MGM Vacations vs Southwest Vacation Packages

Ok, first off sorry if I posted this is the wrong forum. However, what is your general experiences booking packages from MGM and SWA? The room rates and airfare booked separately, except for dt and off strip properties - which we don't wanna do this trip - are just too damn costly. The packages save us between $700-1500 per property, on average. I just wanna feel it our before I pull the trigger. Positives? Negatives? Now, this all may be for naught because my best friend is a Wheels Up member and may fly us out and pick up the cost. Thanks..

 

I did a Southwest Vacations reservation last year and it worked out pretty well, saved us about $200ish off hotel+flights. They frequently run promos. We stayed at Bally's.

Only real issue was that the person checking us in couldn't get us the room we reserved and said that "third party bookings, like through Southwest, room types aren't guaranteed". We booked the Indigo Deluxe King and ended up with a Queen. Not too bad, but the third party booking gave us no leeway or flexibility with the hotel.

Also unlike booking direct SW Vacations doesn't show the resort fees in the total price.

But in general, I'd probably do it again if I was booking a trip. It saved us a ton of money. 3 nights and round trip flights were around $450 before resort fees.

 

I'm not sure about booking through MGM Vacations, but a few negatives with booking with SWA Vacations is you can't get anything on your room comped on the back end, room charges yes, but nothing on the room itself. If you need to cancel or find a better price on a room or hotel, you're locked in to that rate when you book with them.

Sometimes you can find a pretty good deal with booking a package, but I've never been able to not better my Vegas hotel/air package over booking them separate and checking hotel prices up to a few days before travel. Other cities, yes, Vegas, not so much.

EDIT:
Just did a little digging and it appears SW Vacations and MGM Vacation are run by the same folks. Probably no real difference in the two.

 

If you are a gambler I suggest you book directly with the hotel. The first time I went to Vegas I booked with a travel agent and the day I checked out a host told me if I had booked through the hotel he could have comped the whole stay. Live and learn!

 

This is posted all the time. But, unless you play a fair amount, it really does not matter. Or if you are already charging lots of meals to your room that the host can then comp off.

As always, the answer is - it depends.

Bottom line, with comps aside - book a package if the savings are significant. You will get run of the house room, but still a room with no "catches". If you think you would be getting lots of comps this trip, then maybe, maybe not. $700 in savings is more than the vast majority of players here would get on the back end. If you have been to Vegas before and are not getting offers, then this time probably will not be anything different.

 

Just doesn't seem fair that when you book the SW Vacation Package and your selecting the room choice you can modify your room and have to pay extra for it that you don't get what you paid for?!

 

Yeah, I'm looking into somewhat "premium" rooms/suites. I would be one unhappy guinea if I were to get a "downgrade" because I booked a 3rd party deal. However, my wife reminded me that out honeymoon was a package deal, and we stayed at Caesars, did the "$50 trick", got an upgraded room, and a couple of show tix...Of course that was in 2007, before the advent of even shittier gambling rules all over the place, resort fees everywhere, and when Caesars was still mildly affordable...lol. Who knows wtf I'm gonna do right now..Price and compare x 100000000 I guess.

 

I am trying to guess what you are saying here... but....

If you select a certain type of room and pay for THAT type of room, you will get it. You will get what you paid for.

Generally, package deals are a basic room and you get what they have.

Again, if you SELECT and PAY for a certain room type, you will get it.

 

Just going on what Jidery's quote said...
Only real issue was that the person checking us in couldn't get us the room we reserved and said that "third party bookings, like through Southwest, room types aren't guaranteed". We booked the Indigo Deluxe King and ended up with a Queen. Not too bad, but the third party booking gave us no leeway or flexibility with the hotel.

 

I think all hotels have wording such as "although we try our best to give you the exact room you booked, there is no guarantee that room will be available"

 

Fundamentally, these are just travel agency packages, and you should be willing to look all over if this is what you want, be it MLife, Southwest, Priceline, Orbitz, etc. It's all the same. As people have noted, they are prepaid and they won't comp the rooms.

Generally, I would strongly consider looking into Hotwire/Priceline room deals in addition to just taking a package if you are willing to pay for the room up front. You can often beat the package deal.