Las Vegas Travel Still Plummeting

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

See recent posts by Carl Unger

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It should shock no one that Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport posted its sixteenth—yes, sixteenth—consecutive month of traffic decline in February. Sin City has been battered by both a recession and widespread public rebuke of corporate travel, which makes up a large portion of the city’s tourism dollars. No, the question now isn’t why Las Vegas is struggling, it’s “when will it end?”

Good question. Recent trends suggest it will be a while. US Airways, one of Las Vegas’ major airlines, saw traffic drop 34.5 percent this February compared to last. Southwest experienced a drop as well, but only (and I use that word loosely) 9.3 percent, which may indicate more passengers are choosing the low-cost carrier over its legacy-line rival. Still, even Southwest is struggling in Las Vegas, a sure sign that interest in the city is low.

Which, of course, means great deals for anyone who wants to go. Our resident Deal Detective, Kate Hamman, has covered Vegas deals twice recently (check out her recent articles, 10 Best Las Vegas Deals of the Year and Top Five Las Vegas Reader Questions Answered), and she could probably write about Vegas deals every week if she wanted. So even though this horse has been … well, you know … I’ll say it once more: If Vegas is your thing, this is the time to go.

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