Poll : 20 October - 03 November 2009

Analysis

Thanks, as ever, for the honest and insightful feedback from all who wrote to us in regard to this poll. Among those of you who will be visiting less, the common deterrents were the triad of airfare, resort fees, and tighter slots, which are not sufficiently compensated for by cheaper room rates. Here’s a selection of some of your responses.

• "My plan is to go to Vegas at least 3 times next year - hopefully more. In December it will be 4 times for me this year. It's a great value right now. Harrah's is giving away rooms dirt cheap or for free if you play their machines (and I don't play for dollars on anything). I've even got a weekend for free. The downtown casinos (that I love) are doing the same thing and adding food vouchers. I may never get this good of value again when the economy gets better, so I'm enjoying it now. Thanks for a great question." [Ed: You’re welcome. Thanks for a great answer!"]
• "We used to make 3 - 4 trips per year to Las Vegas from our Florida home, but this year we have planned only one. There is no doubt that the economy has played a large part in our decision. We have a newly-expanded tribal casino in our city that offers a Las Vegas-style experience, so we figure why spend money on high-priced airline tickets when we can stay home and stretch our gambling dollars farther in our own back yard? We still love Las Vegas and would love to make more trips, but it just doesn't make good economic sense for us these days."
• "We have been coming to Vegas every year for the past 29-30 years, but did not come this year because of the economy. We are over 65 and still working part time, but felt we could not spend the money this year for a visit. Needless to say, I've been pretty bummed. And, we always stay at Harrah's, but this year they have taken away all of our reward points because of new rules, I guess, so that had something to do with it, also. After staying there all those years and spending lots of money there, it was a real disappointment.
• "I can afford to stay (hotel rates are very cheap now) and gamble, i just cant afford to get there! Airfares have gone up!"
• "Although at this point I'm still planning on 3 or more trips next year, that may change if airfares don't change. For whatever reason it's now, and has been for the last several months, over $500 roundtrip from Monroe, LA. I used to be able to fly for $350 or less. I had to cancel my usual trip this coming weekend as I won't pay that much. I will be going out in December, but I'll have to drive to Shreveport (about 1.5 hour drive from here) to catch an Allegiant flight for just over $300 roundtrip. I would consider using Allegiant again next year, but starting in January their return flight departs Las Vegas at 7:45 in the *morning*!!! No way in the world I would ever consider doing that. I'm a night person by nature, and even more so in LV!"
• "Live here but have cut back on casino nights and only go to casinos that offer me the best comps by e-mail and snail mail. Also noticed that slot machines have "tightened up". And that becomes a "Catch-22"-scenario: The casinos tighten 'cause business is down but that chases a lot of us away. And the downward cycle continues..."
• "For the last six years I've visited four times/year. This year I'm at five with another trip in Dec. and I have Feb, March and May booked for next year already. As long as Southwest keeps their rates reasonable and the comped rooms keep coming, I'll probably increase my visits."
• "I continue to hear stories from friends who have traveled to Las Vegas that the customer service is not as good, shows are still too pricey, slots are way too tight, and that they are suprised by hidden resort fees. Of course, this could be sour grapes, but then these are folks who used to go to Las Vegas several times a year."
• "I usually visit Vegas 5-6 times a year but have had to cut back to 2-3 times a year due to the economy. Also, I do not find it helpful for the hotels to cut back on service, the restaurants to reduce offerings and increase prices and for the casinos to get tight. That makes me want to go somewhere else altogether. "
• "I'll be going to Las Vegas in November for 6 nights and 7 days with my biggest bankroll ever." [Ed: Good luck. Are you a bankruptcy attorney?!]
• "All else equal, we would visit more during the recession because of the lower room prices, as our income is stable. We used to visit only during low season - early December or January - but the now nearly permanently low room rates have increased our flexibility in that regard. However, we now have small children for whom we also need to buy plane tickets, and Southwest fares are about 50% higher than they used to be, so the cost of traveling to Las Vegas has tripled for us. So, once a year is about all we can finagle."
• "I will still attend one four-day conference to obtain "Continuing Education Credits" for my profession. (Tax deductible travel expenses). However, my wife no longer accompanies me and I now go off strip for most gaming (BJ & VP) during my stay. I still receive a comp room for my play at my home property, but play little at the Las Vegas property due to increased video poker minimums ($5 on 9/6 JoB) and the decline in Blackjack table conditions. I used to come to Las Vegas 3 or 4 times a year, and now that I’m approaching retirement, I had hoped to double the number of trips. But for me, LV just is not the value it used to be.Tunica here I come!!"
• "We own a retail business, and because business is off, we have cut the hours for many employees. Due to that , my husband & I need to be there more…therefore less time to travel. Hoping the economy picks up, so I can maintain my preferred schedule of decadence!!"
• "We visited Vegas in early September and experienced many great deals due to the weakened economy. We were told that business was slow, but it sure seemed crowded to us (OH residents), and we had a wonderful time. After visiting many mid-western casinos, Vegas is still #1!"