Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

GETTING TO THE UNITED STATES 45
police precinct, well-lit service station,
or 24-hour store.
Park in well-lit and well-traveled
areas whenever possible—in the
casino hotels, take advantage of the
free valet parking. Always keep your
car doors locked, whether the vehicle
is attended or unattended. Never leave
any packages or valuables in sight. If
someone attempts to rob you or steal
your car, don’t try to resist the
thief/carjacker. Report the incident to
the police department immediately by
calling & 911.
2 Getting to the United States
THE MAJOR AIRLINES A number
Australia to the West Coast. Air New
of U.S. airlines offer service from
Europe to the United States, though a
number of those same airlines are having
financial troubles, and may perhaps
be in different shape by the time you
read this. If they do not have direct
flights from Europe to Las Vegas, they
can book you straight through on a
connecting flight. You can make reservations
by calling the following numbers
Zealand (& 0800/737-000 in New
Zealand, 800/262-1234 in the U.S.;
www.airnewzealand.co.nz) also offers
service to LAX. Canadian readers can
book flights on Air Canada (& 800/
776-3000; www.aircanada.ca), which
offers direct service from Toronto,
Montréal, Calgary, and Vancouver to
San Francisco and Los Angeles, and will
book your final leg on a partner airline.
in the United Kingdom: American JetBlue (& 800/538-2583; www.
(& 0181/572-5555 in the U.K., jetblue.com) is a highly rated low-cost
800/433-7300 in the U.S.; www.
aa.com), Continental (& 01293/776-
464 in the U.K., 800/525-0280 in the
U.S.; www.continental.com), Delta
carrier that operates out of a number
of U.S. cities, and just began offering
daily direct service to Las Vegas out of
New York City.
(& 0800/414-767 in the U.K.,
800/221-1212 in the U.S.; www.delta.
com), and United (& 0845/8-444-
777 in the U.K., 800/538-2929 in the
U.S.; www.ual.com).
And, of course, many international
carriers serve LAX and/or San Francisco
International Airport. From LAX or
San Francisco International Airport,
you can take a domestic airline to Las
Vegas. Helpful numbers to know
include Virgin Atlantic (& 01293/
747-747 in the U.K., 800/862-8621 in
the U.S.; www.virgin-atlantic.com),
British Airways (& 0345/222-111 in
the U.K., 800/AIRWAYS in the U.S.;
www.british-airways.com), and Aer
Lingus (& 01/886-8888 in Dublin,
800/IRISH-AIR in the U.S.; www.
aerlingus.ie). Qantas (& 13-13-13 in
Australia, 800/227-4500 in the U.S.;
www.qantas.com.au) has flights from
Sydney to Los Angeles and San Francisco;
you can also take United from
AIRLINE DISCOUNTS The smart
traveler can find numerable ways to
reduce the price of a plane ticket simply
by taking time to shop around. For
example, overseas visitors can take
advantage of the APEX (Advance Purchase
Excursion) reductions offered by
all major U.S. and European carriers.
For more money-saving airline advice,
see “Getting There” and “Planning
Your Trip Online,” in chapter 2. For
the best rates, compare fares and be
flexible with the dates and times of
travel.
Operated by the European Travel
Network, www.discount-tickets.com
is a great online source for regular and
discounted airfares to Las Vegas and
other destinations around the world.
You can also use this site to compare
rates and book accommodations, car
rentals, and tours. Click “Special
Offers” for the latest package deals.