Confessions of a YYC Travel Junkie

[jdso]

Awesome deal cmyden! Was able to book a pre-Christmas family trip. Thanks again!

[FFR]

Originally Posted by loudin218

You can book December 13-17 - 4 nights, hotel & flight, $12 if you want. Direct flights both ways right now.

We booked this but we got it for the 16-19 (Thursday to Sunday). Cost us $12 each so we're going to Vegas for 3 nights and flight for a total of $24. We even have two rooms for my husband and myself.

Really sold quickly though because friends of ours also booked and they paid $50 (still an amazing deal though).

[cmyden]

Originally Posted by FFR

We booked this but we got it for the 16-19 (Thursday to Sunday). Cost us $12 each so we're going to Vegas for 3 nights and flight for a total of $24. We even have two rooms for my husband and myself.

Really sold quickly though because friends of ours also booked and they paid $50 (still an amazing deal though).

It's funny how quickly people's relative perceptions can change. I called one friend and told him he could book for $50/person after tax, flight + hotel to Vegas.

"That's insane!"

But then of course he waits a bit too long, the flight goes up, and now it's $120/person.

"Awww...why's it so expensive now?"

For a direct flight, Friday to Sunday, you're lucky if you can get flight alone for $500 these days.

[FFR]

Originally Posted by cmyden

It's funny how quickly people's relative perceptions can change. I called one friend and told him he could book for $50/person after tax, flight + hotel to Vegas.

"That's insane!"

But then of course he waits a bit too long, the flight goes up, and now it's $120/person.

"Awww...why's it so expensive now?"

For a direct flight, Friday to Sunday, you're lucky if you can get flight alone for $500 these days.

Very true! We called some friends when we found prices for $75 and they were totally in. Then we found the $12 deals and they were too slow to book at that price and then $50 was expensive! Perception is a funny thing.

[InSutterWeTrust]

Just booked one from dec15-17 for $13.65. Thanks for Chris for this info!!!

[cmyden]

Originally Posted by FFR

Very true! We called some friends when we found prices for $75 and they were totally in. Then we found the $12 deals and they were too slow to book at that price and then $50 was expensive! Perception is a funny thing.

It's like in SimCity when you would lower the tax rate by 10% and everyone would cheer, but God forbid you raise it by 1% after that and the citizens would get out their pitchforks.

[Hi-Psi]

Just booked for me and 3 friends Nov 28-Dec 1 for $95 taxes in at Excaliber, I'm pretty happy about it.

[cmyden]

Reports are coming in that Expedia has pulled the SAVE300 code, either permanently or temporarily, not sure yet.

[Hi-Psi]

It's not pulled, it's good until Nov 21st at 11:59pm

Sometimes it will say that the code isn't valid but all you do is keep trying and it will eventually accept it.

[cmyden]

Now I'm hearing it still works if you call.

[cmyden]

If anyone is looking for a cheap rental car deal to use during their trip to Vegas, and has an American Express card...

Contract ID: 7014291 (must use American Express) https://www.alamo.com/index.do?actio...cation_selects

Coupon Code: AD5691JDV

Get $25 off 3-day rentals. Go to the Alamo web site and use the coupon code AD5691JDV when booking. No physical coupon required. Valid on rentals picked up by 12/20/10, but holidays and other blackout dates may apply. Offer not available 11/25/10-11/29/10.


Using this, you can get 3 day rentals for $16 to $20, total! Not per day. Total. After all fees.

cM

[Antithesis]

I just called after the code not working through their website and they said the deal was no longer being offered. If only I had seen this yesterday! Still some pretty good prices, even leading right up to Christmas Eve.

[cmyden]

Yep, the Expedia deal is officially dead now folks. Congrats to those who got in on the deal of the year!

Here's some tips for getting great deals while in Vegas.

Restaurants

I've heard that if you sign up at http://www.restaurant.com/ and put in a U.S. address or zip code (Vegas is 89195) they'll send you some ridiculous deals on occasion. Like $5 for $100 worth of food, things like that. I signed up using my standard 'throwaway' spam e-mail address that I don't really care about.

