit to £1350 now.  I had a look on arias website and it's working out at £1457.  Always been a bit miffed how agents can sell it cheaper than the hotel direct.  Anyway missus was looking and stumbled across a company called fox international travel, a us based agent, www.gofox.com., asked them for a quote and they came back at £850 less resort fees for aria.  Anyone used us based travel agents before?  Seems strange their so much cheaper but then again imagine us agents have better connections with us hotels.

Appear to be a well established company and I'm assuming that if I booked by credit card I'd benefit from s75 protection.

[Marky147]

I'll leave this one for Dr Galloway, as he's much better versed in the more complex things like this

[tonge]

Hoping he can help, checked with other us based travel agents and they're not noticeably cheaper

[Doobs]

Hoping he can help, checked with other us based travel agents and they're not noticeably cheaper

I'd be a bit suspicious as it is so far below trivago.  Vdara is next door and is £114 a night, which isn't far from your original quote.  I have used travel Republic (best price on vdara) before and have had no issues.  8am swims in empty hotel pools before the sun gets ridiculous are so good in vegas.  Wish I'd known before last year. 

[Simon Galloway]

Sorry no knowledge on fox or any other us agent.

Vdara is a very solid option if you want to be in Aria but at a better price and with a more familiar booking source.

[Marky147]

Venetian - http://www.venetian.com/content/dam/lasvegas/venetian/master/main/home/casino/DSE_III_2016-Schedule.pdf

[ForthThistle]

Anybody has any issues with booking flights with lastminute.com.

They have Flights to Vegas - Dublin - Gatwick - Vegas for £353 Fly out 19th Sept and return 26 Sept.

Any Help would be appreciated

[Gazza]

I used to use Lastminute all the time to book flights, was fine.

[Simon Galloway]

The latest offering from Virgin Flying Club is out.  It looks like a really good value to me, having checked a few prices.  "Rocketmiles" - basically booking a hotel through Virgin.

Why is it on the Vegas thread?  Well, most people going to Vegas will need a hotel for starters.  But even just European/domestic hotels look like a solid way to book with a healthy kickback.  And that's the sort of stuff that gets your flying club account in the right state to be able to take free flights/cabin upgrades next time Vegas looms.

As an example, random city = Amsterdam, random hotel = £149.  For a limited time, earns 8,000 flying club miles.  9k if you use my sign up, or anyone else's sign-up for that matter.  I've posted previously about how buying miles under certain conditions works out a lot better than buying flights, so if you are going to do that... working on £15/k +£15 fee, buying 9k miles would cost you £150.

In other words... rather than shelling out £149 for a random hotel direct, and then in the summer shelling out £150 to top your miles up to get a reward seat, you can get 2 for the price of one here.

If I'm not explaining that very well, you'd be either getting 9k miles for free, or your hotel for free, depending on which way you want to look at it.


For a Vegas-specific example, a week in June at Mandarin Oriental would be about £1500, and comes with 34k(+1) free miles.  Which when booked at the right time, would cover a free flight.

I'm going to put my referral code up here, if Mods want to take that down, no issue with that, for clarity I get 1k bonus and you get 1k extra bonus for using the link.  I'd be happy to see Tony/Rich put their referral code in it's place, so that there is a tangible benefit to them from the effort/$ they put in to keeping Blonde ticking.  Just seems a waste when people use the info for free anyway and then mash buttons and no-one gets the free kickback.

https://www.rocketmiles.com/flyingclub-4k-cc?code=SIMONGALLOWAY22

[Tal]

This is a very good offer.

Two weeks in the Wynn at peak series time gets you 78,000 miles. Aria/Vdara 40k, Rio 12k.

Prices seem about standard I think. I don't believe resort fee is included, tho.

[Simon Galloway]

I clicked thru as best I could, short of paying for it!  None of the screens made it clear if there were going to be local resort fees to pay or not.

[ForthThistle]

If you had a choice of Flying Virgin or BA to Las Vegas in Economy. What would you choose and why?

Is there any Difference.

[Simon Galloway]

Haven't gone economy in either for a long time   That's nothing to do with affluence, but a direct result of just picking up the easy airmiles all year and using them to fly better.

Assuming price is the same, does the departing airport make any difference? (i.e. Virgin from Gatwick or BA from Heathrow) Are you intending to fly again in the future?  If so, keep your loyalty to one and earn the benefits on one faster than spraying it around.

If none of that matters and it boils down to "in a vacuum which one would you pick" then I'd pick Virgin.  Others may disagree, would be interesting to see how the votes pan out.

[Doobs]

This is a very good offer.

Two weeks in the Wynn at peak series time gets you 78,000 miles. Aria/Vdara 40k, Rio 12k.

Prices seem about standard I think. I don't believe resort fee is included, tho.

I am not convinced.  I looked at some dates and the pound prices seem equivalent to the prices I expected to see in dollars (I do get "special" prices at the wynn supposedly because I have been before).  I guess once you have worked it out, it is still a bargain, but it feels like I am paying a few hundred for my extra miles at the Wynn.

[ForthThistle]

Haven't gone economy in either for a long time   That's nothing to do with affluence, but a direct result of just picking up the easy airmiles all year and using them to fly better.

Assuming price is the same, does the departing airport make any difference? (i.e. Virgin from Gatwick or BA from Heathrow) Are you intending to fly again in the future?  If so, keep your loyalty to one and earn the benefits on one faster than spraying it around.

If none of that matters and it boils down to "in a vacuum which one would you pick" then I'd pick Virgin.  Others may disagree, would be interesting to see how the votes pan out.

Thanks Simon. Going to be flying from Dublin to Vegas for £373 via Gatwick and Virgin or Via Heathrow and BA for £393
Just wondered if it really mattered but will probably pick Virigin for the Miles and the free beer tokens for the Flight.