Saturday, September 5, 2009

Vegas Trips on a Budget - Part 1 of 9: Travel/Flights

I've been working on a list of things that will (hopefully) help to save you some cash and allow you to do more things with less money on your next Vegas trip. Whether there's a recession or not, taking a trip to Vegas doesn't always mean spending a lot of money; there are ways to economize and still have a great time.

Some of the folks over at LV4E recently started a similar list of ideas for saving money on Vegas trips, and I decided to add their great tips and suggestions to mine and give you a comprehensive, budget-conscious list of ideas for making your trip a little more wallet-friendly. Once I started the list I saw that it was going to be a bigger project than I originally thought, and I have decided to divide it into nine separate postings. This post is about possible ways to save money on your travel and/or flights.

Saving money on travel and flights

Watch for sales on flights - If you travel in July, August, or December, you'll find that flights are cheapest during these times. July and August are typically very hot, but if you come from a warm climate you can probably handle 104-108 degree average days. Plus it's always about 72 degrees in the casinos! I like traveling in July because there are a lot fewer people around than in March or April, but those months are nice, too.

Drive instead of fly - Consider your gas, time, and possible food and accommodation costs here. If it's cheaper to drive you and your family or friends to Vegas as a group and you have the time, do it. Pooling your resources and saving money on flights for a large group is quite possibly more cost-effective if you're all coming from the same location.

Use airline miles, reward credits, sky miles, etc. - Are you saving them for a rainy day? Consider using them now. And if you have one of those "friends fly free" promos, go for it! The money saved on that second airline ticket could be used for something else, instead.

Ask for airline gift cards for your birthday, Christmas, or anniversary presents - Why not? I do it all the time, and it's a gift I love to receive, over and over again. There's no shame in getting what you really want for Christmas!

Avoid large conventions - There are a lot of conventions in Vegas, and there are conventions almost year-round. Avoiding them - or at least avoiding the bigger ones - will help you save some money because the flights will probably not be as full and room rates are more likely to be lower to attract visitors. Another plus: you won't have to fight for a table at the cafe' or wait in lines that are far too long for normal people. Find a listing of the current Las Vegas conventions here:
http://www.lvol.com/conventions/index.html

Use sites like TravelZoo or Priceline to get a good deal on airfare - It's harder to find direct flights this way, but you can certainly save some money when booking airfare if you're not too picky.

Consider taking carry on luggage to avoid luggage fees - Most major airlines charge a fee for even the first checked bag now (except Southwest). If you're taking a shorter trip of 4 nights or less, consider taking carry on luggage to avoid a fee each way.

Use the hotel's amenities instead of packing your own - In the same vein as the carry on luggage, save some room in yours by using the hotel's free shampoo, conditioner, etc. instead of packing your own. You save money, save room in your suitcase, and you don't have to worry about getting through Security with less than 3 ounces of each of your liquids in a quart bag.

Downsize your clothing and shoe options - Another packing issue: taking too much stuff. Realistically, how many times do you go back to your hotel room to change clothes in one day? Yes, if you're going to a show or nice dinner, it's understandable. Consider interchangeable items like khakis or jeans, neutral-colored shirts, and shoes that go with more than one outfit. Again, you're saving room and can take a carry on bag, instead. The general rule for packing clothes for any trip is to choose what you want to take and then put half of it back. Most of us are guilty of over-packing, anyway.

These are just a few ideas to get you started thinking of your own money-saving possibilities. They may not be right for every person or every situation, but they work for many of us who travel to Vegas frequently.

Next up: Tips for saving on your hotel accommodations

2 comments:

  1. Fine summary of how to think about flying.
    We have liked having the Southwest charge card and charging all the things we used to pay for in cash. We take people's cash when we all go to dinner on a split check, and we charge the whole amount. Tuition can be paid on a charge card.
    We pay the balance every month/ no interest.
    It builds up two or free tickets a year with the added help of a few shorter paid flights. Any leg earns one Rewards Credit.
    We pay fifty nine dollars a year and that gets us a couple rewards credits to get us started. Vegas is my most expensive flying, so I save for those trips.
    Southwest has the added advantage that with the RR free tickets or paid tickets we have insurance. If we can't make the flight at the last minute, we can bank the money.
    Credits can be used for just a one way flight. Often I have flown out to Vegas and back from California or Arizona, paying for the cheap leg in between.
    And there is no fee for the first two checked bags, so I can go for 23 days in the old fashioned way, with a soft bag in my huge suitcase, checking one bag out and another back so as to keep the weight balanced below fifty pounds.
    Dewey

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  2. I use my credit card in the same way: charge tuition and large purchases, and pay the balance off in full each month. I can use the points for cash back or gift cards (including airfare), so it's certainly a money-saving way to double-dip and really take advantage of the credit card benefits.

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