FUNJET to Las Vegas
Written: Mar 17 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| How informative was your tour? |
 |
|
| How strenuous was your tour? |
 |
|
| Knowledge of tour guide(s): |
|
|
| Transportation quality: |
|
|
|
Pros: Inexpensive, mostly trouble free, wonderful package
Cons: Uniform seating, minor hassle with transport to hotel
The Bottom Line: If I ever take a trip to a place they fly I will go FUNJET.
|
|
|
| nomad40's Full Review: Funjet Vacations |
A little over a year ago today I booked a trip on Funjet. I being a neophite at air travel had surfed the NET and perused the local deals and finally gave in, gave up and called a local travel agency. She asked me what I was interested in and I told her that I wanted to surprise my then fiance with a trip to Las Vegas to get married. She listed a lot of different packages and promptly had me on the verge of informational overloaded panic.
I began to mumble something non commital and was preparing to jump off the line when the travel agent, apparently sensing my sudden loss of enthusiasm and rising panic, caught my attention anew with these seven words. "Would you like to keep it simple?"
With a shudder of relief I listened to her layout a vacation package for an airline that actually flew out of the small city I lived in. She said that it was non-stop to Las Vegas, included transportation to the hotel from the airport and the hotel accomodations. Of the hotels she named the MGM Grand caught my attention and I gave her my credit card and booked the fares- 2 adults, non-stop to Las Vegas, $500 a piece.
Now before those of you out there pipe up with astonishment at this "high" price keep in mind this was a year ago. It was before all the current events that have effected travel and tourism as we know it. I recently got an email from them telling me I could go back for $259 a person, and if I hadn't already booked a vacation I would be on my way there.
After I booked the trip I was sent a confirmation in the mail with all my travel information including information about checking in at the airport, the flight, the transportation to the hotel and the amenities included in our package. I must say these were a comfort as I had never planned a trip like this on my own and I had been experiencing an interesting hybrid of buyers remorse and an anxiety attack since my purchase. This informational package helped put my mind to rest. It also told me that we should bring all our documentation with us when we traveled to make sure of a smooth trip.
The time passed quickly until our travel date was upon us. We arrived early at the airport and checked in and were given a booklet of valueable coupons ranging from free drinks or food to free chips at different casinoes. We boarded the plane, which I believe was a converted 707 that had uniform seating. Two seats on the left of the aisle and three on the right. Our seats had been set at our check in and the flight out was fairly pleasant. The crowd was a bit rowdy and we had 2 drunk guys trying to entertain the cabin but the stewardesses handled them exceptionally well and kept everyone in good humor. We had beverage service as well as a sandwich lunch and the flight was steady and smooth.
Upon arriving at Las Vegas airport we disembarked into the terminal enmasse and collected our bags. One tip here, the plane loaded from the front in my hometown but in Las Vegas they connect to the middle door. So those in the middle of the plane got out first. We unfortunately were in the front. Last on and last off. We claimed our bag and hit one of the only snags of our trip. When we went to the counter for our transportation to the airport they didn't have us on their list for transport. Luckily my soon to be wife had the paperwork to show them that we were indeed supposed to be on the shuttle. Once on board we got a fast paced trip thru the city to our hotels.
Another tip for anyone visiting Las Vegas: Everything is enourmous. Just because you can see the hotel you want to go to and it seems like it is just down the block don't walk. Take a cab. Even from one side of our hotel to the other was like a 5-block walk. Baring cabs there are 3 monorails that connect hotels on the new strip that can save you a lot of hoofing time.
When we arrived at the hotel I upgraded our room from the package to the next level up. No comps here unfortunately but for the extra $50 a night we got a breathtaking view of the mountains and desert from our room instead of the strip. Our room in the MGM Grand was amazing. It had a completely floor to ceiling tiled bathroom with snuggly Egyptian cotton robes and towels. The room was decorated in a pleasant old style with pictures of current movie stars made up like old style movie actors. Besides the bed there was a couch and desk table. The bed itself was huge and comfortable, with lots of pillows and a down comforter.
The crowds in the MGM were amazing and I found out after we arrived that it was a fight weekend with Oscar De La Hoya taking on someone. We had a few celebrity sightings. I saw Eric Stoltz in our elevator on our way down to the lobby to go to my tuxedo fitting. And the following day I again was getting ready to get on the elevator from our floor, by myself this time, when the doors opened and I saw none other than OJ Simpson with two friends laughing and smiling. I told them I would catch the next one.
We visited almost every hotel on the strip while we were there and I can tell you one trip is not enough to see even the tip of the iceburg. We were too busy to catch any shows while we were out there but we did get to see a lot of beautiful things. I suggest anyone going stop by the Bellagio, the Venitian and Excalibur.
When we finally bid a sad farewell to Las Vegas my wife and I called for our shuttle and rode to the airport. We checked our bags and boarded for the flight home. The only bad thing about the trip was having to leave Las Vegas. Well, that and the fact that I had to sit next to a really big guy on the way home and, being a big guy myself, neither he nor I had a very comfortable trip back.
Now just for comparison. My parents decided to come along at the last minute and couldn't get on Funjet. They had to make travel plans thru an online travelsite. Both of them are experienced travelers who have done this kind of thing many times. Their trip was routed thru LA and had 4 legs to it. They spent $1300+ a person and they stayed at a hotel that was nothing like it was presented. They have since said if they ever have to go again they will let me plan their trip.
Funjet took the worry out of traveling for me and let me concentrate on what was most important. My reason for going to Las Vegas in the first place.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Tour type: Group
Tour format: Airplane/Helicopter
Tour length: Several Days
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
nomad40
|
|
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.