Basic economy may not be the luxurious way to travel, but there are some fares to Las Vegas today that are so cheap it may be worth the pain — and if ever there were a destination where everything you’ll need should fit under the seat in front of you, Vegas may be it. God Save the Points reports fares to Las Vegas as low as $78.40 round trip on United from Washington DC or Chicago (or Denver or Los Angeles and others in the west) or on American from $83 out of Dallas or $99 from Fort Lauderdale. Cheap fares are pretty widely available in January into the beginning of February, with select dates/routes available through April.
Some examples to follow — click the city pairs or images to go to Google Flights:
Washington, DC to Las Vegas from $79
Chicago to Las Vegas from $79
Dallas to Las Vegas from $83
Denver to Las Vegas from $39 (!!) on Spirit or $79 on United
Fort Lauderdale to Las Vegas from $99
Keep basic economy restrictions in mind
The above fares are in Basic Economy, which means that you can only carry 1 item that fits under the seat in front of you, your seat won’t be assigned until check-in, you’ll board last, you may not earn miles, etc. American reminds you just how bad it is before booking — though note that regular economy isn’t that much more (and may work out even if you are booking for two people and you have the Visa Infinite Airfare discount of the Chase Ritz-Calrton card or the CNB Crystal Visa).
If you are an airline credit card holder, basic economy isn’t necessarily all that bad. United even reminds you on the booking page that if you pay with your Chase United Mileage Plus credit card, you’ll get a free checked bag for you and a companion .
You also maintain priority boarding with most of the major airline credit cards.
Bottom line
Basic economy isn’t for everyone, but these prices are competitive enough that they might work for some people. Additionally, if you hold an airline credit card, the worst of basic economy will be your seat selection — or lack thereof.
H/T: God Save the Points