Hotel & Flight best deals?

[VelvetRevolver]

Took a trip last month through southwest vacations package, stayed at ballys 4 nights.
Planning another trip for late July or August..

Can't seem to find a better deal (Flight + Hotel)than southwest vacations packages??

Even with Orbitz flight deals its hard to beat the southwest hotel combination packages.

Anyone got tips or experience finding better deals buying flight tickets and hotel reservations seperately?

Thanks in advance.

[HoyaHeel]

How good a package deal is often depends on how cheaply you can find airfare out of your favored city airport. If you let us know where you fly, maybe we can give better advice. I always find good airfare on my own, and prefer to book a hotel directly anyway so I can make last minute changes or take advantage of any offers we might get mailed or emailed based on gambling or player's clubs, etc.

[Tor Paul]

I've booked my trip for late June from Toronto. The package deals I found on Expedia or Travelocity were at least $200 more per person than I am paying by booking seperately. And the other advantage to booking seperately is you can change your hotel reservations without penalty.

[VelvetRevolver]

I fly out of Portland, Oregon.
I usually find best flight through Orbitz and prices always average $200 roundtrip.

I look to stay 4-5 nights arriving on a Sunday staying the weekday..

So far have found america west and southwest to have great hotel + flight package deals.

After paying $400 for flight tickets for 2 people and looking to stay 4 -5 nights.

I found a sweet deal for Alladin $620 4 nights plus roundtrip flight (redeye flight departure date)with such a package. Dont know if hotels will hold your luggage after check out hours until evenings flight departure time?

I cant imagine finding a better deal.

So im curious because majority seem to have better luck with booking seperately.

Thanks.

[HoyaHeel]

You can check your bags at the Bell Desk in your hotel if you have a flight that leaves after check-out time--that's not a problem.

So if I read your post correctly, basically you want to know if $220 for 4 nights at Aladdin is a good deal. For summer midweek rates, yes, that's pretty good.

Our next trip is September. I booked 2 RT flights from Raleigh for $240 each (lowest I've EVER seen is $200 and I think that was a freak occurrence--#230-260 is common) We're staying at Fitzgeralds ($29 Saturday and free Sunday--thank you, hubby, for playing craps so much ;) ) Then we're moving to Aladdin Monday & Tuesday for $49 a night plus some free food and/or show tickets, I can't remember--an offer that was mailed to us for casino play [we'll try to upgrade--last year we had Resort rooms for $79 a night--fantastic] If we booked packages we wouldn't have nearly the same flexibility to take advantage of hotel room offers or to have any of our stay comped if we do a lot of gambling there during the trip. It's just an option I like to keep open. In the past, when I have looked at packages, the airfares seem good but the hotel rates are much higher. It's just a call you have to make yourself--if you can't match the deal separately, book the package. But if you can come close to paying the same price booking individually, that's definitely my preference.

[JR Swift]

Have been reading this board for a few weeks now and thought that I would throw my 2 cents in on this topic. I would agree that Southwest has some very good packages. It would appear that this is because the airfare involved is priced at some sort of promotional rate since the hotels booked separately on the web site don't seem to be that great a deal. Before I found a good airfare ($99 each way) on their site, I was seriously considering buying one of the packages myself. As an example, SW wanted $161 each way out of Kansas City for a "fun fare" (didn't seem that "fun" to me at that price) but I was able to get a price of just under $400 for airfare and 7 nights at the Plaza (admittedly not a great hotel) including airport transfer. That would mean that for an extra $70 or so, I would get 7 nights at the Plaza. Now that is an awfully good deal as it included 2 weekend nights. At that rate, it is pretty hard to justify buying the airfare separately.

I checked to see what the differential was for a trip out of Portland in mid-July and it looked like you would be paying from about $270 to $370 a night for the rooms at the Aladdin versus just airfare. I checked 4 nights, one way with the weekend and one way Mon-Thurs. For the weekday rate, that would be less that $70 a night (which would include tax) and I doubt you can find that rate separately. However, travelzoo sent me an email that said you could book a room at the Aladdin midweek for $79 and automatically be upgraded to a resort room for that price. Stayed in one of the resort rooms in April and thought they were pretty nice. Might be worth the price difference.

Oh, btw, and this would apply to anyone (I think) looking at a package on SW, but if you type in "snackpack" under the optional promotional code when pricing a package, it will take 10% off the price. Don't know how long the code will work but it did yesterday. (I used the code checking the prices I mentioned earlier. Does anyone know of any other "promo codes" out there that work?)

