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Now Is The Worst Time In History to Visit Vegas

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Now Is The Worst Time In History to Visit Vegas

Flight chaos, gridlocked roads, deadly heat, and constant frustration await you...

This article represents the opinions of the author and not necessarily the owners/operators of VEGAS 411 VACATION (noun) - a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation You come to Las Vegas to enjoy yourself, take a break from the chaos of everyday life, and allow yourself to be pampered with special services and experiences, right? Well, too goddamned bad! In Sin City circa 2023, expect to be frustrated, gridlocked, disrespected, ripped off, gouged, ignored, inconvenienced, and sent home feeling despondent. If your return flight ever leaves the ground, that is.

As a longtime reporter of Las Vegas news, views, and reviews, I've operated from the perspective of both "tourist" and "resident". After working remotely for many years and writing about my Sin City excursions, I relocated here in 2018. At the time I promised to maintain a visitor's POV, albeit with the additional knowledge that residents gain. And right now, for the first time since we reopened after the pandemic, I highly recommend thinking twice before booking your visit.

As Michael Jackson sang..."they don't really care about us". Your pleasure and positive experience don't matter right now. Nor does creating an impression that will make you want to return. You're an account, an occupant, just another individual to take care of until it's time to clock out. It's a complete reversal for a place built on the promise of luxurious service, respect, and a desire to make you feel like a winner.

Getting Here and Back - A Nightmare Scenario

You're undoubtedly aware of how nightmarish air travel has been for the past three years. In Las Vegas, the situation is ramped up. Those heading here are often rowdy, partially intoxicated, and overly eager to start the party...or a fight. Flights to Las Vegas are frequently diverted due to in-flight incidents, brawls, and confrontations with ground and flight crews. [embed]https://youtu.be/LtI52NjsPfE[/embed] The geography and weather patterns of the Vegas Valley are conducive to air travel problems as well. Extreme heat and high winds are the usual culprits, leading to very bumpy arrivals, delays, and cancellations. We also have something exciting called "monsoon season", which stretches from June through September. As you can see from these viral photos that circulate on the internet, a monsoon is no joke.

This summer, a Delta flight made national news when it sat on the Vegas tarmac for hours in triple-digit heat. Passengers were vomiting and passed out in their seats as crew members became ill, resulting in a full cancellation of the flight after the unbelievable ordeal. The Department of Transportation is "investigating". I guess the idea of just letting people off a sweltering plane never occurred to anyone...until passengers dialed 9-1-1 and ambulances showed up on the runway. [embed]https://youtu.be/x9CQ8JK1Xdw[/embed] Extreme heat causes a number of problems for airplanes. The higher the temps, the more difficult it is to achieve "lift". It can also cause jet fuel to reach dangerous temperatures. As Time Magazine reported 0n 7/22/23, this summer's weather has prompted airlines to reduce the amount of fuel in their planes and the number of passengers per flight. That means even more backed-up runways, more canceled flights, and thousands upon thousands of people being stranded. Sounds fun, doesn't it?

Here's another tidbit about flying to Las Vegas. Beginning in May of this year. Harry Reid International Airport decided to begin "runway maintenance" that, according to airport spokesman Joseph Rajchel, “needs to be done. We need to be prepared. This airport needs to be ready for Formula 1, for the special events”. Rajchel further stated that this particular type of maintenance is required every ten to fifteen years. But they decided to do it right now, in the midst of the most massive chaos Las Vegas has ever seen.

Right before peak summer travel season, just before Memorial Day weekend, the airport went from four runways down to three. But were adjustments made to the number of planes routed into and out of the city? Of course not. Once your plane backed away from the gate, you could expect a minimum of 45 minutes on the blazing runway, just sitting there waiting to take off.

Need more proof that nobody here seems to know what they're doing? The minds at Harry Reid decided that summer travel season was also the perfect time to shut down trams that connect terminals and gates within the airport. They also yanked out moving walkways that used to run throughout the airport. So be prepared to walk, and walk, and walk, and walk...

For Vegas residents heading elsewhere, it's best to have a friend drop you off because the airport parking garages are usually at capacity. Thanks to this endless chaos, Harry Reid was named one of the "Most Complained-About Airports" in a report published 6/9/23. So it's tough enough to arrive, but now that you're here, the problems are just beginning.

Getting Around Town

Whether you're a resident or visitor, getting anywhere is currently an ordeal. And I mean literally ANYWHERE. The entire city is under road construction, thanks in large part to a ten-year commitment to host Formula 1 Grand Prix racing on our public roads. If major arteries are open at all, they're usually down to one single lane in either direction.

