Hustling through Harry Reid over the years and onto my next Vegas frugal/advantage adventure, I’ve often felt sorry for the old wheelchair-bound gambling geezers.
Now I was one too.
Unfortunately, I had a repeat of my Labor Day kidney-stone experience on my New Year’s Eve trip.
I won’t dwell on how painful, scary, and frustrating it was. Instead, I want to focus on the resources in my wallet or with me and some of the stand-out support I got from the Plaza, Southwest Air, and Hertz.
Not since a female pit boss at the Wynn asked a doctor to call me in my room to follow up on my leaving the tables in the middle of a run (“You looked bad and were winning, so yeah, I was concerned,” she told me later; I sent her chocolates) had I experienced such good customer care as this trip.
If you’re going to Vegas, check your credit card benefits for trip interruption and/or travel emergency coverage. I use Chase cards both for points to travel free and other benefits like airport-lounge access.
On my Labor Day torture-by-kidney-stones “adventure,” I happened to have sprung for $20 for travel emergency/interruption insurance. This ended up reimbursing me for my hotel, car, and airfare, including extensions to my stay and flight changes like a nonstop home.
Some of the temp-insurance providers like Alliance previously were no help after the fact, though some premium credit cards will provide an advocate or other help too. So check reviews before you buy if you’re not covered on your card.
The next level up is full-stop travel emergency insurance, which can be purchased under annual plans for $200+. This is for major medical-emergency support when not at home and includes an advocate and even a trained nurse or to fly back with you if needed. I’ve had that before and will re-up.
Having an advocate to assist you from your hotel, get meds and food, arrange travel and support if you’re alone, can be a life saver. Literally.
The Plaza staff was incredibly cooperative, especially Ray, who runs the $160,000 SuperBingo events every month (and includes their $40 a night no-resort-fee room offer). When I told Ray what happened (hospital, etc.), he refunded my entry fee. That’s customer service. I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again: The Plaza is classic Vegas updated and done right and I’ll be back. (Seeing my matchplay coupons expire unused wasn’t nearly as painful as kidney stones, but the New Plaza MRBs will heal that wound.)
Next, I’ve flown Southwest (often for free) for 25 years and have a SW credit card. I buy in advance on points and all points, flights, and canceled or changed plans are fully credited (along with two checked bags up to 50 pounds flying free). I had an open trip home depending on meetings, etc., so when I called to upgrade to a nonstop and said I’d been in the hospital and would need wheelchair assistance at the airport, they used my points ticket to upgrade me to a nonstop one day ahead and transferred my ticket gratis. That was a $400 upgrade.
Finally Hertz. Wow.
Just getting from my hotel to the airport was going to be an ordeal and when I arrived at the rental-center drop off, looking like a crazy man the cat dragged in (they wouldn’t give me a razor at the hospital), and told the Hertz check-in person I had trouble walking and would need baggage assistance, she said,” Wait here.” Next thing I knew, a driver was chauffeuring me to the airport where a skycap and SW took over.
Between my hotel valet and Ray, the Hertz driver, the SW wheelchair assist, and all the great service I received again at my home airport, I tipped out $100. You can never be too sick to still be George.