January 14, 2020|Caesars Rewards, Frontier

Last week I attended CES in Vegas.  The total expense for the trip was just under $240 including airfare, hotel, food, and admission to CES.   I was able to accomplish this through the benefits of rewards.  Let me explain… 

I took an Uber to Newark Airport.  My total cost was $7  courtesy of the American Express Platinum monthly Uber credit of $15.

I flew Frontier Air from Newark to Las Vegas on their new nonstop route.   I purchased the roundtrip airfare at an absurdly low $103 roundtrip.  I charged the airfare on my Citi Prestige card which comes with an annual $250 travel credit.  This offset the price of the airfare. 

I paid for preferred seats and carry-on baggage fees for $59 each way.  The $200 annual airline credit with the American Express Platinum card covered these fees.  So, my total cost for airfare was $0. 

For the hotel, I stayed at Ballys for 4 nights.  Being a Ceasars Rewards Diamond member, I was able to get 4 free nights as well as zero resort fees on a high floor with a Strip View of the Bellagio Fountains.  I have Diamond level as a result of being a Founders Card member.  Additionally, the free nights came with $25 of free play in the casino.

Incidentally, hotels in Vegas during CES have some of the highest rates of the year due to the influx of people.  My total hotel cost was $20 in gratuities. 

Being a Diamond level member also came with my annual $100 celebration dinner, which I used for an amazing dinner at BLT Steak.  My total cost was the $20 gratuity. 

Being a Diamond member also gives you two free show tickets each month.  As a result, I saw the Anthony Cools Hypnotist Show at the Paris Hotel.  Total cost $0.

I got into CES as media courtesy of my sister blog IWentToThis.com which is reviewing the show.  Normally, the entrance fee is $100.  My total cost was $0.

Many meals were eaten at CES courtesy of servings at some of the booths as well as snacks at the American Express Centurian lounge in the Las Vegas Convention Center.  Having the American Express Platinum Card gets you in for free. 

Additionally, I had drinks and snacks in the Diamond lounges at Paris and Caesars courtesy of the Caesars Total Rewards Diamond Card. 

Some other meals were covered by parties that were being hosted by several exhibitors. It was easy enough searching online at the CES party lost and registering for free to attend these parties. 

Upon returning home for my red-eye flight, I stopped at the American Express Centurian Lounge at McCarran Airport.  There I had a nice dinner and drinks.   I had entry via the American Express Platinum Card.  Total cost for meal was $0.

So, the details of what I ended paying for were:

Meals – – $121

Uber to/from airports – – $74

Monorail to/from the convention center – – $16

Hotel gratuities — $20

So, in total, I spent  $231  for my 5 day trip.

To name drop, I met Mark Goodman of MTV fame as well as Joey Fatone of N’Sync.  Finishing off my trip with a Royal Flush in Ultimate Texas Hold ’em didn’t hurt either. 

As you can see, with the right credit cards and players cards, you can get a complete 5 day trip for next to nothing. 

Please subscribe to this blog to be kept up to date on tips on how to get the most out of your miles and points.