Basic or Deluxe Las Vegas Helicopter Tour?
This Explainer Helps You Decide
Which Strip Flight is Best For You and Your Budget.
Las Vegas, baby! Home of MEGA-resorts, the Raiders, Wayne Newton, buffets, showgirls and so much more. As if you need another activity to add to your list of things to do and see, right? But if I may be so bold. Please include a helicopter tour over the Vegas Strip. In fact, make it the #1 thing you do once your plane lands at McCarran Airport (a/k/a Harry Reid). You won't regret it. Nor will your significant other or your family or your friends or whomever has the good fortune to join you.
There's two versions of this Strip tour and it's the basic and the deluxe. Both have day and night flights and both follow the same flight path...specifically you start northward passing MGM Grand, Ballys, Paris, Venetian, the High Roller deluxe merry-go-round, the Wynn and the Desert Springs Golf Course before reaching the Stratosphere Tower and Fremont Street Experience and heading south. In this direction, you fly over Circus Circus, Caesar's Palace, The Cosmopolitan, New York New York before landing at our private heliport. In full disclosure - what I just listed is a smidgeon of what you'll see.
How You Gonna Get Here?
The basic flyover is DOES NOT come with hotel transfers. In other words, you'll have to provide your own transportation. Not really a problem as every Uber or taxi driver knows our location. Or drive yourself in your rental car. Plenty of free parking. The deluxe option DOES include hotel transfers via stretch limousine. Bear in mind the limo will NOT pick up at private residences or Airbnb's. It's a "go" for all resorts in the general Strip area.
Both options use the EcoStar 130 helicopter tour. This beast is a force of nature. To start, it's more than 20% larger than conventional helicopters and is equipped with bucket seats that are configured stadium-style in the over-sized cabin. Great views are available from all seats. This is due to the 180-degree wraparound front windshield and side glass doors. The interior is climate-controlled to perfection so you are 100 percent comfortable regardless if it's summer or winter. Each passenger gets their own headset, which allows them to communicate directly with the pilot or fellow passengers. For our international guests, we offer trip narration in multiple languages including German, French, Chinese, Spanish, Russian and more.
There are shared and private options on both these tours. Let me explain the difference. First, helicopters hold six people, and, in most cases, all seats get sold. We don't know who sits where until check-in and then we review our passenger manifests and put you and your group in the helicopter that works the best. Sometimes we have to split up large groups. Its' rare but it happens and in some regard it has to do with overall weight. Now, if you fly private, you and your group are guaranteed to fly together. No ifs, ands and buts. You can fly private with just you, but understand that private tours are in most cases always more expensive than shared.
Together or Separate?
Let's talk about front seats. Please know and commit to memory that front-seats are NEVER guaranteed. In fact, they're downright hard to secure, even if you are willing to pay for them (more on that in a minute). If you fly private, there's more lee-way to choose among your group who sits in the two front seats next to the pilot. But shared? That's a whole different story. And it's usually one where we have NO idea who is going to check-in that day and how much they weigh. Sure, everyone guesses their weight when they book online but I don't think I'd surprise you if I told you that folks aren't that good at estimating their body mass. That's why we weigh you at check-in. It's a totally private matter with you standing on a scale inset in a floor tile with only the result shared with the check-in attendant on the other side of the desk..
BUT...as I hinted earlier, you can request front seats when you book your tour online. This is only a request and no guarantee. So, when you do check-in, your ticket is flagged as someone who wants the front seats. If we can do it, we'll offer them to you and if you accept, you'll pay an additional $50 for the privilege. Sounds steep but nearly everyone who wants the front pays the premium. If you get cold feet, you can decline and there's no charge. Trust me, the guy behind you heard this exchange and he'll try his hand at nabbing the "box seats." In any event, I always recommend requesting the front as you increase the odds of getting in front. And if you pass, well, no harm no foul.
Early Bird Gets The Worm
I always recommend you RSVP these tours. At least a week or two in advance. Two if you want a night flight. There's only so many helicopters to go around. If you try to book as a walk-in, good luck. I doubt you'll get off the ground. And if you do get a seat, you'll pay a major price premium. Cash walk-ins suffer the most when it comes to price (seems the opposite but it's true). I also recommend you do this online and skip customer phone support. It's always cheaper when you use the website, and customer service is not authorized to negotiate. Follow these early booking rules of thumb and you'll get a good deal. It's that easy. Go here to securely book these tours:
1. Basic Las Vegas Strip Helicopter Tour (No hotel transfers)
2. Deluxe Las Vegas Strip Helicopter Tour (Yes hotel limo transfers)
3. Private Deluxe Las Vegas Strip Helicopter Tour (No hotel transfers)
Make it a GRAND day!
