Two easy strategies to earn free rewards for a Vegas vacation
We love visiting Las Vegas. In fact, it was our last vacation just two months before Covid came to the U.S.
We can’t wait to get back!
But for now, we’re staying home in Pittsburgh and not venturing out of state. So no flights to Las Vegas for us in 2020.
In the meantime, we’re earning rewards that we can use when we next vacation in Vegas.
Below are two free and easy strategies you can use in your hometown today to get you ready for the Strip.
Strategy #1: play MyVegas on your phone or computer
This one is going to sound too good to be true. But trust me, it’s the real deal.
MyVegas is a free game that you can play on your phone and/or computer. And when you play, you earn Loyalty Points. You can then redeem Loyalty Points for rewards – free rooms, meals, desserts, shows, etc.
We have used Loyalty Points on every trip to Vegas and have never spent a dime to earn the Loyalty Points. (Heads up: The game will repeatedly ask you to buy “chips”, but just keep x-ing out that window. No purchase is needed.)
Loyalty Points can be used at the properties owned by MGM Resorts:
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- Aria
- Bellagio
- Excalibur
- Luxor
- Mandalay Bay
- MGM Grand
- Mirage
- New York New York
- Park MGM
- Vdara
The yellow chips are the Loyalty Points that you redeem for rewards. The red chips are the ones that you play the game with.
There are several versions of the games: MyVegas, Konami Slots, and Pop Slots. You can link all three games together (via your Facebook account) to earn cumulative Loyalty Points.
I just log on each day as I’m eating breakfast and collect my free chips. Then I play games with the free chips whenever I have time.
The games are a relaxing escape while I’m hanging out with my dogs on my screened-in porch or lounging on the couch after dinner.
And it gives me a chance to daydream about my next trip to Vegas!
Strategy #2: earn Southwest frequent-flier points
We all need to be supporting our locally-owned restaurants these days. So my hubby and I are now happily ordering take-out a few times a month.
(And I say happily because this option was off the table for two months when I was unemployed due to Covid. We needed to be more frugal than usual and stuck to my less-than-stellar cooking.)
When you dial-in or log-on to order that hot, steaming pizza, make sure that you’re earning frequent flier points at the same time.
Flights to Vegas aren’t cheap (at least they aren’t from Pittsburgh), so the cost of the flight can really eat into our budget for a Vegas vacation.
And the less money I spend on a flight is more money I have for sushi and tacos in Vegas!
We love flying on Southwest, so that’s the rewards program that I’ll be focusing on. Southwest offers a non-stop flight from Pittsburgh to Vegas, so it’s the most convenient flight to Vegas for us. (Plus, I’m cheering on Southwest right now since they are doing right by their passengers and leaving the middle seat empty these days.)
To easily earn Southwest frequent-flier points:
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- sign up as a member of their Rapid Rewards program
- register your credit card with their Rapid Rewards Dining program
- use rapidrewardsdining.com to search for restaurants close to you
- pay with the credit card that is registered with Rapid Rewards Dining
Then – ding! – the Rapid Rewards points will automatically show up in your Southwest account. Score!
It’s easy and yummy to earn frequent flier miles you can use on your Southwest flight to Vegas!
My goal is to always pay for at least one of the two legs of my Vegas flight with Southwest points.
And if I’m going to get take-out Chinese food anyway, I may as well be earning points at the same time.
I hope the MyVegas and Rapid Rewards Dining strategies will help you as you budget your Vegas vacation!
Are you already using these strategies? Or do you have a strategy to share? Please let me know in the comments.
In the meantime, let’s look forward to a time when we can all travel again!