Above is a graph of the F1 race course. Grandstands are being constructed along the "track", which spans the Strip from Treasure Island to Cosmopolitan, circles behind Planet Hollywood down Harmon Avenue, then heads south around the new SPHERE. Along the way, grandstands are being constructed that will house thousands of paying spectators.

F1 paddock building serves as a start /finish line, driver pits...and suites for the rich

This monstrosity is the new United States headquarters for Formula One. Spanning 39 acres, the four-story building and grounds seemingly rose overnight. It's located at the corner of Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane near TopGolf. It's a permanent structure with over 300,000 square feet of space that includes offices, viewing platforms, and of course...luxury suites for the very wealthy.

"Commercial spaces have jacked up the rent on so many businesses that they've been forced to move or close and there are gonna be a lot of empty spaces after F1." #VegasGreed - Don B., Vegas entertainer

Local supporters of this endeavor, whose numbers undoubtedly shrink daily. boast about the boost that F1 will have on the local economy. They conveniently neglect to recognize the number of businesses and shows that have been devasted by this mess. And the number of longtime visitors who won't return as a result of their current experiences.

Screenshot from Las Vegas Advisor 6/12/20

It's doubtful that the Strip's original casino owners would have envisioned Las Vegas transforming into a playground exclusively for the wealthy. Or literally being turned into an automotive racetrack. Sin City no longer focuses on the casual Vegas visitor or cares about its residents. If you aren't rolling in dough, you're irrelevant. Read on.

Screenshot from New York Times 7/23/23

Barricades are being erected to block the view from businesses that refuse to pay a fee to the organizers. These establishments, which are currently suffering catastrophic losses thanks to the road chaos, are literally being held hostage by an outside source. This, of course, will affect the price of everything you buy from them going forward. Tell me how F1 is "good for Vegas" the next time your basic cocktail costs $30.

Current construction at Horseshoe Casino (formerly Ballys)

Artist rendering of grandstands

If you think that we can breathe a collective sigh of relief once the race date has arrived, you'd be wrong. LOVE LAS VEGAS is reporting that the entire Strip will be closed to traffic for ten days. Then comes the enormous task of disassembling the blockades, grandstands, and other structures. It may take weeks to restore some semblance of order, only to repeat the process annually for a decade.

It's impossible to convey the anger that Las Vegas residents are experiencing right now. We face a major daily challenge to get to work and back home again. People are sacrificing time with their children, significant others, pets, and friends while wasting expensive gasoline just to sit stationary in their cars for hours. All to benefit a one-weekend sporting event that most of us cannot afford.

As a result, road rage is the new normal...and that will affect you as a tourist. Need to get from the airport to your hotel? Expect it to take between one and two hours. The everywhere-all-at-once traffic is so frustrating that cab drivers with years of experience have quit. Fewer drivers means fewer taxis. Fewer taxis means longer taxi lines. Summer tourism in the midst of all of this means YOU ARE F*CKED!

"It’s not your parents' Vegas. It’s not fun, it’s not relaxing. It's LOUD, ALL the time !!! Dirty and they keep piling more on creating too much. Do you really need a Formula One course in an already overcrowded mega mess that it has become…?" - Dale S, currently visiting Las Vegas

Harry Reid Airport UBER/LYFT pickup zone

So much of this could have been averted if the Las Vegas Monorail actually serviced the airport. But it's short by about four miles and will apparently never be extended. So there's no rail system, no fully-usable roads, a limited number of taxis, and UBER/LYFT drivers aren't going to waste 90 minutes of their time to take you a few miles. Like I said....you are f*cked.

"Was there last week and even the bus driver wasn't even checking tickets and said you would be quicker walking."

- Vegas tourist, August 2023

Do you prefer to rent a car for your Vegas visits? Man, are you in for a surprise!!! Interstate 15, which runs along the west side of the Strip, is ALSO under major construction. It's so catastrophic that the three-year project is being referred to as "Dropicana".

[embed]https://youtu.be/9enOv7ttu0I[/embed]

This crippled area is where T-Mobile Arena, Luxor, MGM Grand, Park MGM, New York NY, and Tropicana hotels converge. It's also the vital intersection where Oakland A's plan to build another stadium. Tropicana Avenue leads from the Strip to Allegiant Stadium, where next year's Superbowl is set to be played. Too bad the Tropicana Bridge will be removed by then.

"All that's needed to f*ck up most sh*t up is an engineer who has never left his computer and has no idea how the real world works . . . They'll manage to overthink things to death. Happens every time!" - Bob C, Las Vegas businessman

In most ordinary circumstances, a sensible driver would pull out their GPS and seek alternate routes. But...this is important...THERE ARE NO ALTERNATE ROUTES!!! Every road in Las Vegas is under some form of construction, and that is no exaggeration. Dean Martin Drive runs parallel to the interstate. It is under construction. Frank Sinatra Drive does the same on the opposite side. It is often completely closed to traffic.

