Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2011

secretmachines

July

duchy wrote: »

We like the IMAX cinema at the Palms-saw the last Harry Potter there when it first came out -it was great in IMAX

quote tempted to go see something at the IMAX, don't have one near here in the UK, so would be an experience.

is the IMAX at Palms walkable from the Strip? just looking at the map and not sure?

ferf1223

March

you could take a shuttle to Rio and cross over to Palms...or take the Gold Coast shuttle from Bill's to Gold Coast...the latter would be closer...that's what we would do if we didn't have a car...

Wizbit82

July

Just read on Financial Times website:

Pilots at Virgin Atlantic Airways are set to ballot for industrial action in a dispute over pay which could see the airline controlled by Sir Richard Branson facing the first strike in its 27-year history.
The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), which represents 85 per cent of Virgin’s 750 flight crew, said it would begin balloting its members next week after talks with Acas, the government conciliation service, failed to broker an agreement. Results of the balloting are due on June 21.

If there is enough support for industrial action, the union will need to give the company seven days notice, which means the first strike dates could come in early July in the run-up to the busy holiday period



Fingers crossed this won't go ahead...due to fly out on 14th July for our wedding and honeymoon with a load of family/friends.....what with getting made redundant last week things surely can't get much worse!!!:o

ammonite

Thanks for the heads up about the Virgin strike, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you as that would be a nightmare but ill pray and hope they strike on our return journey so I get another day off work! :rotfl:

Here was me booking with reliable Virgin as well:cool:

secretmachines

July

hopefully the strike will be averted, the precedent being set in Aug/Sept last year:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23875563-virgin-atlantic-solves-pilots-row-to-avoid-strike.do

we fly out the first week of July, so this would be awful!
just to be prepared, what's the deal with refunds/money back, etc.?

stoneman

October

Weather is rather cool and windy at the moment, and expected for the next couple of days. Just have to spend that time doing all the shopping. Done the Walmart run today, $200.00!! but that does include some food for here.
Arrived at 7pm last night and the flight was uneventful thank god, no throwing up passengers next to us. Arrived at The Platinum and my CC had been blocked, so they took $200 cash for the security (should have been $1,000) and given me a couple of days to sort it out. I phoned up and turns out my last card payment should have reached them by the 15th, but because of the weekend and it taking 3 days to clear my bank they stopped my card!! This is the Post Office, no grace of even a couple of days before they pulled the plug.
Anyway, secured a nice Princess Suite high floor with a strip view for $99 a night. Got in the room and there was a bottle of champagne in ice and a plate with some chocolate covered strawberries and card welcoming us back, try getting that at Wynn/Encore/Cosmo etc.

tazzyb

August

Well spent the last few days reading this whole thread, then started on 2010's. Tonight talked to hubby and we have decided to change our plans from going to Turkey in August to going to Vegas. Have to break the news to my mam who we were going to see in Turkey as she lives there, but hey ho and all that. We don't like Turkey but have been 15 times in last 7 years.

As we both work 7 days a week and some evenings,we set up our own business last year, but also have other jobs. We want to have a holiday we want to do, instead of feeling like we are wasting our precious time off, never mind money doing something we do not really want to do.

We have been to Vegas before, we got married there October 2009 and while we had a good time, after reading this thread we made lots of rookie mistakes. Firstly we only had 3 full days there before flying to Florida for 3 weeks for our honeymoon. First day took up by sleeping late, getting wedding license and trip to wedding chapel to finalize the wedding, looking in the huge gift shop full of fabulous Las Vegas tat next to the hotel. In the evening we took monorail to MGM from Sahara, and saw the fountains. Early night as all really tired.

