Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2011

mat5664

November / December

stoneman wrote: »

We paid £30 each for the twins at the back.

did you not find it's a lot more bumpy sitting right at the back?

How long did it take you to clear immigration at LAS? I'm on the BA flight at Christmas

Porthorg

May

Honeymoon flights booked. £550 with Delta.

Roll on May 2012

stoneman

October

mat5664 wrote: »

did you not find it's a lot more bumpy sitting right at the back?

How long did it take you to clear immigration at LAS? I'm on the BA flight at Christmas

I am u.s so get straight through, but I have seen people waiting
In excess of 45 minutes (only say seen because it can take that long for you bags to come out) obviously depends on how near to the plane exit you are sitting

RichTea

August

I was hoping to get some reassurance before booking....

We're looking to book our honeymoon with Virgin going to NY and Vegas in Aug 2012. 5nts in the Affinia Manhatten standard room only and 5 nts in the Vdara deluxe suite inc. breakfast. We've been given a price of £3150. Does that sound like a good price, I have managed to get it down from around £3600. The other option at a very similar price was with Thomas Cook signature, but I think we'd have a better experience with Virgin.

Spursman180

March

I think baggage handlers belong to the universal brotherhood of 'screw you up'. I've never found a way to crack the code, even when my bag was almost first off the carousel, my travelling companions would be last when we checked in together.

I've usually found that suspending my concept of time and place helps me get through the twilight zone of US Immigration and Customs. Also no jokes, humour etc, that part of their brain is left in their locker when they get changed.

adamg

August

Spursman180 wrote: »

I think baggage handlers belong to the universal brotherhood of 'screw you up'. I've never found a way to crack the code, even when my bag was almost first off the carousel, my travelling companions would be last when we checked in together. QUOTE]
I used to be a baggage handler for cruise ships and it is the hardest work I have ever done 3-4 thousand cases no weight limit on them, but we lived off tips your case would be put to one side if you !!!!ed us off and be last one on the ship probably not getting to your room till 6pm after you boarded at 3pm. If you had anything like urgent or fragile written on it good luck is all I can say....

ferf1223

March

Spursman180 wrote: »

I've usually found that suspending my concept of time and place helps me get through the twilight zone of US Immigration and Customs. Also no jokes, humour etc, that part of their brain is left in their locker when they get changed.

You mean like immigration officials in most countries?

I have never found US immigration officials to be any "better" or "worse" than those in the UK (and while I travel on a US passport, I have a UK visa, so you would think they may cut me a little bit of slack).

Spursman180

March

adamg wrote: »

Spursman180 wrote: »

I think baggage handlers belong to the universal brotherhood of 'screw you up'. I've never found a way to crack the code, even when my bag was almost first off the carousel, my travelling companions would be last when we checked in together. QUOTE]
I used to be a baggage handler for cruise ships and it is the hardest work I have ever done 3-4 thousand cases no weight limit on them, but we lived off tips your case would be put to one side if you !!!!ed us off and be last one on the ship probably not getting to your room till 6pm after you boarded at 3pm. If you had anything like urgent or fragile written on it good luck is all I can say....

Possibly says it all, I use to have handling crews come into work to handle and load the luggage for the boat trains. The guys used to prepare their own rosters and positions unpaid, wonder why? I've also sacked a few who were caught weaseling (coloquial railway term) effectively blackmailing passengers for tips.

It is a subject to reminisce about especially when most of it was franchised out to the equivalent of skycaps.

Spursman180

March

ferf1223 wrote: »

You mean like immigration officials in most countries?

I have never found US immigration officials to be any "better" or "worse" than those in the UK (and while I travel on a US passport, I have a UK visa, so you would think they may cut me a little bit of slack).

Ferf yes, but I had cut the post short as I deleted some of the fun interactions with HMI & HMRC a sort of relationship I would best describe as hate/ hate. Even to the extent that I was told that if I didn't answer his questions I would be refused entry. I suppose my laughing upset him some more, they can't refuse a British citizen entry to Britain, my documents were in order, I had answered his stupid questions accurately, politely etc. I work in the industry and don't rise to the bait easily. He did flip when he had been given the straight forward answers to his questions and said to me he was entitled to ask me them and my reply was I was fully entitled not to answer them. The CIO was called and I was waved through. Only one of many.

The other side was different, travelling as part of a group one of the boys passport didn't read right and he was asked for other ID, he produced his warrant card and got hauled away and questioned for about an hour, there was a problem with the new fangled chip in his passport and thought his warrant card was a toy?

Loads of fun, but after a long Vegas holiday and a poopy flight just fit for these sorts of things.

It doesn't help when you land at the sametime as a Kingston and a Lagos flight, they're amazing to watch.

mat5664

November / December

RichTea wrote: »

I was hoping to get some reassurance before booking....

We're looking to book our honeymoon with Virgin going to NY and Vegas in Aug 2012. 5nts in the Affinia Manhatten standard room only and 5 nts in the Vdara deluxe suite inc. breakfast. We've been given a price of £3150. Does that sound like a good price, I have managed to get it down from around £3600. The other option at a very similar price was with Thomas Cook signature, but I think we'd have a better experience with Virgin.

Just tried to price up the same trip for random dates in August booking flights and hotels separately, and it came to about £3500 - so yes it looks a good deal - and you might get some honeymoon extras booking with Virgin.

NY and Vegas in August though -very hot and even hotter!