Just been looking at flight prices for November. BA are kicking Virgin into touch fly out 14th November, back 21st November £408pp with BA, £518 with Virgin.

I'm guessing the BA price might be in the sale, but if flight prices on either carrier are hovering around the £400 mark I would probably do that. I do prefer the Virgin flight time though. Of course, if there is a ridiculous indirect flight price I would have to consider that as well.

Looking promising though......

Might be worth double checking Virgin, just booked Virgin, 10 days, going out at end of November £343 each return - note there was a problem with the site, they have a sale on but the sale price only appears once you click through from the grid of prices, sale price was cheaper than BA.

Can anyone recommend a car service for airport pickup? We went as a group and used pesidential limos before but not impressed, just 2 of us this time so just need a car (would prefer that than waiting for a cab and arguing over the fare)!

MGM Mirage have good rates at that time too and we found that was the best location - less than $90 per night for the whole 10 days!

You are correct, Virgin is cheaper on those dates now but only just, £398 (against BA £408) return but obviously with the better flight times I would opt for Virgin over BA anyway. Only problem, I'm not going to be in a position to purchase by 14th July, so in effect any price comparision at the moment is purely speculative and has no bearing on what they are going to be when I do get round to booking flights in the next month or two. Also, have to factor in Saturday departure which is always going to push the price up.

Well, we've booked a couple of shows -

Going to see Britney Spears at Mandalay Bay (not my choice, was the missus)......but.....I can stand looking at her for an hour or so and the support act is the Pussycat Dolls so I'll force myself to watch

Got tickets for 'Believe' at the Luxor

Planning to go and see 'Legends' as we've never seen it and it's pretty cheap

Might go and see 'La Reve' too, like the look of it but it's pretty expensive so not sure yet.

On the subject of shows, there's some great deals on all the Cirque shows at the moment, if you pay full price for one ticket (any category seating) you get the second ticket for $25, even for 'O'. You can also do it for 'Love' or there are other deals for 50% off Love tickets.

Cheers,

TC

Hope you enjoy Britney. She was at the MGM last time we were there and the reviews weren't good as she was lip synching and spent a lot of time off stage.

Legends in good and worth seeing. You can get tickets at Tix4Tonight or there is a 2 for 1 coupon in the American Casino Guide. It used to include a cocktail when they were at the IP and I think it still does, but I'm not 100% certain.

Le Reve is often on TravelZoo see HERE There is also an offer there for Legends plus the buffet at Harrah's for $45 which is a good deal at T4T will be about $65 for two (inc service charge) for the general admission show tickets without the buffet.

luci

Nice one, thanks Luci.

That's my opinion on Britney too - every 'live' performance I've seen on TV there's no doubt she mimes all the time plus there's no-one that can dance constantly and hold a tune.
The only reason I agreed to it is because it is more of a 'show' than just her standing on stage miming.
Mind you, the prices are ridiculous - VIP seats anywhere near the stage are around $790, for the next few blocks back it's about $500. We've gone for tickets right at the back for $79.50!!

I'm even more gutted tho' because after I booked Britney, I saw that the Pet Shop Boys are playing at Hard Rock when we're in Vegas, I'm not a big fan at all but wouldn't mind seeing them - checked out the dates and it's the night of the Britney concert I could have booked the night before for Britney too - doh!!

I think we'll do the buffet/Legends deal, sounds good. Have you tried the Harrahs buffet before?

Cheers,

TC

You could try calling to see if they'll move your Britney tickets to the night before. You have nothing to lose if they won't.

Just edited my post above to add that the $65 from T4T is for two tickets.

I really enjoy Harrah's buffet both at breakfast and dinner. Dinner is around $24-25.

luci

Le Reve is also on http://www.goldstar.com most weeks priced at $82.50 if I remember rightly.

I'm sure Britney and the Pussycats will be an experience. Pet Shop Boys would be good also. I'm pretty gutted that the Killers are playing Mandalay on the 19th September, so even if by some complete fluke we still do go in September we won't be able to go to the gig as my Wife only has the weeks of 7th and 14th off. We miss by one day basically and she definitely can't have Monday 21st off, which we would need if we were to fly home the Sunday.
Anyway, I did see them at the Royal Albert Hall again on Sunday, which was pretty special.