Anyway, hope that is helpful. I've really enjoyed what I've read here so far and hope to contribute when I can. Heading back July 19-25 so, until then, I'll have to live vicariously.

[VelvetRevolver]

Good stuff JR Swift,

I personally have come to the conclusion that package deals are the way to go for my fly out home city Portland, OR. (Only flaw is the restrictions that go with package deals)

Yes I knew about the great $79 alladin deal with free resort suite upgrade.

With my package deal through AmericaWest After subtracting Flight cost for 2 people roundtrip($400)

I am paying $55 a night for the alladin Sunday-Wed night stay. Who knows Maybe ill get the free upgrade also. Or end up paying for an upgrade..Ill take my chances to barter.

Im glad someone agree's with me about Vacation packages through airlines being hard to beat..since most people seemed to prefer booking seperately.

Although very similar in price when finding bargain hotel deals, packages seem to have an edge in price wars from my experience.

Thanks for the Southwest %10 tip...would be nice if there was a master list of these Code promotions for boardmembers to use.

[Whobeme]

I find the best deals when I book direct with the airline and hotel. This trip we are going with a group, so a travel agent worked better. We leave about of Philly, direct morning flight seven nights at TI and return direct flight early afternoon. Two to a room, $750. a person air fare and hotel. I do have comps for 2 nights at Rio so I booked them for mid trip, along with a few free shows, figue why not.

[blackjack]

It does seem to depend on the departure city. Out of Cleveland one would be a fool to use a package with one exception. Funjet, which has many package deals from Cleveland, sometimes will offer better "air only" rates especially as the date approaches. If someone were to get a good last minute (within a few weeks) deal on a hotel, typically airfare goes up the closer you are and don't even think about booking without 14 days advance. In this case, Funjet usually offers really nice air only rates as they try to fill their charters.

Whenever I book however, I always research every possibilty but it seems that booking separately always works out much cheaper and it of course provides more flexibilty to change hotels if a better rate comes up.

[5Aces]

I booked my vacation last month and my deal was
3 people I am taking my parents for their 27th anniversary 6days 5 nights at the flamingo 3non stop flights from boston to vegas on american airlines two trips when i am out their one to laughlin and the other to prim and 3 fun books with all kinds of good coupons for $1380. graemlins/biggthumpup.gif
:D graemlins/beerchug.gif

[elrushbo]

I fly out of Detroit, but I have always found America West Vacations http://www.americawestvacations.com to be the best values by far, and I have looked. I don't know if they fly out of your city, but if so, check them out. They have had better rates than Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, or any of those services.

[SH0CK]

I'm not sure if you've checked them or not, but Alaska Airlines (http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=37924509&siteid=39793540&bfpage=1591648&bfinfo=portland) is running a $10 off special through 6/15. I don't know what dates you're looking at, but I put in some dates 4 and 5 days apart and got airfare ranging from $205-240 (before the discount was applied.)

These are non stop flights as well.

Hope this helps.

[Bludemun]

Don't know if there's any Indiana folks here, but Southwest is running some one-way promotional fairs from Indianapolis, and a flight from to Las Vegas is $89. You can book a return trip and it's the same flying back ($89) so less than $200 total. graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[whatyouare]

Well, I can't seem to find anything under $450 (or around that) for a 3 night stay, thurs-sun. Granted, we're at least looking to stay at the flamingo, TI, Luxor, etc...Does this make sense to anyone? I see the prices in the $200's thrown around left and right, but can't seem to find anything under $400/person for flight/hotel out of st. louis. I've tried soutwest, americawest, travelocity, and at least 5 other sites.

[HoyaHeel]

The $200s you see thrown around are airfare only, hotel booked separately is generally a better deal since you can book directly with the hotel and cancel if good deals come out closer to your departure date. For instance, for my Sept trip I've booked airfare--$460 total for 2 people (from NC) and hotel total (right now) is $200 ($49 Sat & Sun at Fitzgeralds, $49 Mon & Tues at Aladdin) So that's $660 TOTAL for 4 nights, 2 people and airfare. I've never found a package that can beat what I find booking separately. That's just my experience....

[volfanga]

I just got back from Vegas and Book my airfare through Priceline. 167 a flight for three flights from Jacksonville, Fl. I got a reservation at the Sahara from expedia for 35 a night but I would not recommend staying there it was aweful worst place I ever stayed in Vegas by far. Then was at Ballys with a night comped.
If you are not concerned about the times of travel Priceline is great I usually save 30 to 40% off the lowest far. The lowest fare I could find was 225 before I got the deal from Pricelline. Give it a try and use the extra money for the tables!!!!