From YHM to Where? Las Vegas, Baby
You can now experience the bright lights and big acts of the ever-changing Sin City by buying a plane ticket from Hamilton International Airport through Air Canada, checking in there and then hopping a bus to Pearson.
Can you fly from Hamilton to Las Vegas?
Yes, you can fly from Hamilton to Las Vegas via WestJet, but you must fly through Calgary to do it, so it’s not the best option – unless you’re stopping at Calgary for a few days. Now that WestJet’s low-cost carrier, SWOOP, is unfortunately defunct, WestJet Airlines flies limited flights out of the John C. Munroe airport in Hamilton, none direct to Las Vegas.
However, there’s a new service in town, thanks to Air Canada.
You can get to Las Vegas from the Hamilton airport via Air Canada, but you’ll first take a coach from Hamilton to Toronto. Air Canada flies many direct flights from Toronto’s Pearson Airport to Las Vegas. Drive (or be driven) to Hamilton international airport, check into your flight there, pick up a baggage tag (if you are checking bags), then get on a bus which will transport you to your flight leaving the Toronto airport.
So, thanks to Air Canada, you can get to Las Vegas from Hamilton, taking advantage of the easy check-in process before heading east to Toronto. Yes, the bus service from Hamilton is offered on Air Canada flights to other destinations as well.
Transportation from Hamilton to Las Vegas
Operated by The Landline Company, the bus service from Hamilton airport is fairly new. The bus transportation from Hamilton to Toronto is included in the final price of the flight, if you book your ticket at Air Canada’s website and request to fly from YHM. The exact cost of the bus transport isn’t listed on the ticket and seems to vary depending on the trip – the way to find out is to compare the flight price from YYZ versus from YHM.
Based on my research, the added cost on average is about $125 per person each way, or $250 per round trip flight ticket. The “layover” at Pearson Airport before you fly out is about one hour.
Clearly, if you take this bus service, you don’t have to fight Highway 403 traffic or park at the Pearson. Transportation to Hamilton’s airport is cheaper if you’re starting in the city (and so is parking at John C. Munroe), so opting for the Landline service saves frustration, and possibly money depending on the length of your trip.
However, taking the coach option will add some time. You must be at HIA several hours prior to your flight to allow for travel time to Toronto, and you might have a short wait when you land at Toronto for the coach to arrive and take you back to Hamilton. But the coach trip back to the Hammer is guaranteed, even if your flight is delayed.
Note: you can also take the GO Bus (Route 40) from Hamilton’s Hunter Street bus terminal to Pearson’s Terminal 1 for just under $30 return. But you’re dependent on the GO schedule, especially on the way home. Also, the Hamilton GO station has no parking.
If you opt for Air Canada’s bus option from the Hamilton airport, you’ll take your bags with you on the coach and check them at Pearson. Then head directly to security (and customs) because you will already be checked into your flight. If you’re only taking carry-on, this step is shorter.
Once in Toronto, Air Canada flies many direct routes to Sin City weekly. No longer are you limited to the Thursday to Sunday, or Sunday to Thursday options to get the best flight prices as travellers once were with packages.
Ok, so now that the journey from Hamilton to Las Vegas just got a little easier, there’s one question left to answer: What’s new in Vegas?
Changes In Las Vegas
Las Vegas, particularly The Strip, is evolving thanks to large concert venues, the addition of professional football and hockey teams, and a change in reputation. No longer is Sin City where B-list musicians go to watch their careers fade. Rather, big-name A-list acts are lighting up long-term residencies.
Celine Dion’s departure made way for Adele at Caesars Palace, and Lady Gaga has her own stage and museum. Others sign on for limited engagements at gigantic venues, specifically MGM Grand Garden Arena and the US$2.3 billion LED light-wrapped orb called The Sphere.
However, the closure of the iconic Mirage Resort in the middle of The Strip creates a gaping hole in the neon-crusted experience until it re-opens as The Hard Rock Hotel.
The Tropicana, too, host to the Rat Pack, mobsters, and many upstart comedians for 67 years, was demolished this year to make way for the construction of a Major League Baseball stadium for the team that is migrating from Oakland.
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Las Vegas value
Development along the Las Vegas Strip, from Mandalay Bay to the Stratosphere, will likely escalate the tourist destination’s status as a mega-audience live entertainment destination, continuing the trend of closing many free amusement options that once defined each mega-themed resort.
For instance, it’s been decades since performing pirates swung off the ship and into the water outside of Treasure Island. The volcano no longer erupts outside of the Mirage, and the MGM Grand stopped celebrating its classic film heritage with a live lion exhibition. (Maybe a good thing).
Instead, high ticket prices and lineups outside of stadiums (and the Sphere) have replaced throngs of tourists gathering in front of MGM or Caesars-owned casinos. The nightly fountain shows remain active outside the Bellagio after dark – and the gondoliers still sing their way through the Venetian, but only when someone pays $40 for them to do so.
Maybe mega-resorts no longer compete for attention via free spectacle, but they do compete for talent. If A-list performers residencies are dark, then big-name comedians, rockers, and country singers are attracting crowds with two-night shows. Vegas is big ticket now, and that costs.
However, there are still some Las Vegas attractions holding steady at the good value mark. The following are some suggestions that will put your loonies to good use if you do fly from Hamilton to Las Vegas:
- Mad Apple Cirque du Soleil at New York, New York Hotel. Frankly, all Cirque du Soleil shows are worth the price of admission, but this one is the lowest ticket price and takes us back to the company’s busking roots with circus performers and comedians.
- The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio Hotel is a must see even for those who go to Las Vegas often. The majestically themed and creative gardens beside the Bellagio’s lobby change five times a year, so it’s worth checking out every visit.
- The Excalibur Hotel and Casino is one of the cheapest spots to stay on The Strip. Conveniently located in the Strip’s south end, MGM’s Excalibur is clean, adequate, and good value. The Medieval-style horse show is also a good option for entertainment because dinner and show are included in one price.
- Breakfast almost anywhere, if you’re up in time. The most important meal of the day is also the lowest-priced menu at any restaurant offering it. The breakfast burrito at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill inside the MGM Hotel and Casino is one of the best deals, and you won’t need to eat again until dinner.
- Free tram. Tired of walking? You will be. Note that the tram that connects The Excalibur with the Luxor (Pyramid) and Mandalay Bay is free and runs early morning until about midnight every day.
Of course, gambling isn’t going anywhere in Las Vegas, though sports betting has stolen some space from slot machines on casino floors. The one-armed bandits are still the stars, even if their arms have become digitized. Lucky 7s is said to still be the winning combination.
Sherri Telenko is a freelance writer and Hamilton college instructor who travels regularly with her dog and writes about it at dogtrotting.net. See her other columns in this series, Halifax, St. John's, Dublin.
