Official "Viva Las Vegas!!" Thread - Trip Plans, Ticket Qs, Tailgating, Casino Advice

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We have a few people going out during the week, as it is dirt cheap to stay out there on weekdays. I can't think of anything I'd rather spend my PTO on so it was an easy decision for us! Can't wait!
 

Booked my flights today after weaseling out of work for a day. Arriving Thursday at 8:45 am, departing Friday at 1:00 am, will be at work by 9:00 Friday morning. Going to be a whirlwind trip, but it will be fun to make a 16-hour stop in Vegas for some gambling and football and absolutely no luggage.

If it's a 8:00 kickoff, it had better not go to overtime, I'll have a plane to catch. Actually, no matter what time kickoff is, it had better not go to overtime. This is UNLV.
 


Group of 4 of us are headed out late Wed and taking the red eye home Sunday morning. No hotel as of right now.
 

Jike Spingleton said:
Booked my flights today after weaseling out of work for a day. Arriving Thursday at 8:45 am, departing Friday at 1:00 am, will be at work by 9:00 Friday morning. Going to be a whirlwind trip, but it will be fun to make a 16-hour stop in Vegas for some gambling and football and absolutely no luggage.

If it's a 8:00 kickoff, it had better not go to overtime, I'll have a plane to catch. Actually, no matter what time kickoff is, it had better not go to overtime. This is UNLV.
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That's damn impressive Jike! Hopefully you aren't too burned out Friday morning!
 


Is there a better way to kick off my bachelor party weekend in Vegas than tailgating and attending a Gophs FB game? I don't think so! We'll have 6-8 people flying in either Wed night or Thurs morning and staying through Sunday afternoon. Not sure where we are staying yet, but likely MGM, Aria, or Mandalay.
 

Just booked a Monday thru Friday stay at the Mirage with Lady Firejumper. Don't tell her, it's a surprise.
 

Vegas Questions... need help please

ok, i know there is a vegas post, but it stretches at least 7 pages and things have changed since it first started so i was hoping someone can help answer some quick questions for someone who is soon to buy his tix...

is the game on thursday and is it subject to change? time as i will likely arrive on thursday?

if i go on my own w/o going on the charter, can i buy access to the pregame party and bus transportation to and from the game? if so, how would i do that?

if not, how far is the stadium from the strip?

are most buying there tix through the U so we all sit together or is scalping the better option?

how hot is that dag gum chile gonna be?

Go Gophers!
 

Minnfan said:
ok, i know there is a vegas post, but it stretches at least 7 pages and things have changed since it first started so i was hoping someone can help answer some quick questions for someone who is soon to buy his tix...

is the game on thursday and is it subject to change? time as i will likely arrive on thursday?

if not, how far is the stadium from the strip?

Go Gophers!
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Sam Boyd stadium is quite a ways off the strip, about 10 miles

UNLV are publishing the game for thursday, so guessing the date is firm
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/mar/02/mark-your-calendars-unlvs-2012-football-schedule-o/
 



Game got moved once, it won't get moved again. Gopher have already made flight and team reservations, etc.

As stated, the stadium is about 10 miles due east of strip/downtown.

Tickets will not be a problem. Just depends what you want to pay and when you want to get them: think Northwestern.
 

For those who haven't booked a flight; I recommend waiting until June 1 when Spirit Airlines starts serving the MSP market. They will have dirt cheap fares to Vegas. Wouldn't surprise me to find fares under $200 for Gopher game.
 

highwayman said:
....Tickets will not be a problem. Just depends what you want to pay and when you want to get them: think Northwestern.
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Mrs. Rescooter says Vegas would be awesome. Should we get tickets through the AD or take our chances at the door?
 

Rescooter said:
Mrs. Rescooter says Vegas would be awesome. Should we get tickets through the AD or take our chances at the door?
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I guess it will depend on who you want to sit with. We're going through the AD just to make sure we're with the Minnesota fans. There will be probably better, less expensive seats, but I'm there for the atmosphere as much as the game itself...
 



LesBolstad said:
For those who haven't booked a flight; I recommend waiting until June 1 when Spirit Airlines starts serving the MSP market. They will have dirt cheap fares to Vegas. Wouldn't surprise me to find fares under $200 for Gopher game.
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I'd double check on that. My friends and I already bought our tickets from spirit to the game for a little over $200 round trip. I was under the impression that they have sold out for the days immediately surrounding the game.
 

Thanks Highwayman for the insight. Sitting with Minnesota fans is a big draw to us as well.

GILBball - I checked with Spirit and it looks like tickets are running around the $300 price range now.
 

Beware when look at Spirit prices, they had them listed at $210 when I booked but had to pay for a carry-on and seat selection. They still ended up under $300 but not as great of a deal as I had hoped.
 

Tim Riggins said:
Beware when look at Spirit prices, they had them listed at $210 when I booked but had to pay for a carry-on and seat selection. They still ended up under $300 but not as great of a deal as I had hoped.
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Just as important, be aware that they are known as having HORRIBLE customer service and you should expect to be treated like cargo (even moreso than is the usual for air travel these days).
 