The day of the wedding, lie in, macdonalds breakfast while we stressed about the wedding. We were having an evening helicopter wedding as we flew down the strip, and there were high winds, which could result in no helicopter flights. I had a hair appointment at the salon in the hotel so we spent the day at the hotel playing slots, shopping and going up the tower. Got my hair done which took forever, meaning we only had time for macdonalds again! I do tell everyone I am a classy bride and had macdonalds twice on my wedding day lol. We got ready and the limo picked us up and we drove down the strip to meet the helicopter. Wedding was amazing, problem with most of the wedding photos in the helicopter though, me and hubby are looking out of the windows and not at the photographer. We started our vows pretty soon after take off and finished them as we circled the tower at The Stratosphere. Then flew back down the strip. More photo on landing then back in the limo back to out hotel. Drinks in the bar then taxi to The Venetian, few hours in there, then we went to Treasure Island to see the pirate ship show, early night again.

The 3rd day was the best day, my and hubby just went with the flow and had a brilliant day went all over the strip started at MGM and used various forms of transport working our way back down to The Stratosphere, however another! early night as we had an early flight in the morning, flying LAS - ATL - MCO. Which we missed because I read the flight time wrong but that is another story.

So this time, I want to do it right, we had a good time but needed at least another 4 days in Las Vegas. We are planning to go for 6 nights in August. Would love to go for longer but that is the longest we can leave the business with cover staff. Already going to Glastonbury Festival in June so really cannot take any more time off this year. I used to work for BA but took voluntary redundancy in 2009. Part of my redundancy package was keeping staff travel discount for 2 yrs. This means I can get flights at a good price and I really should use it before I loose it so to speak.

That leaves the hotel. And of course I want to get the best deal possible for as little as possible in true mse style My stay includes a Friday and Saturday night and I would change hotel. My dream is to stay first two nights in The Cosmopolitan - terrace with fountain view would be amazing. But with every penny spent on hotels being a penny less money to spend looking at the prices it seems a no goer.

Anyway after rambling on, its late and I am excited - I wanted to go back to Vegas from the day we left but reading this thread has made me want to go NOW! :rotfl:

Going back to read the first few pages for the fourth time before I start mission Las Vegas August 2011 :T

WestHamDaz

A friend of mine's brother is a pilot for Virgin. He has said that recently the Airline have become a nightmare to work for, increasing pilots flying ours dramatically, to, in his own worse 'dangerous levels'.
Where he was doing 3 or4 long haul flights a month he is now scheduled for at least 7. The pilots arent happy with this and believe the increased flying hours is compromising safety.

Wizbit82

July

secretmachines wrote: »

hopefully the strike will be averted, the precedent being set in Aug/Sept last year:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23875563-virgin-atlantic-solves-pilots-row-to-avoid-strike.do

we fly out the first week of July, so this would be awful!
just to be prepared, what's the deal with refunds/money back, etc.?

OH spoke to Virgin last night and they were very non-commital saying very light-heartedly 'oh don't worry sir, we haven't had a strike in 27 years'. Bottom line is that the will offer a refund (not alternative transportation).

We are going to look for alternatives later as a back up, and have advised our guests to do the same (not just wedding, we have photo shoot, hair/make up, luxury honeymoon, cars, reception etc etc etc. which we would have to cancel and maybe loose the fee)

fingers and toes crossed:o

secretmachines

July

Wizbit82 wrote: »

OH spoke to Virgin last night and they were very non-commital saying very light-heartedly 'oh don't worry sir, we haven't had a strike in 27 years'. Bottom line is that the will offer a refund (not alternative transportation).

We are going to look for alternatives later as a back up, and have advised our guests to do the same (not just wedding, we have photo shoot, hair/make up, luxury honeymoon, cars, reception etc etc etc. which we would have to cancel and maybe loose the fee)

fingers and toes crossed:o

hmm, well history is on our side, which is some comfort (maybe!)... well I guess no-one will know until the results of the ballot on June 21. and even then there's no guarantee of immediate strike action.

so many variables between now and then.

will have to look into the details, as we have pre-paid the hotel as well via expedia...