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Traveling Well For Less

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Home » How to Travel Hack Las Vegas

How to Travel Hack Las Vegas

April 2, 2020 By Debra Schroeder 32 Comments This post may contain affiliate links. Traveling Well For Less has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Traveling Well For Less and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Read my disclosure and privacy policies.

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One of the easiest cities to travel hack is Las Vegas. Travel hacking Las Vegas is simple to do but not always necessary.

Las Vegas is one of those destinations that you can do on the cheap by staying at off strip hotels or inexpensive strip hotels. Or you can live it up and splurge on huge suites and fancy meals. If you’re a high roller or have elite status with a casino, you can get comped rooms and meals.

Pro-tip: You can get elite status with a casino without spending a lot of money.

Although, Vegas is a cheap place to visit. There are times when it’s very expensive, such as when CES (Consumer Electronics Show) and other conventions.

By travel hacking Las Vegas, the money you save means more money for other trips.

There are many ways to travel hack Las Vegas. From free or very cheap flights to free hotel rooms so that you start your trip in the black.

Living in San Diego, I’ve been to Vegas many times. I’ve even gotten kicked out of a casino. 🙁 I usually go when hotel rooms are insanely cheap, like $19 a night. So it’s worth paying cash instead of using points.

But when big conventions are in town and hotel rooms start at $240 a night, it makes more sense to travel hack. Here’s how I hacked my most recent trip to Vegas: three days for $63.

Contents

  • How to Travel Hack Las Vegas
  • Cost
  • Flights
  • Hotels
    • The Palazzo Las Vegas
    • Hyatt Place Las Vegas
  • How to Earn the Miles and Points
  • Conclusion

How to Travel Hack Las Vegas

This is part 1 of a multi-part series on travel hacking Las Vegas:

  • How to Travel Hack Las Vegas
  • Review: Gambling on Frontier Airlines to Las Vegas
  • The Palazzo Las Vegas Review: All Suite Elegant Luxury
  • Canyon Ranch Spa Las Vegas Review: Serene Oasis on the Strip
  • The Las Vegas Hotel With Free Breakfast, Free Wi-Fi, Free Airport Shuttle, and No Resort Fees
  • Where to Take a Shower at the Las Vegas Airport

I flew roundtrip from San Diego to Las Vegas for a three-day trip, stayed in a luxury suite the first night, and one of the best resort-free hotels in Vegas for $63.

You can too and even do it for cheaper. Keep reading to find out how.

Cost

 Cost if We Paid CashWhat I Paid (Actual Cost)Miles or Points Used 
Roundtrip coach ticket on Spirit Airlines$37.98$37.98
1 night at the Palazzo Las Vegas (Luxury 2 Queen Suite Select View)$464.01$25.51 (half of the resort fees of $51.02) IHG Free night certificate
1 night at the Hyatt Place Las Vegas$270.98$0.008,000 Hyatt points
TOTAL$772.97$63.49
AMOUNT SAVED$709.48

I used the IHG card and World of Hyatt card to pay for this trip. But there are other ways to travel hack Las Vegas. Scroll down to the “How to Earn the Miles and Points” section to learn more.

Flights

window seat on Frontier Airlines

Because flights from San Diego to Las Vegas are cheap, I didn’t have to use miles or points. If you’re flying from further away, depending on the cost of the ticket, it can make more sense to use miles and points.

Pro-tip: Las Vegas is a great city to use your Southwest Companion Pass.

Southwest is my go-to airline for Vegas flights. But for this trip, I flew Frontier Airlines for $38 roundtrip. Read my review of Frontier Airlines to Las Vegas.

With prices that low it was cheaper to pay cash than redeem airline miles or travel rewards points.

Plan ahead and it’s easy to get cheap flights to Vegas. Don’t feel like flying? It’s a five-hour drive from San Diego or four and a half from Los Angeles.

Another option is to take Megabus, Greyhound, or FlixBus. If you book early enough, you can get $1 tickets on Megabus.

Many hotels charge for parking so factor in the daily cost to park your car vs how much an airline ticket would cost. Sometimes it’s cheaper to fly than driving and having to pay for parking.

Pro-tip: M-life hotels offer free self-parking for Pearl, Gold, Platinum and NOIR members. Caesar’s hotels offer free self-parking for Platinum, Diamond and Seven Stars members.