I would be very interested to hear what you think of "Believe" TC. I think that would be our next choice of CDS show over O and Love to be honest.

Glad to see things are getting organised. It was about now I was booking our shows for August last year......

Excalibur from $31 inc 2 free all day buffets passes for booking after 8 September. Book by 22 July

https://reservations.mgmmirage.com/bookingengine.aspx?pid=EXC&host=offer&code=XTWB

luci

That's a cracking Excalibur deal Luci. The buffet is so so in my opinion (I have only experienced breakfast though), but at those rates it is well worth it.

I really do wish I was in a position to book this deal. With it being all inclusive I'm wondering if I can convince my Wife to look at September again, aside from gambling money everything would be included but then again I don't know if I could face the Excalibur buffet every day and night. Just think of the great restaurants we would be missing out on? I'm pretty sure that people who are booking this deal (or the MGM deal) are not planning on eating at the buffet every day, but at least it gives you the option to and lets face it if you are paying out $31 for your accommodation and food for the day, that is very tempting especially on a budget.

We have decided that the next few weeks up until the start of the footie season are save save save weeks. We always go out after the first game of the season (which is the 8th August) but prior to and after that, if we can put money away, who knows? At the very least we'll have a week in Greece to look forward to, but could we save enough for Vegas?

Flights £350 x 2
Accommodation £262 (Excalibur deal)
Gambling money £250
Plus whatever for shopping/transportation/shows

All in £1500? I don't know, £300 (or $480) for shopping/transport and shows....seems low, but of course we don't really need to do any shopping...shows are cheap at the moment......

Difficult to say whether we'd be able to afford September, but November should definitely be doable.

All I know for now is that we have to save........

Ju

BTW there was another Monte Carlo deal the other day I noticed, I think the code was JULYTIER. I'm not sure if this can help anybody???

The Signature at MGM Grand from $100 till 20 December. Book by 29 July

https://reservations.mgmmirage.com/bookingengine.aspx?host=promo&pid=005&code=BST09

luci

The recent Monte Carlo deal worked out worse for me than the one I've booked

Luxury Suites Int'l are doing Signature rooms for $89 for a lot of dates.......oh dear.....might be tempted

Anyone seen Virgins new luggage restrictions? It doesn't make sense to me - in Premium you used to be allowed to take up to two cases each weighing 32kg. They are now changing it to a max. of 23kg per case with a £35 per case penalty if overweight.
What I don't really understand is.....surely having one case with 28kg is better than having two cases with 20kg?
I suppose from a H&S point of view with people having to lift them it makes sense but can't think of any other way?

Cheers,

TC

Mandalay Bay from $109 inc free all day buffet till 4 September Book by 4 September

https://reservations.mgmmirage.com/bookingengine.aspx?pid=mbh&host=promo&code=padbuf

luci

Interesting developments yesterday. I got a new job and it is 99% certain that my Wife is going to be ok in hers so despite all the will we/won't we it looks promising that we will be going to Vegas in September again now This has changed about 100 times so I wouldn't blame you for saying "yeah right" but that is very much the aim now. My Wife has those 2 weeks (7th & 14th Sept) off and they can't be changed now so we are definitely going somewhere. The thing is although it would probably still make sense to go to Greece in September and then Vegas in November, my holiday allowance for the rest of the year is going to be pitiful. My new company are willing to honour September, but I think it would be taking the michael a bit to try and get November as well. Well, it would be unpaid leave basically, as will some of the September holiday also.

I think at last my Wife is getting excited. This morning she thrust Vegas guidebooks in my face when she got up and even asked me to try and come up with a budget as well.

So plan:-

Fly either 6th or 7th September to Vegas with anyone, the cheapest as long as the times are ok and we are not connecting for 19 hours or similar.
Then 8 nights (I tried for 10, got shot down) which will be enough to have a good time, plus also give us an option of some recuperation time when we get back leading up to my Wife's birthday on the 18th.

