Airline:
All of my travel was on Southwest.
From California I usually pay about $182.00 if you have to pay cash. Up until now I have been paying with points on my Southwest Credit Card, or gift cards. Soon this will run out, so the cost will be an issue. I usually go for a minimum of four nights, so as to avoid the high pricing on leaving on a Friday and returning on a Sunday. Lately they were advertising $49 one way fares. This was a sham, as the only flights available were to leave on the first flight at 6:30 in the morning or come back at 9:30 at night. I will not get up at 4 A.M. to leave. I once took the 9:30 fight, if there are any delays during the day these are all accumulated, the plane did not leave until after 11 P.M. I like to leave about 9:30 A.M., and come back sometime in the afternoon.
Southwest has some new planes. The middle seat is wider than the others. The asile is now narrower. The seats seem thinner, so it seems that there is more room between the seats.
One of the flights was delayed going to Las Ves Vegas for about 20 minutes due to a computer problem at the teminal.
On a day leaving Las Vegas I had rented a car downtown, and was returning it at the airport. I stopped by the Rio to apply for a Total Rewards Visa Card. This took longer than expected, and I got lost returning the car to the Advantage rent a car terminal, drove around three times at the rent a car center. By the time I got to the airport, I had about 35 minutes before my flight. I cancelled my current flight and rebooked one leaving another two hours after my original. The flight was almost full. Because of the they increased the price for early boarding to $30 if you wanted to do this. I nver do it.
Car rentals:
All the rentals were from Avantage. They had good prices to rent at the airport and return it downtown to MSS. You aaare acting as a shuttle for cars to the downtown location as sometimes they run out of cars.Because of the prices, I only rent one day at a time.
I had three experiences at the Advatage car rental at the airport , all of them bad. I can guess is that they advertise cheap prices, way overbook the cars, so they rent all the cars. If have to wait over an hour even if you have reservation that"s you problem. They don't seem to care. They book a lot of cars for travel packages where the car is included.
1st rental: Had to wait about 15 minutes in line. There is no such thing as prebooking all of your information, so they have to get this when you check in. They will also try to upsell. I got a Dodge Charger. Which I did not like. I liked it eeven less when I filled up the gas tank the next day. I drove 23 miles and I filled up with 10 gallons of gas. Talk about bad gas mileage. Obvously someone haid paid foer a full tank of gas, and a person at the car rental at the the airport was either too lazy or not paying attention. When I mentioned this on my 2nd rental , they did not seem to care. I was my fault for not checking the gas level, but this was the first time that this had happened to me. It is dark in the garage where you pick up the car. But lesson learned. Check the gas gauge before you leave.
2ne rental: Rental is for 4:30,plane is a little late. In line at 4:45, they spend a lot of time talking to someone in line. 3 people working. At 5 P.M. time for a coffee break. Now there is only one person working there. Get up to the counter at 5:05. I had reserved the car previuosly. I was told there is no car far you, you are late. I know for fact that other car companies wiill hold the car for you at least 2 hours. Zf they had a car, they should have upgraded me. Waited about another 15 or 20 minutes for a car.
3rd rental: Long line, wait 30 minutes in line. Even though I have a reservation, no cars available. How long till I get a car? Maybe 30 minute they say. Wait 35 minutes till no car, leave. What a waste of time.
Bottom line do not rent from Advantage at the airport. If you do so have an alternate rental with someone else. If there is a long line at Advantage or they have no cars, use your other rental.
Renting from Main Street Station Advantage. Michelle is great. She is usually there every day except Sunday and Monday.
Shuttles: I used Super Shuttle and I thought they were great until my past experience. After missing my flight. I now allow extra time to get to the airport. On my last trip I had a 4:10 P.M. fight out of Las Vegas. I booked the shuttle for 1:30 P.M. Usually they tell you to be out 15 minutes early. I get a text message to be outside waiting at 1:30 to 1:45 P.M, I get a call after 1:45 P.M. saying he is on his way. He gets there at
2:00 p.M. no explanation. I think what happened is that they know my flight was leaving after 4:00. They probably had no other pickups scheduled for 1:30. so they told the driver to late for mine and a little early for the 2:00 pickups. if you allow yourself extra time. the lie about when you flight is leaving. If I had said my flight left at 3;30 then maybe they would have been on time.
They have special deal with Boyd on pickups for $10 instead of $11. You can pay cash if you are picked up at Boyd. If tou are being picked uip at another hotel you have to prepay with a charge card.
They will go almost anywhere at the airport someone wanted to go to the Marriot atRampart. They charged him $25.
Next up Rooms.