GoAUpher said:
Just as important, be aware that they are known as having HORRIBLE customer service and you should expect to be treated like cargo (even moreso than is the usual for air travel these days).
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Everything I've heard about Spirit, avoid at all costs. Period. Tough to turn down a cheap flight but when you factor everything in, I'd have a hard time flying with them from everything I've heard. Brutal.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
Everything I've heard about Spirit, avoid at all costs. Period. Tough to turn down a cheap flight but when you factor everything in, I'd have a hard time flying with them from everything I've heard. Brutal.
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Yup. That's what I've heard and read too.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
Everything I've heard about Spirit, avoid at all costs. Period. Tough to turn down a cheap flight but when you factor everything in, I'd have a hard time flying with them from everything I've heard. Brutal.
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Can you elaborate so we know what we are dealing with? I've never flown them before and never heard of them until now.

Should be interested, thankfully our flight is Wednesday night so even if something would get screwed up we'll have plenty of time to get there.
 

Tim Riggins said:
Can you elaborate so we know what we are dealing with? I've never flown them before and never heard of them until now.

Should be interested, thankfully our flight is Wednesday night so even if something would get screwed up we'll have plenty of time to get there.
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They are fee happy and if you do have problems they are known for being more difficult than most for getting resolution to problems after the fact. At one point they actually stopped having a customer service hotline but I don't know if that's still the case. A quick search of several consumer sites reveals fewer horror stories (at least published ones) recently then there were about 2-3 years ago (when they were common) so maybe they've gotten better.

Basically, I'd plan on getting nickle and dimed by staff who will ignore even legitimate complaints.
 

GoAUpher said:
They are fee happy and if you do have problems they are known for being more difficult than most for getting resolution to problems after the fact. At one point they actually stopped having a customer service hotline but I don't know if that's still the case. A quick search of several consumer sites reveals fewer horror stories (at least published ones) recently then there were about 2-3 years ago (when they were common) so maybe they've gotten better.

Basically, I'd plan on getting nickle and dimed by staff who will ignore even legitimate complaints.
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There was a flight a year ago or so here in Vegas where they had some problems (I can't recall exactly what it was). I think the passengers were stuck for whatever the reason, at least a half a day or a day or longer, and were basically given nothing (maybe a bottle of water?).

Anyway, I remember them interviewing some people in the airport on the local news and I'll never forget this one college-age girl saying, "I'll never ever, Ever, EVER, EVER, EVER fly Spirit again." She was so emphatic, it was comical, and I just remember thinking that the folks at Spirit must be cringing and slumping in their chairs, head in hands... What a PR nightmare.

I have a co-worker who flew them somewhat frequently because he frequently went from LV to Detroit (Spirit one of the cheaper options on that route, non-stop), and he said it was never, ever good. Not a single good thing about flying that airline.
 

If you gamble somewhere other than Bill's you are doing it wrong. Sure it is dirty and cheap, but it is oh so fantastic.
 

Heard the Runnin' Rebs they sell beer at their games. Will need to stay hydrated in that desert heat!
 

Think I'm very close getting the wife to commit flying out for this game. It would be 2.5 weeks after our one year anniversary, and we did spend our honeymoon in Vegas for 8 nights, so I think it make sense,...if we can afford it. I'm looking to stay in either Flamingo or Tropicana I think, want to be closer to the middle of the strip this time around. I've also been eye balling if their bus system will be heading out towards Sam Boyd Stadium.

We'll likely head out on the Tuesday, and try to fly out of Vegas overnight on Friday/Saturday so we can arrive in Pittsburgh between 10-11 AM and be in the 'Burg in time for tailgating for the Youngstown State (who only loses a TE on offense, and 2 guy's on defense on the team that gave NDSU their only loss last season) game at Pitt.

Does anyone know of anywhere on the internet that maybe would have Gopher board shorts/swimming trunks?, think a pair of those would be awesome for the swimming pool's in Vegas :)
 


I have only flown Spirt one time. We left St. Thomas Virgin Islands two years ago and we wanted to stop in Florida for a week on the way home. We Flew St. Thomas to Ft. Lauderdale and then into Orland. No complaint about anything on that flight. Cheapest airfare available. They are user cost driven. You pay for carry on, check luggage, advance seat assignment, any beverage and so on. They do not charge for the use of the bathroom as of yet. I would fly them again as long as your looking for getting from point A to point B. We are driving this trip and making it a 2 week vacation.
 


Tim Riggins said:
Heard the Runnin' Rebs they sell beer at their games. Will need to stay hydrated in that desert heat!
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Yes, they have for at least the last 10 years. I went to a couple of basketball games this year and I believe that I saw mixed drinks being sold too. I can't recall if liquor is available at football games though. Oh, not to be picky, but "Runnin' Rebs" is the label usually reserved for the basketball team, and the baseball team is the "Hustlin' Rebs." Not sure if football has a specific tag, I think that "Fumblin' Rebs" might work.
 

I've quickly looked through most pages of this thread and have seen nothing re: strip clubs. I didn't even know it was possible to have an eight page thread about a trip to Vegas without discussing a single strip club. Anyone have any recommendations or hidden gems to share?
 

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