Las Vegas guide and MSE thread 2016

secretmachines

Froggitt wrote: »

Hot tip......if you need one way, e.g. like I did after a transatlantic cruise, do a VS points redemption, ideally when they have 20% off the miles needed. It was about 20k miles from Miami, plus about $120 in taxes flying back from the US.

that's a really good idea!
hopefully for our next trip we can do that. we've spent all or miles on flights early last year, so building up again, currently only 12.5k

vegasvisitor

I booked yesterday for September

Got flights from Glasgow to Vegas early September for £580 each, BA flights booked via Netflights. Added a room at Tuscany for the first 3 nights to get us started (Labor day weekend, so expensive dates at first), £158 which I thought was a decent price. Don't know where else we'll stay. Got another 10 nights to book, so I'll start looking for deals. Probably better deals nearer the time.

I booked using topcashback, which I have only used a couple of times. I was expecting 5.25% cashback and it looks like it has tracked as more like 2%, so I'm rather disappointed in that. £25 when I was expecting nearer £70 is disappointing. I sort of wished I used quidco now, as I've never had any issue with theirs.

Going to be booking another trip possibly later, for this month, probably using netflights so think I'll go through quidco and see what happens.

bobbyhibs

lesley74 wrote: »

I booked yesterday for September

Got flights from Glasgow to Vegas early September for £580 each, BA flights booked via Netflights. Added a room at Tuscany for the first 3 nights to get us started (Labor day weekend, so expensive dates at first), £158 which I thought was a decent price. Don't know where else we'll stay. Got another 10 nights to book, so I'll start looking for deals. Probably better deals nearer the time.

hi
Have you considered doing like another city and vegas?
my brother and I did new york and vegas last year and doing the same this year-though vegas first and then new york.
for 13 nights-10 in vegas mgm grand and 3 in new york, which includeds return flights our local airport for £1500 each.
Im sure quite a few people has done LA and prehaps around that area as well so maybe that could be an option?
Would it be worth usuing one of the myvegas rewards for a nights room?if you have 3 rewards can you use all 3 rewards to buy a 3 night stay at x hotel?
Im sure i read on here about trying to book the hotels direct,have you tried those yet. if not just to see what the prices would be.
Hope this may help a lil, i know alot of basic ideas but hope to hear more about your trip, being a fellow scot in all:D

vegasvisitor

bobbyhibs wrote: »

hi
Have you considered doing like another city and vegas?
my brother and I did new york and vegas last year and doing the same this year-though vegas first and then new york.
for 13 nights-10 in vegas mgm grand and 3 in new york, which includeds return flights our local airport for £1500 each.
Im sure quite a few people has done LA and prehaps around that area as well so maybe that could be an option?
Would it be worth usuing one of the myvegas rewards for a nights room?if you have 3 rewards can you use all 3 rewards to buy a 3 night stay at x hotel?
Im sure i read on here about trying to book the hotels direct,have you tried those yet. if not just to see what the prices would be.
Hope this may help a lil, i know alot of basic ideas but hope to hear more about your trip, being a fellow scot in all:D

Aw, you should have suggested that before I booked :rotfl: I can see where you're coming from but we've done a few other cities anyway and decided it would be a Vegas only trip. We have done San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego. We have done New York previously a couple of times. What we might do is a trip out of Vegas, perhaps into Utah on the middle weekend. Not sure yet, it will shape up a bit nearer the time. I really just wanted to get the flight booked because of the good price!

Myvegas, yes will have 3 rewards each to use. I've got about 190k points just now, husband probably similar amount. We did Luxor last May, when you could book more than one night. I'll possibly look into whether the discounted rates on myvegas are worth it, haven't looked into those before and way to early to do it just now too.

Not sure where else we will stay. We can get Rio for about $25 per night for the midweek nights, so that could be an option. I also like the idea of trying Priceline for a bargain (Venetian or Palazzo in particular). May depend on my work situation though as I'm between jobs right now, but hopeful I will get something soon, or temping at least. My budget isn't entirely certain just now, other than it will always have to be a good deal whatever level it is at.

