| Let's examine some packages you can book right | | | | you want to upgrade to a more reasonable return |
| now for June 2008. I picked Indianapolis at random | | | | flight, leaving at 1 pm and arriving in Indy just before |
| and found a package for $494 (tax incl.) staying in | | | | midnight it costs $380. If you take the same flight |
| the Sahara Hotel on June 8-13. Seems like a great | | | | out of Indy as Travelocity's (leaving at 8:13 pm) it |
| price to me and it actually is. There are drawbacks | | | | costs $310. The Sahara has a rate of $32 per night |
| however - some fairly severe. First, you leave at 8:13 | | | | so it looks like it would cost about $160 (plus tax) for |
| pm on a Sunday - which is fine if you work on | | | | the hotel and $380 for the far more reasonable flight |
| Sundays and need to leave in the evening anyway. | | | | times, totaling about $575 (estimated with taxes) or |
| This is NOT a non-stop flight however and you need | | | | $470 plus tax with the less desirable flights. Compare |
| to deplane in Denver and switch aircraft, which | | | | this to the Travelocity package of $494 (plus $30 for |
| means a total travel time of over 5 hours. Because | | | | the hotel surcharge) and it actually costs MORE to |
| of the time change, you arrive at 10:29 pm which | | | | book the package than separately. |
| means you likely won't be in your room until near | | | | I wrote a series about Las Vegas packages on my |
| midnight. Returning is nothing short of a nightmare. | | | | blog and if you read it you will find my best advice is |
| You leave Vegas at 7:44 PM (what do you do all | | | | to not stay in the same hotel, but be willing to move |
| day, especially with your bags?), switch planes in | | | | from one hotel to a couple others. The Luxor is only |
| Denver and arrive in Indianapolis at 5:03 am on | | | | $80 for 6/8, Ballys is $79 on 6/9-11 and New York, |
| Saturday. If you are going to work that day this | | | | New York is only $90 for 6/12. Take the best flights |
| schedule might work fine. Personally I don't want to | | | | from Indy ($380) and add $400 plus tax to stay in |
| arrive in my house around 7am, bleary eyed and no | | | | three heart of the Strip hotels, add cab fares to your |
| doubt exhausted. | | | | various hotels and you are out the door for perhaps |
| Now for the hotel. The Sahara once was a Vegas | | | | $850, compared to Travelocity's $921 at the New |
| icon hotel. Now, it's rated only three out of five and | | | | York, New York with the same flights. Or book into |
| of the first four reviews I read, two said stay away | | | | a cheaper hotel like Circus, Circus for all five nights |
| and two said the hotel was acceptable, albeit old. | | | | for only $47 per night. This would total perhaps $680 |
| One of the main drawbacks is that it is located at | | | | (incl. tax) - far less than what Travelocity offers for |
| the (north) end of the Strip and if you wanted to go | | | | the same hotel and flights - $868. |
| to places like the Mirage or Luxor, you would have to | | | | In the end, you might save a few bucks by |
| cab it or rent a car. There is a $6.00 per night hotel | | | | purchasing a Third Party package but the trade-off is |
| surcharge as well. In the end, the $494 package | | | | flight times that are nightmarish or hotels that are |
| actually will set you back over $524 not including cabs | | | | less than first class and rooms not in 'towers' or |
| to the Strip or renting a car. And you get pretty | | | | other desirable locations. Plus, you actually waste |
| lousy flight times to boot. I examined trips from San | | | | almost one whole day leaving after 8 pm and getting |
| Francisco, Denver and L. A. as well and it was the | | | | in after bedtime. When all is said and done, you can |
| same story in every case. | | | | get great flights, accommodations right on the Strip |
| How would we do on our own though? You can | | | | (where no cab fares are required as you can walk to |
| leave Indy at noon and arrive in Vegas (through | | | | other hotels) and be able to sample two or three top |
| Denver again) by 5:30 pm for $330 on Frontier (the | | | | hotels to boot for much less than package deals. Just |
| same airline as Travelocity was using), however, you | | | | be flexible and creative. |
| have to take the same flight back arriving at 5 am. If | | | | |