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What do you book first

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by LVRaiders, Mar 3, 2020.

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  1. Catzilla

    Catzilla VIP Whale

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    Always flight first. I have my certain days and times I want to fly and that's that. I usually get pretty lucky with the room comps. If I'm missing a night or two I try myvegas or use reward points.
     
  2. VegasGroove

    VegasGroove VIP Whale

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    1st - Flights
    2nd - Hotel
    3rd - Car Rental
     
  3. FYMYAWF

    FYMYAWF VIP Whale

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    Resort first. I can get it on the books and start the prelim planning process, then later on worry about whether or not I can actually get the time off and afford the trip. I generally don't book though unless I'm 90% committed to following through on the trip. Then a couple months out I'll put a Google Flights tracker on for the air.

    Once the flight is booked it's a done deal and there's no stopping the train.
     
  4. mercr350

    mercr350 Low-Roller

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    Flight without a doubt. If you can't get there why book the hotel.
     
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  5. SMG

    SMG VIP Whale

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    I book flights first, but I usually check my free room comps first to see how many freebies I have available which sometimes determine the length of my trip. Once my flights are set, then I book lodging, and a rental car.
     
  6. MGinCO

    MGinCO VIP Whale

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    Flight (look for cheapest dates, and always refundable if on SWA)
    hotel (check my offers)
    car rental (Check Costco)
     
  7. Carol1113

    Carol1113 VIP Whale

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    Always flights first as we have a fantastic host at the Mirage who takes care of everything once I give him the dates.
     
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  8. ffejry

    ffejry #1 Bears Fan

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    Comps come and go. So I book that whenever I have the chance. Occasionally I'll see a flight from Chicago to Vegas or vice versa for $45 then I'll book that first.
     
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  9. Audible Nectar

    Audible Nectar High-Roller

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    Room. I'm not one who gets comps, so I'm shopping for room, schedule, and price, and will make several bookings sometimes as prices or ideas for the trip change.

    Once I book the flights I am "all in" and set to go for the trip - that's the "point of no return" and the full commitment to the trip. That's the "non-refundable" part so I don't usually buy airfare until I'm sure......
     
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  10. Sprocket

    Sprocket Low-Roller

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    I have about 3 hotel stays in vegas booked at all times. I get comped rooms , but I don't always get the top comped rooms if I wait too long. If I see augustus tower is available, I'll book it, and if the flights work out I go, if the flights don't work out, I just cancel the trip.
     
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  11. Gino

    Gino "The King of Inappropriate."

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    Flight...Way in advance lso.
     
  12. JRRestoule

    JRRestoule VIP Whale

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    I'm pretty sure I've always booked the fight first. Like others I have several options for comp rooms so the decision on where to stay comes after the travel dates are set.
    But... for what I think is the first time... I've just booked the hotels for our summer trip and am still waiting to book the flight. Feels ass-backwards, but the hotels can always be cancelled so there's no worries.
    Part of the reason for booking rooms now is the damn Wynn slots app and their deceptive ways.
     
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  13. oghuman

    oghuman VIP Whale

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    Hotel Room, it's much easier to change date of room than a plane.
     
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  14. ronc

    ronc VIP Whale

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    Since we use Southwest, the hotel is usually booked first. Our Super Bowl weekend trip hotel rooms are already booked but it will be a while before we can book flights.

    Our next trip, in August, was booked during the MLife Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales--we booked a Sky Suite in the former and then changed it to a Sky Suite 1 Bedroom Penthouse on Cyber Monday--and flights were not booked until later on. The house for our second trip in August, to another destination, is booked but we are still waiting on the flight schedule to open up for that trip.
     
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  15. EastCoastVegasFan!

    EastCoastVegasFan! VIP Whale

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    Hotel, because Southwest only opens about 6 months in advance.
     
    July 19th - July 24th
  16. tmoney25

    tmoney25 High-Roller

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    1. Conference if that's the reason I'm going.
    2. Hotel
    3. Flight
    4. Hotel
    5. Hotel
    6. Hotel.

    I'll book a conference for the earliest discount I can get. Then I'll book the hotel once the admin staff have paid for the conference. Then I'll wait until 90-80 days before the flight to book the flight. I'll always re-check the hotel to see if I can get a better rate.
     
  17. carolineno

    carolineno VIP Whale

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    Now that I get comped rooms, I book my hotel first. I'm a little more fussy about my flight now that I'm older, so I'm okay paying a bit more for my flight. I now comb through my comp offers the way I used to look for cheap flights. Every so often I find a gem!
     
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  18. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    For me, these days, it's always in this order:
    1. Select dates (always Sunday through Thursday night stays, as I no longer get weekend nights comped...which is fine with me, as I don't really care for the weekend chaos of Vegas).
    2. Book flight on SWA, using points.
    3. Book the hotel (whomever offers the best comped package).

    Back in the 80s, 90s & early 2000s, it was always easy - I always had a 3-night comp available to me at the Stardust...including weekend nights... but back then, I didn't have any airline "reward" situations, so it was always cash for airfare... consequently, I would always shop airfares & dates, and book my trip based on the best deal I could I find (knowing that the room would never be a problem).
     
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  19. MCann

    MCann I can't complain, but sometimes I still do...

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    Hotel, but I usually book really far out. Flights are my biggest expense for a trip so I buy when the price and schedule is good, usually months out. My initial hotel booking is usually a safety booking though to make sure I have "a" room, but because I buy airfare really far out, I dont usually have my offers for those dates yet, so I often upgrade my room(s) 2 or 3 times before the trip as better offers and or comps become available.
     
  20. GeorgeJ.

    GeorgeJ. VIP Whale

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    I have 4 trips to Vegas coming up between now and next January and I have the airline tickets booked for all of them since I found decent fares. January 2021 has just been coming available day by day and I did get a decent fare on that too so I went ahead and booked it already (obviously I'm not going on Southwest since they don't even have the schedule opened up to October yet).

    I usually stay at one of the Hilton timeshares and the "price" (points it costs for a stay) doesn't change with how busy Vegas is that week, I don't really worry about that when booking airfare.
     
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