"Two years of doing nothing, and now every major north. south, east, and west streets have barricades and cones, Never see any workers! At least 100 street construction projects with hardly any progress. What is the purpose of starting multiple road projects? It is not productive...people cannot get to work on time with these conditions."

Steve D, 31-year Las Vegas resident

Harmon Avenue, Paradise Road, Flamingo Avenue, Spring Mountain Road, Koval Lane, Charleston Avenue, Sahara Avenue, and Las Vegas Boulevard itself...all are under some form of closure. The same with nearly every road throughout the Arts District and Downtown, including the entire Fremont Street area.

The section of Las Vegas Boulevard between Mandalay Bay Resort and Town Square, where the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign is located, has been ripped up for three entire years. The construction zone has expanded as the years pass by and now reaches the Las Vegas South Premium Outlets. What exactly are they doing? Nobody seems to know.

For residents, this meme says it all

Parking Is a Joke

When casinos reopened after the pandemic, their much-maligned parking fees were eliminated to lure visitors back. That didn't last very long. Wynn/Encore was one of the few that resisted, and Venetian/Palazzo never got on board at all...until now.

You may have heard of SPHERE (or MSG Sphere, depending on which way the wind blows), a 2.3 billion dollar electric snow globe/billboard. This eye-catching monstrosity that gobbles an enormous amount of energy is also an 18,600-seat arena. But did anyone construct a parking garage for it? Of course not! SPHERE is situated behind Venetian/Palazzo Resort Las Vegas at the corner of Sands Avenue and Koval Lane. Those two relatively narrow streets have been "under construction" since I moved here in 2018. What exactly has been accomplished in those five years? Nothing, from what I can tell. Reaching SPHERE will require a very lengthy walk through the Venetian Expo Convention Center, meaning visitors will want to park at either Venetian or Palazzo. Those two garages are always packed with hotel guests (combined capacity....over 10,000 rooms). Guess where this is headed.

Both garages are currently installing gates and kiosks to start charging. After the rollout, only Wynn/Encore and Treasure Island hotels will offer free parking in the area...something that was once complimentary city-wide. Even The STRAT rolled out parking fees this year, but its ticketless system makes a bad situation much, much worse.

Operated by Parking.com, the ticketless system requires the use of a smartphone. Because it's so complicated, human attendants are usually positioned at the gates to individually explain how the "automated system" works. As you can imagine, things slow down considerably just to get inside.

The same system was installed at SHOWCASE MALL across from Park MGM Resort, and one reader reports that downtown Golden Nugget has adopted it as well. If all the chaos wasn't bad enough, you're also charged a 99-cent fee to process the required credit card transaction.

What happens next?

Circling back to the opening paragraphs, once you've gotten here you will be charged for just about everything. Guest rooms used to supply small coffeemakers, but now you have to stand in line at the casino's Starbucks every morning. Check-in desks are usually understaffed, and things like "convenience fees", "resort fees", "concession fees", and "restaurant staff service charges" have become commonplace.

"I don’t visit Las Vegas very often and this is why…they can and do overcharge for everything!!! I mean everything. If I wanted to use the Keurig coffee maker in my room it’s now part of the mini bar. Really? It’s $22.00 just to use it and another $32.00 to buy the coffee. $54.00 for a cheap weak cup of coffee." - Dale S.

Some Vegas dining establishments automatically add a tip to your bill. Then they deceptively provide a line for you to write in an additional tip, along with a suggested amount. So you can easily tip twice without realizing it. Or your receipt may show two tip requests...one for your server and another for the kitchen/bussing staff.

Would you want to push that button?

If you haven't been here in a while, you might be surprised to see how much "glamour" has been replaced by "ghetto". Sidewalks, common areas, and hotel corridors are filthy. Odors from marijuana, human feces, and urine fight with cigarette smoke for your attention. Even pricey five-star The Cromwell, home to brawls and bad behavior, can't be bothered to clean its elevators and parking areas.

Whenever I write opinion pieces such as this one, I'm inevitably called "negative" and a "Vegas hater". Those accusations couldn't be further from the truth. Las Vegas is where I chose to live, and I want our businesses and officials to put their best feet forward. We deserve that as residents, and you have every right to expect that as our guests.

Posted on social media 8/9/23 by Vegas resident Sylvia W.

Until those in charge get their shit together, a Sin City excursion will increasingly feel like a skeevy, chaotic rip-off instead of the world-class experience you expected. Let's hope that decision-makers finally come to their senses. If things don't turn around quickly, tourists won't want to return...and those newly-repaved roads will be empty once again.