On the way to Las Vegas, I used my Business Platinum Card from American Express to get the San Diego Airspace Lounge for free. It also includes a $10 per person credit for food and drinks.

The Airspace Lounge is in Terminal 2 and Frontier Airlines flies out of Terminal 1. It’s a short walk between terminals or you can take the free inter-terminal bus.

Flying home from Vegas, my American Express Business Platinum card got us into the Centurion Lounge.

Pro-tip: The Centurion Lounge has a shower.

Read how to get free access to airport lounges with your credit card.

Hotels

I stayed at two hotels during this three day trip to Las Vegas.

The Palazzo Las Vegas

Two Queen Suite Select View

The first night I stayed at The Palazzo Las Vegas in a suite. I was traveling with a friend and she used her free night certificate from the IHG card. IHG free award nights have changed. You can redeem them for a room that cost up to 40,000 points per night. I paid $25.51 (half of the resort fees of $51.02).

We spent the day at the Canyon Ranch Spa.

Pro-tip: Resort fees weren’t covered with free night certificates.

Read my review of The Palazzo Las Vegas.

Hyatt Place Las Vegas

The super comfortable beds at the Hyatt Place Las Vegas

On the second night, we stayed at the Hyatt Place Las Vegas. It’s one of my favorite no-fee hotels in Vegas. Parking, airport shuttle, and transportation to the strip are free. I used 8,000 Hyatt points for the two queen room. Here’s when you should use points and when to pay cash for hotels.

Read my review of the Hyatt Place Las Vegas.

How to Earn the Miles and Points

The fastest and easiest way to earn miles and points to travel hack Las Vegas is through credit card signup bonuses.

Along with welcome offers, I earn a lot of miles and points through creative ways to earn unlimited miles and points.

Twenty-nine airlines fly to Las Vegas, many offer mileage earning credit cards. Some cards are a better fit depending on where you live and how often you fly.

I used the IHG card, World of Hyatt card, and the Amex Business Platinum card for travel hacking Vegas.

This table includes those cards and the best travel rewards cards you can use to travel hack a trip to Las Vegas.

 Signup Bonus & Minimum Spending RequirementsAnnual FeeHow to Use These Miles and Points
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Card80,000 points: 50,000 points when you spend $2,000 in purchases in the first 3 months; 30,000 points after spending a total of $10,000 in the first 9 months$99Use points for flights. You get free flights for up to two years when you earn the Southwest Companion Pass.
Chase Sapphire Preferred60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account$95Use points for flights, hotel rooms, and activities. When redeemed through the Chase travel portal, points are worth 1.25 cents.
Chase Sapphire Reserve50,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account$550Use points for flights, hotel rooms, and activities. Points are worth 1.5 cents when used on the Chase travel portal.
World of Hyatt50,000 points: 25,000 points when you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Earn another 25,000 points when you spend $6,000 (total) in the first 6 months$95Use points for free hotel nights. Each year after you earn a free night award.
IHG Rewards Club Premier Card140,000 points when you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months$89Use points for free hotel nights. Each year after you earn a free night award.
IHG Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card60,000 points when you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months$0Use points for hotels. Get the fourth night free when you use points.

Conclusion

It’s easy to travel hack Las Vegas.  My most recent trip to Vegas should have cost $773 but I only paid $63.

Las Vegas is a cheap place to visit so sometimes it makes more sense to pay cash than to redeem miles and points. Especially if you want to save those points and miles for a trip to Australia, Hong Kong, or Europe.

For those times when hotel prices are high, the quickest way to earn miles and points to get a free trip to Las Vegas is through travel rewards credit cards.

Stay tuned for the next part of this series: flights to Las Vegas.

What are your favorite how-tos when you travel hack Las Vegas?

Comment, tweet, or share this post.

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Traveling Well For Less has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Traveling Well For Less and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.


Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for beginning travel hackers. It is the first card you should get to start traveling for free because the welcome offer is 60,000 points (after spending $4,000 in the first three months).
 
My favorite perks about this card are earning 2X points on travel and dining, no foreign transaction fees, and transferring points to 13 airline and hotel partners like Hyatt, United, and Southwest.
 