Hotel options are better if we head out on the 7th which is the Monday. For some reason if you choose a Sunday (i.e. the 6th) on the MGM Buffet Deal, it puts the Sunday rate for the Monday and Tuesday as well ($90+) whereas if you just put the Monday & Tuesday in you get it for $69 a night.
So in theory it would be the MGM for 2 nights, 7th and 8th September @ $69 a night (buffet deal).
Then from the 9th for the 6 nights, I think its going to be the Excalibur again on the buffet deal (runs out 22nd July, so need to move fast). I'm struggling to look beyond this deal at the moment, and would happily go for the standard Tower room which we had in 2006. Rates are:-

9th $31.00, 10th $36.00, 11th $91.00, 12th $91.00, 13th $46 and 14th $46.

I'm not particularly doing a dance on the $91 for the Fri & Sat but if there is an all day buffet pass included, then suddenly it becomes a better deal. The Excalibur buffet is ok, nothing special, below the MGM but I'm happy to go for that. I will probably budget in 3 or 4 evening meals elsewhere though because no doubt we will get sick of the buffet, plus I can't go to Vegas without visiting the Cheesecake Factory and some of our other faves. Even if we have a buffet breakfast everyday and 1 maybe 2 evening buffets that will save us a fair bit.

The only other reasonable option I can find is the Monte Carlo instead of the MGM and it would be a new hotel for us also. The MC is coming out at $47 and $41 for those two days I've already mentioned at the MGM, which is $22 and $28 cheaper respectively than the MGM but obviously without an all day buffet pass.

Ideally I would like to keep flights and accommodation to under £1,000 which is what I have budgeted for in my inital workings but I think I might just be over that. As for other stuff, I'm still working on it but I would love to see a couple of shows in the evening and maybe a couple of cheapies in the afternoon as well. I think we would also probably hire a car and head down to the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead for the first time since 2004.

Am getting excited, and only what 8 weeks away.............

Good for you Ju and congratulations on the new job! No mean feat in this economic climate.

Sounds like a plan and 8 days in Vegas is better than no days at all.

luci

Tell me about it Luci. I've been on employed on a temp ongoing contract which was another reason behind our hesitation to look too far ahead with holiday plans.

I'm happy with 8 nights. It will be the longest we have ever been there so I am sure we can get a fair bit done in that time and also give us some time to chill out. At least the majority of the pools will be open as well.

Just need to keep checking out these deals. It is hard to look beyond the buffet deals at the moment though.

Ju

The buffet deals are great if you want to budget. I considered the MGM one for our last trip, but the rates were more than I'd already booked at and I couldn't see myself eating there for more than breakfast.

You need to watch when the deals need to be booked by, although you did mention 22 July for Excalibur. However I was shocked to see Mandalay Bay offering this option so they must be strauggling too. If that is the case then I can see more similar deals continuing to be offered.

luci

Normally I wouldn't worry too much about buffet deals because part of the fun in Vegas is eating out at a different restaurant each night, but with time against us to save, it at least gives us an option for an evening meal if funds are running thin later in the trip. I'm sure it will be a huge novelty to start with though, but as I said, I'll budget for 3 or 4 evening meals elsewhere because I think 4 buffet evening meals will be enough. We will certainly take advantage for breakfast though, which is my Wife's favourite meal of the day......

I've found an older Excalibur deal which I think we mentioned already with 7th and 8th @ $36 and $31 respectively but without the buffet (loads of 2 for 1's included though) which would at least allow me to stay in the same hotel (and room probably) for the duration. That might be an option also. I do really want to stay in a new property but I think we might be priced out certainly compared to other deals such as the MGM and Excalibur buffet deals. The more we spend on the room, the less we have for spending money over there. The only hotel deal for a new property for us that I think is comparable pricewise at the moment is the Monte Carlo, but obviously you don't get the added benefits of the buffets.

Good point re: the expiry dates for these buffet deals. The Excalibur is 22nd July, the MGM is middle of August I can't remember the exact date.

It's a nice position to be in now though....roll on 57 days I think it is. Funny thing is, my new employer said when I mentioned the holiday, September is way off but clearly it isn't!!!!!

Ju,

I'm so glad that you get to scratch your Vegas itch again this year. Well done on the job front.