Las Vegas Travel Guide

Vegas: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels

In some ways, it makes sense. Las Vegas is a good spot for a relatively cheap flight or getaway thanks to an abundance of discount airlines at McCarran International Airport (including AirTran, Allegiant, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country and Virgin America) plus extremely competitively priced hotel rooms (mid-week prices on the Strip’s Luxor Hotel can run as low as $40 a night).

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Other Top Memorial Day Destinations

Mostly big cities were listed in Priceline’s top 10 most popular destinations for Memorial Day Weekend: Vegas was followed by Chicago, New York City, San Diego, San Francisco, New Orleans, Seattle, Boston, St. Louis and Indianapolis. Of the top destinations, only Boston is listed among air travel expert Rick Seaney’s top cheapest destinations for summer travel.

Note: The survey is based on hotel room bookings, so it includes a lot of drivers as well as flyers, but presumably would not include travelers who are staying with friends or family.

Babies on Planes: Yes or No?

Child Restraint Seats for Toddlers, Babies

The plea is directed at parents of young children and even babies under the age of two that are not required to sit in an airplane seat. However, as an FAA spokesman told air travel analyst Rick Seaney not long ago, “There is simply no way to hold onto a lap child if you hit severe turbulence.”

CRS Seats: What to Look For

A child restraint system or CRS is not unlike a car seat except it is also approved for use on an aircraft. Things to keep in mind when purchasing a CRS:

• Be sure it has a label that includes the words, “certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft”
• Be sure the back measures no more than 16 inches wide so it will fit in most airline seats

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Weight of Children Matters

Be sure to select the right CRS for your child’s weight:

Parents of kids who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds can also choose to use an FAA-approved harness-type of restraint device which come without a seat and is approved for use in aircraft only.

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Dilemma: Safety vs. Cost of Airfare

It is not clear why the FAA does not mandate child restraint system seats, but it doesn’t and apparently has no plans to force this measure on the flying public. In other words, for now, children under the age of two can legally fly for free on a parent’s lap with no special seat or restraints beyond an adult’s arms. And in this season of high-priced airfare, some families may find that paying for an infant’s ticket – a ticket that is not required by law – can mean the difference between traveling and staying home.

The FAA suggests parents ask airlines for discounted tickets for children, but such fares – when available at all – can usually only be obtained on international flights.

Another FAA suggestion: ask the airline to use an empty seat for your child’s CRS. However, in these days of capacity-cutting carriers, finding empty seats on a plane can be impossible.

The service is provided by Aeromobile, an inflight mobile phone business which uses satellite technology so callers are covered world-wide (though there may be an occasional dropped call, just as there is on the ground).

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FAQs: Cell Phone Calls on Virgin Atlantic

Here are some of the more common questions, with answers provided by Virgin:

Q: Is it safe?

Virgin: “Don’t worry, we wouldn’t have installed it if it wasn’t. The science behind it is that the aircraft is now fitted with new technology, which means when you switch on your phone, it connects to the Aeromobile network using its lowest settings. This takes away all the risk of lots of different phones operating at different levels, which is the thing that interferes with our on board electronics.”

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Q: Is it expensive?

Virgin: “There aren’t any hidden costs. You’ll find the call listed on your phone bill as normal. The costs will be similar to normal roaming charges.” [Editor's note: charges have been estimated as starting at roughly $1.50 per minute, and up.]

Q: Do I need a special phone?

Virgin: “Only phones that have international roaming can connect to this service.”

Q: When can I use it on the plane?

Virgin: “Safety regulations still require that all phones are turned off for taxi, take-off and landing. Your cabin crew will let you know when the system is ready to be used. It’s usually once we reach cruising height.”

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Q: Cell phones are still banned in U.S. airspace, right?

Virgin: “Some countries like the USA don’t allow mobile phone use in their air space. In these cases, the system will automatically switch off.”

Q: Will I be driven crazy by the conversations of fellow passengers?

The Virgin website does not specifically address this concern but a news story notes that due to bandwidth limitations, only about 10 people will be able to make calls at the same time.

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Business travellers and others are expected to enjoy the new phone service, but it has been decidedly controversial in the past. However, one internet commenter may have spoken for many by when he exclaimed, “This is utter madness.”

More Virgin Atlantic Phone Service Coming

According to The Daily Mail, by year’s end, nearly 20 other Virgin Atlantic planes including refurbished 747s will also feature cell phone service on board, flying to a variety of destinations.

Besides calls, those who use the Aeromobile service will be able to send and receive text messages and emails as well as access the internet.

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Cheaper Flights to D.C. Expected

Travelers may even see lower airline ticket prices to the nation’s capital because three of the four airlines offering the new service are low-cost carriers. Plus, as airfare analyst Rick Seaney notes, “More competition is key to cheaper flights.”

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New Cities, Airlines for Washington Reagan

Here’s how it breaks down:

• Alaska: Non-stop service to/from Portland, OR (PDX)
• JetBlue: Non-stop service to/from San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)
• Southwest: Non-stop service to/from Austin (AUS)
• Virgin America: Non-stop service to/from San Francisco (SFO)

This will be Virgin America’s first time at the D.C. airport, but the others have so far only had limited service.

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Other Airlines Swap Routes to/From Reagan

The DOT also notes that four legacy carriers already serving Reagan National will be swapping slot openings with each other:

• American: Trades one round-trip flight to Dallas-Fort Worth for a flight to Los Angeles
• Delta: Trades one round-trip flight to New York LaGuardia Airport for a flight to Salt Lake City
• United: Trades one round-trip flight to Chicago O?Hare for a flight to San Francisco
• US Airways: Trades one round-trip flight to Dallas-Fort Worth for a flight to San Diego.

Look for the new non-stop service from the discount carriers to begin in time for summer vacation travel.

Delays: Connecting Flights vs. Non-stops

However, travelers need to know which are the best and worst cities for flight delays, since missing a connection can cost more than any savings. This is especially important for those flying multiple airlines. The trick is to build in plenty of time in an itinerary in case of delays. For those traveling on a connecting flight to a jump off point for international travel, it is worth considering arriving the day before your flight departs.

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Airlines: Best On-Time Record Ever

Over all, the news is good – and the airlines deserve the credit. According to the latest statistics from the Department of Transportation – which cover the first quarter of the year (January, February and March) – this is the best on-time arrival rate for a similar period for any year since the DOT began collecting such data back in 1995.

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As far as best and worst cities, the usual suspects top both lists with a few notable exceptions.

Best: Cities with Highest Percentage of On-Time Arrivals

Cities are ranked per number of flights departing/arriving on-time, starting with the very best:

Rounding out the top 10 were Las Vegas, Tampa, Miami, Orlando and Detroit.

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Worst: Cities with Lowest Percentage of On-Time Arrivals

Cities are ranked per number of flights departing/arriving on-time, starting from the very worst:

Rounding out the worst list: Washington Dulles, Seattle, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington Reagan. In case you’re wondering, New York’s JFK finished in the middle of the pack.