Learn more about this card and how to apply



Chase Freedom Unlimited

The Chase Freedom Unlimited is one of my favorite cards for earning cash back card and travel rewards. It offers a welcome offer of $200 (after spending $500 in the first three months).
 
My favorite perks about this card are earning 5% cash back at grocery stores the first 12 months (up to $12k), unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases and no annual fee. When paired with cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can use your points to travel for free.
 

Learn more about this card and how to apply

Filed Under: Las Vegas, Miles and Points, North America, Travel, United States Tagged With: Las Vegas, travel hacking

About Debra Schroeder

Debra is a former 12-year travel industry executive and has traveled the world using airline miles and credit card points since 1994. She'll teach you the secrets of traveling well for less.

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Comments

  1. The below responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
  2. Lisa says

    April 3, 2020 at 9:25 am

    I was last in Vegas over 5 years ago, so a return trip is long overdue. Saying that, I’d like to go back and try out some of these hacks. IHG will be particularly useful, I need to use up my points!

    Reply
  3. Clarice says

    April 3, 2020 at 11:10 am

    Thank you for sharing these travel hacks and tips. We have been planning to visit Vegas soon or perhaps after the coronavirus crisis. A $19 a night hotel is such a sweet deal. Would love to know more about how to earn the miles and points.

    Reply
  4. Amy Chung says

    April 3, 2020 at 4:31 pm

    Woah!!!! That is amazing the cost savings you made, especially at the Palazzo! Very smart using all these points. I’m great with FF and CC card points but I haven’t gotten onto hotel points as yet. Really must do that.

    Reply
  5. Blair villanueva says

    April 3, 2020 at 11:48 pm

    Thanks for sharing this Las Vegas hack. I always thought it is expensive to travel to Vegas (or maybe just shopping?). When we visit America, we will definitely check Vegas!

    Reply
  6. Agnes says

    April 4, 2020 at 3:02 am

    I’ve been to LV twice. I’m delighted with your tips, great that you share it with us. I didn’t know these hints. So I will try to use them on my next visit, especially before hotel booking.

    Reply
  7. Iuliana Marchian says

    April 4, 2020 at 5:05 am

    I thought I haven’t read well so I read the second time. You spent 63$. That’s absolutely amazing. I have never known how to use these travel hacks so well. Unfortunately, I also live in Romania so I cannot access certain types of credit cards. Anyway, you have shared some amazing information with us. Thank you for that! Btw, Hyatt Place Las Vegas looks fabulous and your post made it more affordable.

    Reply
  8. Ha says

    April 5, 2020 at 2:49 am

    Such a huge amount that you could save! I always thought that it’s expensive to travel to Las Vegas, but probably just when you’re into casinos. The suite at The Palazzo Las Vegas looks amazing and comfortable. Thanks for sharing the tips!

    Reply
  9. Linda (LD Holland) says

    April 5, 2020 at 6:23 am

    Vegas is one of those places we can return to over and over again. So good to read some tips on how to save money. Flights from Toronto aren’t always a great bargain. But when we are spending time in Vancouver, we have found some good flight and hotel bargains for weekend getaways. I have always been interested in casino loyalty programs that link to hotel loyalty programs. We dp wish there were more credit card options here in Canada.

    Reply
  10. Joe Ankenbauer says

    April 6, 2020 at 11:00 am

    Wow! I can’t believe you were able to get everything for so cheap! I’ve definitely bookmarked this for later use. I haven’t stayed at the Hyatt, but the Palazzo is one of our favorites on the strip! Great tips on how to earn rewards and which cards are the best. I think I will have to look into the Sapphire card soon!

    Reply
  11. robin rue says

    September 21, 2020 at 10:24 am

    I got married in Vegas, so I love it there. We were supposed to go back in November actually, but canceled due to covid. I can’t wait to get back,.

    Reply
  12. melissa chapman says

    September 21, 2020 at 11:03 am

    The west is a great place to go and Vegas sounds like a good place to situate. These tips and ideas are so smart and could be applied to trvel to las Vegas and other convention towns.

    Reply
  13. Joline says

    September 21, 2020 at 1:47 pm

    Great tips! Las Vegas is one of the places we’re visiting first once it’s relatively safe to travel again.