Also, if you use the code gobble during checkout before Friday, you will save 80%. For example, search for a Vegas restaurant, $75 gift certificate, it will cost $6! They exclude alcohol and have minimum spending requirements though.

Can also check out this site for a list of food specials offered around Vegas: http://www.vegas.com/restaurant/specials.html


Free Things to do

Check out this site: http://www.freethingsinlasvegas.com/


Show Tickets

http://www.tix4tonight.com/ is a reputable discount ticket seller on the Strip. They have 10 locations on the strip. People line up in the mornings to see what they have for cheap tickets to various shows. Casino Royal (just North of Harrah's) can often have the shortest line.

or

TravelZoo can often have similar discounts. Check out: http://www.travelzoo.com/entertainment/las-vegas/

Here's a list of what the best shows are in Vegas...
http://www.vegasmadeeasy.com/shows/s...as-vegas-shows


Shopping

Primm outlet mall - http://www.fashionoutletlasvegas.com/ - There is a shuttle bus that leaves from the MGM Grand hotel.

Upgrading your room

You can try the '$20 trick' when checking in to get a nicer room.

http://www.thetwentydollartrick.com/Hotels/ <--- success rates.

cM

[red sky]

Shopping

Primm outlet mall - http://www.fashionoutletlasvegas.com/ - There is a shuttle bus that leaves from the MGM Grand hotel.

I recommend signing up for the privileges club to receive even more deals. It is free so it is definitely worth it.

[Byrns]

Don't forget the Pinball Museum!

http://www.pinballmuseum.org/

[cmyden]

January flights to Europe are now cheap

Air Transat has dropped the price of their January flights to London down to $630 roundtrip after tax.

Try January 12 or 15 to January 22 on Orbitz for example...



Catch a $50 flight from there to Switzerland to go skiing in the Alps. Or whatever it is that people in Europe do during the winter. Apparently it's hanging out at very James Bondish looking restaurants at the top of mountain peaks.




Last minute flight to Cabo, Mexico - $335 roundtrip after tax

Sunwing's Nov 29 to December 6 flight from Calgary to Los Cabos, Mexico just dropped to $335 roundtrip after tax.



cM

[billybob123]

Anyone noticed that the airport authority has dropped parking rates (again)? It's 40/week in the long-term outdoor lot (was 50 as recently as last week when I parked there) and 10/day (was $19/day); P2 garage is 21/day (ETA: I didn't read the numbers exactly), 59/week (11/day afterwards), and the P1 garage (next to terminal) is 24/day, 99/week.

I think it's great that they're making it affordable to park there. It's still cheaper for me to drive and park than to take a cab (unless I am spending two weeks away, and even then it's close). My old trick of one-way rental car to and from is also now more expensive.

I dunno how the park-and-fly lots are still making money. Even the cheapest one (Park2Go) is more expensive. Why would I pay more for a shuttle ride to the airport? It must be a deal with a company or something because those lots are always pretty full.

I've even had to fly AC domestically having parked in the econolot and it only took me about 5 minutes with a luggage cart to get from car to checkin. Once flying Westjet (sans kid, of course) I managed to get from car to gate including security in <10 minutes.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by billybob123

I dunno how the park-and-fly lots are still making money. Even the cheapest one (Park2Go) is more expensive. Why would I pay more for a shuttle ride to the airport? It must be a deal with a company or something because those lots are always pretty full.

I bet a lot of people don't know that the on-airport options have gotten so much cheaper, and assume that they're saving money by parking off-site. The off-site ones also have more discounts/coupons.

[fundmark19]

Where are you seeing these prices? On their website it is still showing the old ones

[fundmark19]

I just called and they said the rates on website and on rate line are current so I do not see anywhere that says it is cheaper? 24 dollars a day to park with airport authority or 20 to book online for park and fly