Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2013

duchy

Not flown BA transatlantic in about fifteen years simly because there was always a better deal to be had with another carrier when I've researched fares. I would never regard it as a straight choice Virgin v BA though.

photome

duchy wrote: »

The Bank of America one is really close and had no surcharge posted on it. It's also usefully on the way to Walgreens

I always drive to the Walgreens in question from the Orleans so must have driven past the bank

stoneman

Some good answers! Using miles and money with VS can save you a couple of hundred if you can get it at the right time. Free seating choice when booking is also a good call. Aren't VS stopping the MAN flights soon? Racking up VS miles used to be only when flying VS but now they have joined the Tesco scheme it is easier now to get more of them cheaply.

With us it has been a combination of things that make us only look at BA now. We went though a spate of flying with whoever was cheapest, even going indirect which was quite good as we got to stretch our legs, and getting to take off and land twice is fun. (Remember the Northwest glitch via the Australian Expedia site, £149 return!!) But since starting to fly BA we started to accru miles and tier points, and joining flyertalk has helped to get to know the ins and outs. It didn't take long to gain Bronze status so we got to select seats 7 days out, then got enough airmiles via Tesco buying/selling phones and dongles to pay for Clubword seats....... and that was that!!! Now SWMBO will not fly economy so had to devise ways of cheaply flying Club, and that came with Silver status, not only do we get lounge access and choosing seats when booking, but get extra luggage allowance, and I only have to book WT+ because every time we have flown we have been upgraded, and that is 8 flights on the trot. (Once getting a double upgrade on return from LAS from WT+ to First)

I value the status that much that our next trip in May I am flying LAS/LAX/SJU (Porto Rico) with AA return in 30 hours to get enough tier points to keep our status for next year. Cost £500.

stoneman

duchy wrote: »

The Bank of America one is really close and had no surcharge posted on it. It's also usefully on the way to Walgreens

That is the one where we hold our U.S. bank account

nvh

stoneman wrote: »

every time we have flown we have been upgraded

probably a stupid question, but having never been upgraded, I assume this can only be achieved by using airport check-in? or have you been upgraded following online check-in?

re: flights, we tend to use AA a lot at the moment, though once our gold status has ended, we'll probably switch over to whoever is cheapest - though will see how BA fares err... fare as we are getting quite into our Avios

saying that, we've got enough miles for free flights (+ taxes) with AA at the moment, and also i'm doing the current AA Credit card promo which should net around 45k+ AA miles

we have no preference over direct / indirect, but being northerners, we're unlikely to do the LGW trek for a Virgin flight, and its rare we'd fly on the days they operate from Manchester (if they continue to)

ferf1223

nvh wrote: »

probably a stupid question, but having never been upgraded, I assume this can only be achieved by using airport check-in? or have you been upgraded following online check-in?

we were upgraded at the gate once - arrived at the litte counter where they check your boarding passess and passport before letting you into the gate area and when she scanned our boarding cards (which we had printed at home after checking in online) she said 'you've been moved up' and gave us our new boarding passes.

this was AA and after I had done the plantinum challenge thanks to help from folks here...never ever ever thought we would get an upgrade on the trans-atlantic leg....ever.

stoneman

nvh wrote: »

probably a stupid question, but having never been upgraded, I assume this can only be achieved by using airport check-in? or have you been upgraded following online check-in

Not a stupid question at all, it is discussed regularly on FT. From the BA assistant who lurks over on FT your best chance of an upgrade is if you check-in online, have Silver or above status, and are traveling in WT+. WT+ is a very small cabin and with a price range between Y and J gets oversold quite often. Loads are calculated about 12 hours before take off so if they see you have checked in you have a better chance, but we have also been upgraded at bag drop and at the gate

ferf1223

how does WT+ compare in terms of price to standard cattle class?

ferf1223

stoneman wrote: »

SWMBO....

I had to google that, you know.

Barry_Jive

Has anyone used Hotwire much for booking Vegas hotel rooms?

Its not something I've used before and wouldn't normally consider it but I've seen it mentioned on a few websites that if you choose 5*, Vegas strip south, casino, business centre and pet friendly that the Cosmo is the only hotel you should get.

This is available for my dates at £55 a night which is the price I'm currently paying for the PH.

If I was just doing this for myself I would just take the risk but I am booking for 8 of us. What's the worst that could happen? which other hotels could it be?