9 replies to this topic

[dEv~]

ok this is a little off the beaten path but I though what better then a poker forum to discuss how to get to the poker mecca of the world...las vegas.Ok here's my problem...My friends have had a trip scheduled for a awhile now and they wanted me to go, but being a poor college student I don't really have the money to do something like that. But over the weekend I was fortunate enough to win 1k over the weekend which I would like to use to get to vegas and back with those guys. I can stay with them in their hotel room for free...but I gotta find my own way to and from. I live in Pittsburgh so obviously I'll have to fly, but I'm having a hard time finding a good deal. I plan on leaving early Sunday March 6th and leaving sometime on Wed. March 9th. Anything under 400 i'd be pretty intrested in, but all ive found on some of the big sites in around $500.I've never been on a plane so I don't know much about that and obviously I know nothing about booking a seat on a plane. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If I can find a way to and from for cheap I'd like to use the rest of the money to play in some small weekly NL HE I'm sure some casino's run.Thanks

[fryer98]

Fellow Pittsburgher....You're going to have a REAL hard time finding something under $400 right now. By "right now", I mean 5 days before you're leaving. Also, that's around spring break time and airlines like to screw college students and bump up flights to hot spots during that time.I looked up some for you, but only found $500+. You could try a site like, priceline.com, but I've never used that for flights so I can't comment too much on it. All I know is to make sure you know what you're doing before you put in a bid on the site. From what I have heard, once you put in the bid for a flight on certain days, you're stuck to that flight wheather you like the times, connection cities, or not.My only other suggestion would be to try a travel agent.

[BilliardsBoy]

Can't really help you with that, sounds like your in a tough spot.Me and a few friends are in the process of planning a trip to Vegas ourselves. It won't be for another year or two, when we are all 21 and all have enough of a bankroll, but already I'm looking forward to it.

[fryer98]

It's a great time with a group of guys. Friends of mine, and friends of friends of friends, go every September for a long weekend. Last year, we had 8 in a room with two beds. No one ever had to sleep on the floor and barely ever two in a bed. It's just a constant rotation of who's up and who's passed out. I was sober for.....oh, 0% of the trip. Took me 4 days (no joke) to think straight again. Best part was paying for the whole trip in a 12.5 hour session of 1/2 HE. All luck, no skill in that one.

[Nikki_N]

You might call some airlines and find out their policies on flying stand-by. I think you can get a seat cheaper if it opens up at almost literally the last minute. Find some flights online that interest you, and then call the airline direct and ask about their stand-by policies, and roughly what the prices for stand-by to Vegas cost. It's a longshot, but worth a try. OR:If you start driving now, and have a partner, you can take turns, and drive straight through in 2-3 days.Nikki

[dEv~]

I'm just happy that my car makes it back and forth from school and back...a 1.5 hour round trip. I can just hear my 94 blazer swearing at me @ about the time I'd be getting into ohio.

[Nikki_N]

dEv~ said:

I'm just happy that my car makes it back and forth from school and back...a 1.5 hour round trip. I can just hear my 94 blazer swearing at me @ about the time I'd be getting into ohio.

I drove my '95 Escort to California from Indiana last year. On the return, the transmission went kaput in Weatherford, OK. After a Sunday, stuck there when most everything was closed, namely the mechanics and auto dealerships, I traded it in for a '96 Mercury, and kept on driving. Did I mention that it was me and my two little boys (my husband stayed home). What an adventure.Nikki

[fryer98]

dEv~ said:

I'm just happy that my car makes it back and forth from school and back...a 1.5 hour round trip. I can just hear my 94 blazer swearing at me @ about the time I'd be getting into ohio.

Where do you go to school? Just wondering....

[dEv~]

Penn State - New Kensington

[Wilderness]

Since your trip is only days away, you are going to have a hard time finding a cheaper trip than you've found. As Nikki suggested, I think your best bet would be by doing stand-by. Obviously you won't know if you will get a seat or not, but if you get yourself on stand-by for at least a few different flights throughout the day you want to leave, I'd think you would make it on one of them.The only catch is that you are leaving on a Sunday and I don't know if those flights will be full; if the flights aren't full then I don't think you can do stand-by.