Help needed for next year's trip.. UK people mainly!

Hi all

I guess I'm mainly after advice from people who live in UK but anyone else have any ideas then of course I'd love any help.

I'm looking to book a week next August in Mandalay Bay and am wondering the best way to do it. This year we did a package holiday through Thomas Cook and that was ok but I'd like to see if I can get a better deal by booking flights and accommodation separately.

I assume the best deal will be direct through the mandalay bay website for the room but where is the best place to look for flights only?

Like I say any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Chris

 

You have few option for flights from the UK...assuming you are flying direct (which is entirely recommended).

These break down to Virgin, BA and, I think (as you mentioned) Thomas Cook.

VS & BA do have sales every so often but Vegas being a hugely popular destination the savings are not usually great.

You might check out lowcostusa.com of which I have heard good things.

 

My process based on where I live here in the States:

Look at the vacation package deals through the airlines first to get a rough estimate on what the cost will be.

I then get the price of the actual flight I want to take from the airline and add that to the actual cost of the room I want at the hotel and compare. I use my players card as the reference since that is where I get the lowest rate when compared to me looking at the hotel's website directly.

You need to remember in the airline vacation package the room is going to be the basic standard room so there will be added costs to get a suite, strip view or whatever.

You may want to also look at priceline.com and those websites to see if they have any better delas than what you can see through the airlines and hotels directly. I have never used that way as I have had my best success going directly through the airline and hotel separately.

Hope this helps.

 

I've always booked directly with the hotel websites, sometimes using a discount code found elsewhere online.

For flights, again I've booked directly via either BA.com or the Virgin Atlantic website.

It might have been cheaper getting a bundle, as I didn't really put much effort in comparing. (Book it and forget about it, then I can pretend it is a Bargain )

 

Thanks for that, however I have hit a problem already. I went on to the mandalay bay website and for the week I want next August it's already sold out!!

I had no idea it would sell out this fast, and as I can't actually book till the first week in November (Wife finds out then if she can defiantly have the time off) i guess I have little chance.

I searched a few more like new York new York, Paris, all sold out.

 

I think that they just don't have rates for the rooms yet.
Way too unlikely they're all sold out. It is probably just too far in advance that is all.

If you plan on gambling I would not get a package deal as your room cannot be comped if you go through a third party.

As for the flights depends if you want a stopover or direct as to what will get you the cheapest option.

 

For flight prices I use kayak.co.uk and set up a weekly tracking email for my dates. When it gets to a reasonable price, I book it.

It's worth looking at a site like trivago to check out the hotels. This far out there won't be any offers or deals available direct, but you can usually get a quote from one of the sites they search.

 

Thank you so much for all your help.

I will look into all these sights and I am also relieved that the hotels are probably not sold out as yet

 

Hi,

I am in the uk and I have spent alot of time sorting my trip out to vegas next march.

You won't be able to book for next August yet. When we were booking the Venetian we found that they don't list availability until 9 months before your chosen month. So you will have to wait till December to book and not nessasarily on the 1st of the month as we found they update there systems weekly.

Also worth bearing in mind if you book flights/hotel separate you won't be able to pay for the hotel up front like you can when doing a package deal.

And another BIG plus for using the likes of Thomas cook is if for any reason your flight is cancelled for example down to the gloriously unpredictable English weather and you can't fly out for 2 days or so these days won't come off your booked holiday. But if you book your hotel separate the hotel does not have to carry your missed days forward so your 9 night hotel booking would go down to 7.

We found this out when we booked through flight centre this year so we are guaranteed our full holiday even if the outgoing flight is delayed.

Feel free to pm me if I can help any further.

Stu

 

Just a follow up question, now i am relaxed a little about being able to get a room if i book in November for next august, what about a flight? anyone have any idea how quickly these sell out for a specific date?

thanks again

Chris

 

As previously mentioned check the airline sites and the hotel sites to get an approximation of the stand alone costs. That will help evaluate package pricing. I also suggest signing up for mlife as they might make you an offer. It is unlikely the hotel would sell out unless there is a convention. You probably won't get any hotel offers until the summer next year.

Also you could book the rooms through the mb in advance and if better deals come along you could cancel and rebook. I never buy packages, I always book separate.

 

Use smarterVegas.com to watch for unpublished discount codes, I saved over half, and it's not a booking site, you book at the hotel directly using the codes from the site

 

I did get an mlife card in when i went to vegas, its only the saphire one though will this still get me some discount?

 

Thanks i will book mark that site, thank you

 

No problem. When I used it, I saved approximately 20/night on my room, not a huge savings but it was money in my pocket

 

A saving is a saving so again thanks !

I have been on Virgin and British Airways sites looking at prices for next august and they are both quoting around £2000 for 2 of us return. Im hoping they will drop as it gets closer however its a juggling act as if you wait to long it will sell out.

 

I'm just starting to look at my trip not been to Vegas since 2011, looking at the end of March

 

Where u thinking?

 

I want to stay at cosmopolitan but odds are I will stay somewhere much cheaper, I also will stay one night downtown, I did that last time and loved it

 

You based in Cardiff Chris??