Equally as important as where you stay in Vegas is how you get to Vegas and my opinion may be unpopular to some but let me explain my reasons.
You have your "normal" airlines where in most cases you'll pay a premium for air miles, peanuts and well that's about it. In the case of Southwest you receive 2 free bags as well, which when compared to other major carriers is a big advantage in the savings department. I myself however, being a value shopper choose to go another route.
I look at airlines the same way I do most hotel rooms, give me the basics (which in this case would be a comfortable seat and a lack of death, you know the basics), and i'm ok. A few years ago my choice airline was Southwest as their rates were competitive and the 2 free bags sealed the deal. However around 2015 I noticed a climb in their prices to where it was no longer economical and the free luggage was a moot selling point. So at the advice of an old boss of mine (Hey Dave!) we switched to Frontier, which at the time was a new airline to our area.
Frontier is a "low cost" carrier that offers lower fares with everything else (read seats, luggage, peanuts) available a'la carte. This at the time was a great option as I could catch flights for less than $200 round trip and just had to pay for bags. Unfortunately for some absurd reason, in 2018 Frontier stopped direct flights from Columbus to Vegas and instead offered flights with 1 to 2 layovers, making a typical 4 hour trip an all day event.
In a beautiful twist of luck, right around this time, Spirit Airlines began flying out of our home terminal with non-stop flights to Vegas! Dude, Sweet!
Another low cost carrier akin to Frontier, you buy your seat at oftentimes crazy low prices and add your baggage separate in addition to your seat then BOOM! Buckle up and begone!
My first flights on Spirit were like... well... a flight on any other airline! The seats were comfortable, the staff was friendly and well as of this writing, I didn't die! If I wanted drinks or snacks there was a rather affordable menu where I could purchase what I wanted, cheaper than I would pay at the movie theater. No free peanuts but you know, I feel if thats a deal breaker for you then you may be just a little entitled, but of course no judgement here!
Spirit
Non-stop one way flight 4/24/2019 Departing @ 7:55PM (As of 12/1/2018)
Flight $
$153.19
2 Bags
Total
$70.00
$223.19
Southwest
Non-stop one way flight 4/24/2019 Departing @ 7:25PM (As of 12/1/2018)
Flight $
$295.00
2 Bags
Total
INCLUDED
$295.00
As you can see by the above chart, even with Southwest's 2 free bags, you still could potentially end up paying more vs. Spirit! Now of course this isn't always true and there's definitely times where Southwest is cheaper, this is shown as proof that just because you have to pay for baggage on Spirit, it doesn't necessarily negate it as a viable alternative.
One more misconception to dispel with Spirit is you actually don't have to pay for your seat, You can take the free option and one will be generated for you at random. However if you would like to select where you sit, there is a small fee, which is worth it in my opinion (when you're 6'2, being sandwiched in the middle isn't a comfortable option).
So next time you're planning your trip to Vegas (or one of several other destinations) I highly recommend giving Spirit a thought because after all, the more you save on your flight, the more you'll have to spend once you actually arrive!