Meanwhile, I did a bit of a last minute booking today, we're off to Vietnam and Bangkok in a couple of weeks so I need to concentrate on plans for that first. I was kind of procrastinating when I booked September flights the other day instead of January ones!! :rotfl:

Brats64

After booking for September this year,we have also been looking to see if we could fit in a little trip earlier in the year.
It would have to be as cheap as possible...we're not millionaires.
Anyway,I was looking to see if we could get a couple of free nights at an MGM property through myvegas rewards.We used these last year for a couple of free nights at Luxor.
The thing is when we booked the free nights last time,you could look at what dates were available,and obviously if the dates were available during the visit,you could book them.
But I just went on myvegas rewards,to see if the free nights,or even reduced price nights,were available for when we might be going,and it no longer gives you dates to look at.
How can you tell if rooms are available during your visit,if there is no dates calendar to look at anymore ?

stoneman

lesley74 wrote: »

Stoneman may be in Miami by now and can maybe let us know if Miami immigration is any better these days?

Miami has these stupid self immigration machines. Everyone has to go to a station, scan their own passport, have their photo taken then add finger prints. You then get a receipt that you then HAVE TO TAKE TO AN IMMIGRATION QUEUE FOR AN OFFICER TO STAMP!!
Took absolutely ages. I used to be through immigration anywhere within minutes, but this new system makes no distinction if you are a US citizen or not, everyone goes through the same lines.

duchy

stoneman wrote: »

Miami has these stupid self immigration machines. Everyone has to go to a station, scan their own passport, have their photo taken then add finger prints. You then get a receipt that you then HAVE TO TAKE TO AN IMMIGRATION QUEUE FOR AN OFFICER TO STAMP!!
Took absolutely ages. I used to be through immigration anywhere within minutes, but this new system makes no distinction if you are a US citizen or not, everyone goes through the same lines.

Welcome to OUR world Stoneman !!
I found the new system to be much quicker (entered at ORD) but I can see why you as a US passport holder aren't so happy with it.

I'm even more thrilled about the TSA PreCheck. Although I hadn't travelled with AA for several years (and not to the US at all in the last 18 months) I qualified - No more shoe removal or dragging ipads and laptops out of the bag
Am I right in thinking it's airline specific so you might get it with one airline but not with another that you don't use as much ?

duchy

Brats64 wrote: »

After booking for September this year,we have also been looking to see if we could fit in a little trip earlier in the year.
It would have to be as cheap as possible...we're not millionaires.
Anyway,I was looking to see if we could get a couple of free nights at an MGM property through myvegas rewards.We used these last year for a couple of free nights at Luxor.
The thing is when we booked the free nights last time,you could look at what dates were available,and obviously if the dates were available during the visit,you could book them.
But I just went on myvegas rewards,to see if the free nights,or even reduced price nights,were available for when we might be going,and it no longer gives you dates to look at.
How can you tell if rooms are available during your visit,if there is no dates calendar to look at anymore ?

I think you can see the dates if you log in with your MGM card to the link on the reward page. Seems they are wanting people to book online rather than by phone now.

Winter_Jasmine

Virgin got in touch today to say our flight times for July have been changed - overall around an hour less in Vegas - booohooo!!!

Brats64

duchy wrote: »

I think you can see the dates if you log in with your MGM card to the link on the reward page. Seems they are wanting people to book online rather than by phone now.

I must be doing something wrong,as I don't see anywhere that shows available dates on a calendar.
I went into the rewards on my iPad,and clicked on anything that had a link,but it only took me to play studios t&c page,or to log into Mlife account.
If I log in to Mlife it doesn't show any dates....am I doing it wrong:rotfl:
Has anyone else looked at myvegas room rewards lately and seen a dates calendar....it used to be much easier than it seems to be now.:(

I looked online for help...and the only thing I could find was that people say you actually need to redeem the reward first,before being able to see the dates available...what if my dates aren't there,isn't it a hassle having to cancel a reward...not that I've ever cancelled one,or know how to.