How do you all book your trips? Questions about packages...

Hello - I%26#39;ve been to Vegas 5 times now and each time I%26#39;ve gone I%26#39;ve booked through Vegas.com and got amazing package deals. I fly from Boston, so airfare alone is expensive, but getting air %26amp; hotel together I%26#39;ve never paid more than $550 for 5-6 days in Vegas (at hotels like Mirage, Aladdin, Monte Carlo).

My questions are:

1. Seems like a lot of people stay at multiple places during their trips. I would love to try this as it%26#39;s hard picking one hotel to stay at since there are many I%26#39;d love try. Is it possible to book a package (from anywhere) that you can get air %26amp; multiple hotels? My worry is that it%26#39;s not possible and it would be WAY too expensive to book air and hotel seperately.

2. Do most people on here book packages or everything seperately? I always see threads about room codes, etc. I want to know if there are other ways to book Vegas trips that may be cheaper.

Any help would be appreciated!! Trying for Vegas again next year (we%26#39;re taking off going this year and waiting until more of the hotel projects are done).

How do you all book your trips? Questions about packages...

I always book airfare and hotels separately through each directly. I have found that even if the prices look good on a package, I can get better flights and usually, the price comes down on the hotel with the direct booking.

In addition, if you need to cancel, on some airlines and the hotels there is no cancellation fee. Finally, if you are at the level to get comps, your rooms can%26#39;t be taken care of if you booked a package.

As an example, my son and his g/f went to LV last November. They saved about $500 over their friends who had the same hotel, worse flight - all for the same weekend. The friends used Expedia (or one of them) my son booked the hotel (MGM) and flights directly.

How do you all book your trips? Questions about packages...

I always book separately directly, unless Allegiant has a friends fly free promo, then it is cheaper.

I never get free rooms, so i never worry about that aspect.

I have never booked with a third party like Expedia, but i do look at their site for a price comparison.

I always book my car direct with the co. too.

With a package you are really locked into the deal, unless you spend extra $ to change.

I always book seperately because I constantly watch for flight deals and hotel deals. With booking directly through the hotel, you can always get a rate reduction if a great deal comes out. By watching for deals and using this forum, I got airfare for $138 roundtrip and a room at MGM for Sun-Mon for $70 a night. I think that is cheaper than a package.

I used to book packages until I started reading this forum. I now book separately. The reason: cheaper, usually!

1) FatWallet has provided lots of up to date codes and deals that I have used.

2) Sometimes going to a hotel%26#39;s website will reveal deals that no one else will provide.

3) Southwest Airlines just recently allowed me to save $100 on an October trip. They have %26#39;featured%26#39; hotels with deals. I had already booked at the Gold Coast, but they honored SW%26#39;s lower price.

The advantage to booking with the hotel directly is that most will allow you to change to a lower rate offered elsewhere, whereas with a package, you are stuck. That has been my experience.

Be sure to take advantage of restaurant.com, also. Especially when a code is offered here on TA. Sometimes you can get a $25 certificate for as little as $3!

Mrs. G

I always book room, flight and car seperately. If the rates go down for the car and room I can then get the lower rates. I can also cancel or change reservations without worrying about a fee.

The thing with packages is that it%26#39;s rare when the best flight prices and hotel rates coincide at the exact same time. Booking separately allows you to find the best flight for the best rate and the best hotel for the best rate. And it allows you to make changes should something come up or a great rate a better hotel is offered. Most of the Vegas junkies on this forum book direct. It allows you to get comps should you earn them (I never do but there are plenty of people who get their rooms comp%26#39;d thanks to their level of play,) it allows you to take advantage of last minute offers given by the hotel (restaurant credits, spa credis, free drinks, etc,) and it allows you to try different hotels because none of the major travel sites allow you to book separate hotels. It also allows you to find a flight at a time best for you.

Rockfoxxx,

You see a lot of TA posters who stay at ';multiple places'; on the same trip because they are taking advantage of the compted rooms from previous stays. Most of the comps you see are for 2 nights, although in the summer they may offer 3 nights for free.

I, myself, am taking advantage of a Harrah%26#39;s freebie on sept. 14-17. They gave me a choice of any of their properties plus some meal money. Of course, I ';paid'; for this on my last trip$$ and didn%26#39;t know it.

I too used to book packages through Travelocity but after having received a free offer from The Orleans, I decided to cancel a hotel reservation through Travelocity and there was a $25 penalty but since I am a VIP, they went ahead and gave me a $25 credit for my next purchase. After seeing some great airlines deals through US Air and Southwestern, I have decided to book separate airlines and hotels because I love to hotel hop.

I have not been able to figure a way to book multiple hotels through a package deal but maybe call a customer specialist and ask.

We also book separately. For the same reasons - cheaper. I also like to only have to pay a nights deposit up front rather than the whole thing for the hotel. With package deals - you pay for everything at once, which is fine for some.

We usually use the travel sites like orbitz for comparison only, although we have used them in the past for car reservations. We%26#39;ve just found the best options are always through the entities themselves. Better flight times, room choices, etc. And since we discovered TA and fatwallet.com, we have always gotten excellent hotel deals.

I live in Boston and face the same issues with expensive airfares. I have booked three trips through package deals and two trips with airfare and hotel booked direct separately. Here is what I have found.

It%26#39;s cheaper to book direct and separately if:

* You are booking in advance and there%26#39;s a good chance rates could drop

* You are coming from a city where airfares to Vegas are not expensive

* You can travel on weekdays to take advantage of the hotels%26#39; best promotional rates

It%26#39;s cheaper to book through a package if:

* You live someplace where airfare is the biggest component of your cost (like Boston)

* You are booking on short notice (two weeks or less)

* You can only travel on a weekend

Of course, these are generalizations. Don%26#39;t listen to anyone who tells you that it is ALWAYS cheaper to do one or the other. Always do your research. Two web sites that are invaluable are kayak.com (for airfares and hotels speparately) and FatWallet.com for special hotel promo rates. I also check the major sites like Expedia, Travelocity, Cheaptickets and Priceline, and then I also look at the ';vacation packages'; section of the airline websites.

One final point is to check the convention schedule at www.lvcva.com for the dates you%26#39;re thinking of traveling. If there%26#39;s a large (10,000+) convention in town you%26#39;re going to have a hard time finding good deals and you should consider changing your dates.

If you%26#39;re willing to do all that you will always get a good deal. I have!