News and notes from around the interweb:
- At what point does Vegas just start to rub you the wrong way? And when does the hassle and sense of being fleeced get you to stop going?
Caesars Ent. has raised its ATM fees to $11.99. Related: JFC. https://t.co/YpPizUI2cH pic.twitter.com/S42U6hFAxW
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) January 28, 2024
- Many hotels now have mobile check-in so you can skip the desk. But if going to the desk isn’t even needed, why does going to the desk to check in take so long?
Sometimes you want to chat up the front desk clerk for an upgrade, or learn about the hotel’s elite breakfast benefits. Or maybe you want two room keys, which isn’t always smooth using their mobile app. But once you get to the front of the line it takes seemingly forever…
Why does it take so long to check into a hotel it’s like every time is the first time they’ve had a guest
— Rohin Dhar (@rohindhar) January 26, 2024
Kiosks take too long, too, by the way. Twenty years ago I won a contest to name the Sheraton SpeedCheck. Those machines still haven’t gotten much better.
- Wellington, New Zealand’s airport has penguin-proofed its perimeter.
- Air Côte d’Ivoire plans to fly to New York, Brussels, Washington, Beirut, and London by 2027 Seems questionable.
- Readers think this is me, but it’s not.
- Marriott Marriott and MGM have a new partnership that’s largely disappointing, but here’s a gift that went out to Marriott
Anyone dumb enough to use an ATM in a casino deserves whatever charge applies. There are 2 places you ABSOLUTELY should never use an ATM and that is in a casino or a strip club. I go to LV a number of times a year (as well as over a dozen trips to other casino locations) and always take enough (usually $5000-$10,000) to cover my gambling. Also, have casino credit lines set up I can tap at not cost in both Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Finally, if you have a rental car or just take an Uber you can get to a bank that has an ATM at a reasonable fee (maybe no fee if your bank like Bank of America or Wells Fargo).
Again, there are a lot of things to dislike about Las Vegas ($20 watered down cocktails, $25 overcooked burgers with fried $8 extra, higher limits, worse gaming rules, etc) but to draw the line at ATM fees is a little sad and crazy. Personally I get almost everything comped so don’t care about the costs. Heading back this Sunday to get in some action around the Super Bowl.
The money you have in Vegas stays in Vegas.
Never use a non bank owned ATM machine
Get a Schwab account, no ATM fees to worry about.
If you use a Schwab debit card the ATM fee will be reimbursed.
Like everything else in Vegas, multiple normal price x .65.
Vegas will get your money one way or another.
TD Bank Beyond Checking. No ATM fees anywhere on the planet.
Also ETrade bank refunds ATM fees.
The gouging continues – and the sheep keep paying….
With fees like that, you have to wonder if banks might start capping ATM fee refunds.
When will Côte d’Ivoire be renamed? Ivory is no longer in favor except by poachers and the rich.
@Dan +1
Vegas has just gotten out of line: extortionate resort fees, poor to mediocre comps, very high and ever-increasing hotel rates, and just a “gotcha” mentality of nickel-and-diming really wears on you. Nowadays it’s tough to get free drinks while gambling at times, even at second tier casinos. Remember the cheap but fairly high quality buffet? Cherish that memory because there ain’t no such thing anymore. Value in Vegas is a thing of the past.
Vegas is so trashy now. Fat people everywhere, rude and entitled tatted up girls and their baby daddies, and nothing really new to see. Not sure what the appeal is anymore.
Meh, the businesss have trained all the monkeys. It’s not going to change.
This is towards the gamblers who always think they are going to win.
@Dave,
Any gambler that thinks they are going to win doesn’t understand the math and variance. Yes I gamble a lot but also have background in math and statistics so know the odds. I do play a lot of poker (like World Series of Poker) and also sports bet. Those can actually be profitable because you can’t playing the house but other players (sports odds are based on total player action). I play other games but understand the house edge and also try to play perfect strategy to minimize it. The key is not chasing losses, setting stop losses when you are winning and understanding the value of status. I rarely pay for hotel rooms or food plus get taken on numerous free junkets where all cost are covered based on the action I give. If you enjoy travel and would otherwise spend money on hotels and expenses you can come out ahead. There hasn’t been a year, even if lose some gambling based on my year end win/loss statement, that I didn’t come out ahead based on total value I received.
I realize I am the exception and most people don’t gamble enough to get all the benefits I do but there are ways to come out ahead. Also LV, while totally different from 10 years ago let alone 30 years ago, is still the best place for action. Now off Sunday for another visit (on Caesars) for the Super Bowl.
I’ve had a Fidelity cash management account for years. No ATM fees anywhere on the globe. No minimum balance. No fees at all.