In this economy, everyone is looking for ways to pinch pennies. That’s why anyone planning a trip to Sin City is desperate to find Las Vegas travel deals… because who can afford to pay full price these days? Here are my favorite tips for doing Vegas for less:
- Become a VIP to get free rooms and other gratis goodies: If you’re traveling to Vegas to gamble, the casinos are going to love you. High rollers who bet a lot of money end up earning all kinds of free perks from casino hosts, like free rooms, show tickets, and tasty meals. The problem with this plan is that you have to gamble A LOT to earn your free rewards. For those of us who aren’t “Whales” at the gaming tables, there are probably a few better options for earning Vegas travel deals.
- Book a package deal: The airlines, hotels, and travel sites all want you to book your travel expenses early through and them to make sure they’re the ones who win as much of your hard-earned money as they can take. One of the ways in which they compete for your buck is to offer package deals, in which you can book your flight, hotel room, and extra goodies like show tickets and meals, all in one bundle that costs less than if you paid for each piece individually. These packages can be great deals, but like everything else, you’ll save the most money if you shop for the best packages that suit your specific needs. Are you hoping to catch Blue Man Group while you’re in town? There’s a package deal that includes tickets to the show, a hotel room, and a flight into town, all bundled together at a killer price.
- Travel to Vegas in the middle of the week: Las Vegas is packed with hard partying masses on weekends, and as the laws of supply and demand dictate, that’s when room prices are at their highest. But if you have the flexibility and free time to travel during the week, you can save a ton of money. The cheapest room rates can generally be found in the middle of the week on Wednesdays, a day that exists as an island as far from the weekend as one can get. While the town is a little less busy during the week, there is still plenty of fun to be had and the rates are much, much lower, so why not head out to Vegas and party like it’s Wednesday night?
- Comparison shop on the internet: The web is filled with travel sites offering incredible deals and packages. Priceline, Expedia, Kayak, Travelocity, and so many more… it seems like another travel deal site pops up every day. With such a huge pool of deal sites to choose from, make sure you browse through as many of them as you can to ensure that you get the absolute best deal available for your trip to Vegas. There are tons of deals out there… but if you put a little work in, you can make sure you find the best one.
- Become a member of a resort’s rewards program: Almost all the resorts in Vegas feature free rewards programs or players clubs that they desperately want their guests to join. When you use one of the cards the casinos issue you, you earn points that can go towards comps and deals later on down the road. Many of the resorts in Vegas are connected, meaning you can use your rewards program card and earn points across multiple properties. For example, the MGM Mirage Players Club card is good at 12 different resorts, including the new Aria at CityCenter, Bellagio, The Mirage, and The MGM Grand. Rewards program members also get emails with great deals and exclusive offers, and they will often send you personalized offers based on your past activities in their casino. Fair warning, though: the casinos are looking to collect demographic information about you and how you behave when you’re at their casino, which feels a bit “1984.” If you don’t mind the slightly Orwellian vibe to the whole thing, however, these rewards programs are a great way to earn money-saving deals.
Even during a recession, Vegas is not exactly a cheap town, but if you follow my tips, you can save some serious cash… which you can lose at the tables once you hit the casino floors. There are always more great tips for finding the best Las Vegas Air Hotel Specials, but if you follow my tactics, you’ll be well on your way to finding great Las Vegas travel deals!
