Will the price go lower than $74 for airfare and two nights’ hotel? Probably not. Will it go up again? Almost definitely
Nov. 13 — Buying a vacation package to Vegas is a bit like playing roulette. If you toss out your money at just the right time, if you hit a period when the town is convention-free and fairly slow, you can spin yourself into a terrifically well-priced vacation.
NOW IS one of those times. In the run-up to Christmas, when most of the country is spending time close to hearth and home (or at least close to the hearth and home of their nearest relatives), travel to such gambling meccas as Atlantic City, Las Vegas and Reno slows to a trickle.
It’s at these times that vacation packagers such as Southwest Airlines Vacations and America West Vacations slice the C-note out of their calculations, dropping their best pricing for two-night holidays to as low as $74. That’s no misprint. Periodically, Southwest downs prices to that figure (and for some reason, it’s always $74) and America West follows with rates about $20 higher from the nearest gateways. In AmWest’s defense, its prices often beat Southwest’s for more far-flung flights.
As is always the case with these specials, if you book with Southwest, you’re going to be staying at the Ho. The Westward Ho that is, which is basically an oversized motel (with casino) right on the Strip. It’s not as glitzy or amenity-laden as its neighbors (and at these rates you’ll be staying at the rear of the property), but as a place to crash it’s perfectly fine. Sample rates, covering airfare and a two-night stay at the Westward Ho include:
Los Angeles: $74
Tucson, Phoenix and San Diego: $79
Salt Lake City: $89
Oakland: $104
Albuquerque: $124
Seattle and Portland: $129
Austin and Chicago: $189
Kansas City: $199
St. Louis: $214
Little Rock: $239
Upgrades are available for a number of hotels including the Imperial Palace ($15 more), the Golden Nugget ($40 more) and Treasure Island ($90 more). Rates don’t include tax and are per person, based on double occupancy. To get these rates you must book by Dec. 4 for travel Dec. 7 through Feb 10 (some blackouts will apply).
For more info., go to www.swavacations.com. And note that you can book these packages from nearly every gateway Southwest serves.
America West, as we said earlier, is also very competitive to Vegas. In fact, if you decide to go the swank route, perhaps with a stay at Treasure Island, you could save over $50 from some gateways by booking with AmWest—its starting rates there tend to trump Southwests. If budget is your first concern, America West offers the Golden Nugget for its cheapest packages, which is a step above the Ho in terms of upkeep and decor. America West’s lowest sample rates (again for airfare and two nights), start at:
Ontario: $94
Phoenix: $96
San Francisco: $116
Portland: $136
Dallas and St. Louis: $166
Fort Lauderdale and Newark: $217
Again, prices are per person and taxes are not included but unlike Southwest’s sale there’s no book by date, or travel window listed. You’ll have to surf their site to find the cheapest dates—we’d guess that most of those will fall in the month of December (excluding the end of the month for obvious reasons). For more info, try www.americawestvacations.com.
AN ALERT FOR MIDWESTERNERS
For those of you in the middle of the country (and we include Texas in that category), a company called Worry Free Vacations often serves up very nice rates for Sin City. It keeps its prices low by using chartered air, which also means that when it doesn’t fill its planes, rates can drop dramatically. If you’re looking for a good last-minute Vegas escape (anyone eloping out there?), this is another excellent source. While none of its prices undercut what we’re currently seeing from America West or Southwest, that could easily change.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/992643.asp
Nov. 13 — Buying a vacation package to Vegas is a bit like playing roulette. If you toss out your money at just the right time, if you hit a period when the town is convention-free and fairly slow, you can spin yourself into a terrifically well-priced vacation.
NOW IS one of those times. In the run-up to Christmas, when most of the country is spending time close to hearth and home (or at least close to the hearth and home of their nearest relatives), travel to such gambling meccas as Atlantic City, Las Vegas and Reno slows to a trickle.
It’s at these times that vacation packagers such as Southwest Airlines Vacations and America West Vacations slice the C-note out of their calculations, dropping their best pricing for two-night holidays to as low as $74. That’s no misprint. Periodically, Southwest downs prices to that figure (and for some reason, it’s always $74) and America West follows with rates about $20 higher from the nearest gateways. In AmWest’s defense, its prices often beat Southwest’s for more far-flung flights.
As is always the case with these specials, if you book with Southwest, you’re going to be staying at the Ho. The Westward Ho that is, which is basically an oversized motel (with casino) right on the Strip. It’s not as glitzy or amenity-laden as its neighbors (and at these rates you’ll be staying at the rear of the property), but as a place to crash it’s perfectly fine. Sample rates, covering airfare and a two-night stay at the Westward Ho include:
Los Angeles: $74
Tucson, Phoenix and San Diego: $79
Salt Lake City: $89
Oakland: $104
Albuquerque: $124
Seattle and Portland: $129
Austin and Chicago: $189
Kansas City: $199
St. Louis: $214
Little Rock: $239
Upgrades are available for a number of hotels including the Imperial Palace ($15 more), the Golden Nugget ($40 more) and Treasure Island ($90 more). Rates don’t include tax and are per person, based on double occupancy. To get these rates you must book by Dec. 4 for travel Dec. 7 through Feb 10 (some blackouts will apply).
For more info., go to www.swavacations.com. And note that you can book these packages from nearly every gateway Southwest serves.
America West, as we said earlier, is also very competitive to Vegas. In fact, if you decide to go the swank route, perhaps with a stay at Treasure Island, you could save over $50 from some gateways by booking with AmWest—its starting rates there tend to trump Southwests. If budget is your first concern, America West offers the Golden Nugget for its cheapest packages, which is a step above the Ho in terms of upkeep and decor. America West’s lowest sample rates (again for airfare and two nights), start at:
Ontario: $94
Phoenix: $96
San Francisco: $116
Portland: $136
Dallas and St. Louis: $166
Fort Lauderdale and Newark: $217
Again, prices are per person and taxes are not included but unlike Southwest’s sale there’s no book by date, or travel window listed. You’ll have to surf their site to find the cheapest dates—we’d guess that most of those will fall in the month of December (excluding the end of the month for obvious reasons). For more info, try www.americawestvacations.com.
AN ALERT FOR MIDWESTERNERS
For those of you in the middle of the country (and we include Texas in that category), a company called Worry Free Vacations often serves up very nice rates for Sin City. It keeps its prices low by using chartered air, which also means that when it doesn’t fill its planes, rates can drop dramatically. If you’re looking for a good last-minute Vegas escape (anyone eloping out there?), this is another excellent source. While none of its prices undercut what we’re currently seeing from America West or Southwest, that could easily change.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/992643.asp
