WWYD-with your time?

We got a sweet deal for direct flights if we changed which weekend we would be gone (going to the grand canyon for the weekend) so we changed weekends and now we will not be leaving vegas until 5pm.

We have to be at the airport no later than 2:30 since it is an international flight. We can not check in luggage any earlier than 2 pm if we get there early.

Would you stay at the hotel till 12 then go to the airport? Most will let you stay that hour later and i already asked if they allow that but then we have our luggage to haul for at least 1.5 hours until they let us check it.

Another option would be to rent a car and check out at 11 and do something else, not sure what?

Or third option is to leave luggage with bell services and hang out on the strip until 2 and go to the airport.

It will be our first trip so i do not know what to expect but if we rent a car i have to add the insurance here before we go (much cheaper than using the car insurance down there).

 

I'd go option 3, and I'd also forget the car, unless you just have to have it.

 

No we don't but if we paid to stay in the room till 3 it would be cheaper to check out and have the car.

I didn't even know option 3 was an option until the hotel emailed me back today but it does sound like a decent option.

 

Option 3 is it.
Request a 1pm checkout. You may get lucky.
Check your luggage with the bellman and have a late lunch.
Done at 2pm and leave for the airport.

 

A 5PM flight isn't too bad... its late enough that you can still get out and about for a little bit of Las Vegas but don't really have to burn up time.

Most of the time our flights home are either 9:45PM to 10:45PM and sometimes that can lead to a really loooooooong day cuz you don't want to keep checking luggage in and out of different bell desks (going from hotel to hotel) and after a long trip to Las Vegas we are usualyl at the point of just looking forward to getting home.

For the same flight times I think we would have just done the same thing: request a late check out (unless its a really busy time almost every hotel will give you the 1PM check out free of charge) and then just relax through the day and take our time.

But at least one thing I can say: as far as airports go the Las Vegas airport isn't too bad of one to be stuck waiting at for a while though

 

That late i would pay for another day, would drive me crazy with no where to "rest" all day lol.

I don't mind being at the airport, it's the lugging of the luggage, can not check them in until 3 hours before flight ala 2pm. For me hauling them around for hours is a pain, i have a problem with my shoulder, back & hip so i need to dump them lol.

Never thought of a late lunch, thanks pp(previous poster) for the suggestion

 

We used to take the red eye back to the east coast (11pm flight out of vegas). we would rent the car for the day and then visit all of the out of the way places we wanted to see (Hoover dam, Red Rock, etc) after we checked out.

 

Definitely option 3. Sleep in a bit - or wake up really early (to make the most out of your last day), check the luggage at the belldesk and enjoy a great meal. Then you can rid yourself of your luggage as soon as you get to the airport.

 

I almost always take the red eye back from Vegas. Going to the east coast takes effectively 9 hours with the time difference so this way I don't feel like I lose an entire day traveling.

If you don't feel like doing Option 3 (best option) and would rather stay in your room here's what I do -

I always ask for a late checkout. So far in Vegas I don't think I've ever been denied and I'm not a big gambler or anything. This year during my first trip I got a 6pm checkout at Aria and my next trip I got a 4pm checkout at MGM. All it took was a quick phone call to the front desk (at MGM they just did it, at Aria they called my host to get approval). You only need a couple hours anyway.

If you want to stay in your room you can also get away with hanging out in it for a while after checking out. Check out online and have all your stuff packed and ready to go but its not like alarms will go off and security is going to knock down your door if you don't actually leave the room. At MGM I checked out at 4pm but we wanted to kick back a little longer before going for dinner so probably stuck around for over an hour or so. If a maid came by she'd see all the bags by the door and I'd just say we were one our way out. Also your keys will still work for a good while after checking out.

In your case going to the airport 5 hours before would be bananas. Definitely don't do that!

 

thanks guys, i will go with option 3. I was thinking maybe going swimming that morning. Will do the late lunch to kill more time and then we should be good.

 

I agree with option 3. actually I just check out before 12 and leave my bags at the bell desk and do stuff, just like a normal day for me which is to gamble or cruise or have lunch or go to the pool or go someplace.

I have also gone to the airport 4 or 5 hours earlier (once or twice) but that is because I gambled away most of my allotted money and didn't want any temptation of gambling away more money. sometimes you have those trips where you can't seem to win that last day and so best to just walk away. I usually bring my netbook and watch a movie while waiting for my flight.

 

You can go to the pool once you have checked out?

 

Never used the service, but have seen signs for a baggage transfer company that takes your bags to the airport and checks them in for you. You show up to the company, check the bags with them, they print your boarding passes and you just go through security once you arrive at the airport. Your bags show up at your destination. In theory it sounds good, but again I have not used them myself. Personally I would just leave them at the Bell Desk. Not a big deal.

https://www.mccarran.com/MobileApp/Find/TechnologyTips/RemoteCheck-In.aspx

 

For your comfort go to the airport early. Watch the number of folks who arrive at the last minute. Just a FYI for your next trip.

Option 3 is my choice.

 

LoL i always go early, once i was late due to traffic and it was a panic trip (mom was life flighted to another hospital after emergency surgery) and they almost would not let me on when i was 5 minutes late but the plane was not even boarding, it was 55 minutes until boarding but had to check in an hour before.

Will not go through that again so will be there least 2 hours before lol.

PP thanks for the tip on that but i would be worried about sending my luggage with someone else, i prefer to check in. Will use bell services i think.