FinnRolo

I know there's less choice of flights now, but how are prices so over the top?
In the good old days before the plague, I would get to Vegas 3 to 4 times a year, and business class prices originating in DUB (where I'm based) were always reasonable and I looked forward to my outbound travel day - early flight to LHR, transfer to T3 and spend a few hours lounge hopping (mainly Cathay F lounge) and then upstairs on the 747, or sometimes in the nose if prices were good or I got lucky with an OpUp.

I'm hoping to get away for 8 to 10 days in late April to early May and I'm frankly shocked at the prices, which are coming in at twice or three times what I was used to paying in the beforetimes.
Any tips?

Genius1

This is not a very helpful reply, but... there is huge demand at the moment, lots of propensity for leisure travel, airlines have racked up the fares and many passengers are willing to pay. I wouldn't expect fares to decrease any time soon, particularly not for relatively short notice bookings.

Farringdon

Massive demand for Vegas at the moment. I was just speaking to a colleague who had been out there for a conference. He said he'd never seen it busier - big queues everywhere and high prices.

mikeyfly

Should’ve booked exAMS or exCDG six months ago would’ve got it for £950 like many others. Now demand is far exceeding supply. I had a great deal for Xmas / New Year

flygod

And remember BA scrapped early the world's largest fleet of 747-400s and didn't speed up the replacement orders.

And got rid of thousands of staff.

So now demand is coming back, there are sufficient seats.

mikeyfly

*insufficient?

Gastrocnemius

I have just got backed and had a comped suite for 3 nights...

It was busier than January, but not heaving at all compared to pre-C19

guv1976

Are fares similarly high to nearby airports, like PHX, SAN, LAX, SFO? Short-haul airfares to/from LAS can be quite low -- I'm seeing LAX-LAS-LAX Economy Class roundtrips for as low as $88-90 USD on American and Southwest. (And Southwest allows two free checked bags per passenger.)

Tiger_lily

Isn’t it the first NAB for 2 years 23-27th? Vegas will be heaving I expect

Geordie405

Certainly conventions are returning - I am going to Cisco Live in June - but I think on a smaller scale than in the past. I haven't been down The Strip in a while (I tend to avoid it as much as possible) so can't really comment on whether it's "heaving" or not.

That said, in some ways I am quite happy to see higher prices from the UK to the USA. I am fed up hearing of all the bargain ex-EU fares and cheap as chips ex-UK ones while we in the USA almost never have any sort of sale on fares to the UK. It gets quite tedious seeing people boasting about how they were able to get from DUB to LAS in J for only EUR 99.99 (I jest, but you get the point) whereas BA are currently charging $4203 for a LAS - NCL return in WT+ in May and $10601 for the same dates in Club.

beachmouse

We only past through LAS on the way to Death Valley last week, but the rental car situation was particularly dire. Only the obligatory two Mustang convertibles in the Hertz President’s Circle zone. One of the employees took pity on us when he saw us looking puzzled and he rustled up a cute little Mercedes hatchback when we explained that the Mustang convertible was not the ideal car for a National Parks trip.

Dave Noble

If you don't mind booking separate tickets. United has r/t to Los Angeles for EUR2007 . For the 236 miles from LAX-LAS, there are r/t economy fares for $88 with Delta

PxC

Just snapped up DUB-LAS via JFK (and LAX on return) in June for £1.5k. 640 tier points and back to gold. Played with Matrix and booked with Propeller. AA transatlantic out and BA back.

And diamond caesars (so not resort fees) for £25 on eBay. Win when staying for 2+ weeks

edit: op.. the June prices are still there, but April/May is pretty close to be expecting low prices

PUCCI GALORE

Oh Dear. So if we can’t get them , why should they. How unfair life is.

I would imagine that fares are set to go much higher before long.

guv1976

Of course, people in the U.S. can easily pick up hundreds of thousands of BA and IB Avios, AAdvantage miles, UA MileagePlus miles, Delta SkyMiles, and even Avianca LifeMiles through credit-card sign-up bonuses with Amex, Barclays, Capital One, Chase, US Bank, etc., so don't be too upset when our cousins across the Pond get the occasional great fare.