    Reply
  14. Amber Myers says

    September 21, 2020 at 2:13 pm

    I’ll keep this in mind for sure! I have been wanting to go to Vegas. I know there’s so much to do and see there and I know I’d have a blast.

    Reply
  15. Pam Wattenbarger says

    September 21, 2020 at 2:49 pm

    That’s great that you were able to fly at such a great rate to Las Vegas. We live across the country so it’s always more expensive to fly out. 🙁

    Reply
  16. heather says

    September 21, 2020 at 6:38 pm

    These are great hacks for vising Las Vegas! We haven’t been there in so long, we need to schedule a trip soon.

    Reply
  17. Tasheena says

    September 21, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    This post is really informative. I can’t wait to try some of your tips.

    Reply
  18. Chef Dennis says

    September 22, 2020 at 3:57 am

    I am planning to visit Las Vegas as soon as this pandemic is gone. This place is really wonderful. I will keep this advises in mind Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  19. Jennifer Van Haitsma says

    September 22, 2020 at 4:37 am

    Looks like a nice time! I’ve never been but it’s on my bucket list, if we can get rid of the kids for a few days.

    Reply
  20. Paula Schuck says

    September 22, 2020 at 4:52 am

    I am always in awe of how easy and affordable some of your flights are in the US. This is unheard of in Canada. UGH. Anyways great tips. The hotel looks pretty spectacular actually. I’d enjoy that stay. So, you mentioned a spa though…I assume that was not in this budget. Looks like a great trip and super affordable. Can’t wait to be able to visit again one day when this pandemic is under control. Also, I think there’s a story there about you getting kicked out of a casino….LOL.

    Reply
  21. Lynndee says

    September 22, 2020 at 7:38 am

    I’d love to stay at the Palazzo. 🙂 We’ve never been to Vegas. Hopefully someday. Thanks for the tips!

    Reply
  22. Kathy says

    September 22, 2020 at 10:18 am

    I’m glad you were able to share this. I would love to go to Las Vegas sometime. I’m hoping in the next few years I’ll be able to go.

    Reply
  23. Kita Bryant says

    September 22, 2020 at 12:46 pm

    I have always wanted to visit Las Vegas. There is so much to see and do!

    Reply
  24. Lois says

    September 22, 2020 at 1:55 pm

    That’s not bad. I love the hotel room, very plush.

    Reply
  25. Marysa says

    September 22, 2020 at 6:19 pm

    I have never been to Vegas, but it sounds like there is so much to do there. It would be a lot of fun to check it out and use your hacks too!

    Reply
  26. Swathi says

    September 22, 2020 at 8:33 pm

    Thanks for sharing this travel hack Las vegas is one of my favorite place to visit.

    Reply
  27. Nathalie Porbes says

    September 23, 2020 at 2:03 am

    Traveling is my life and this hacks is a big save for my life. Thank you for sharing! Will keep these in mind

    Reply
  28. Catalina says

    September 23, 2020 at 2:22 am

    Las Vegas is a must visit place for everyone! Thank you for this useful info!

    Reply
  29. rika says

    September 23, 2020 at 6:53 pm

    These are great tips! I used to live in Vegas. It’s a fun city to visit.

    Reply
  30. Ruth I says

    September 24, 2020 at 1:49 pm

    These are some amazing hacks! I wish to go to Las Vegas and experience the fun!

    Reply
  31. Margarita Ibbott ~ DownshiftingPRO says

    September 26, 2020 at 9:36 am

    I have to say, here in Canada, we do not get those amazing deals on airfare as you do in the US. I love that the whole weekend cost you under $65. I always learn something from these types of posts. Thanks

    Reply
  32. katrina Kroeplin says

    October 1, 2020 at 10:17 am

    man i miss vegas. i used to live close to there but moved away. i can’t wait o get back there.

    Reply
    • Debra Schroeder says

      November 15, 2020 at 8:06 pm

      Hi Katrina,

      Hope you can visit again one day soon. 🙂

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Debra Schroeder is a travel writer with 26 years of experience using miles and points to travel the world. A former 12-year travel industry executive, she knows how to find the deals and how to creatively finance trips, like getting a trip to Hawaii for practically free or a $26,000 trip to Australia for $208. She’s always looking for the best deal, whether it’s a hostel, luxury resort, or somewhere in between.

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