Total Rewards Air AC junket - reviews

Shortly I'll be taking a junket from a local airport to Atlantic City. Airfare for 2, ground transportation and 3 nights at Harrah's are comped. Through other mailers but not included in the junket, I also have food credit and free play.

This junket is directly from CET, not through a third party company. Has anyone done one of these before, and what can I expect? There are a few reviews out there, but most are old or to different locations (Tunica, Reno) so may differ from the Atlantic City offering.

Bonus bet question: I also have a different offer for 1 free night at Harrah's an a cruise certificate which needs to be a mid-week stay. Since I'll be there on the junket mid-week, what are the odds I can get the certificate on the same trip? And is it worth it? The email is lacking details on the cruise, so it might not be worth having to drive all the way back to AC for a single night for a day cruise.

Thanks!

Quote: AcesAnd8s

Shortly I'll be taking a junket from a local airport to Atlantic City. Airfare for 2, ground transportation and 3 nights at Harrah's are comped. Through other mailers but not included in the junket, I also have food credit and free play.

This junket is directly from CET, not through a third party company. Has anyone done one of these before, and what can I expect? There are a few reviews out there, but most are old or to different locations (Tunica, Reno) so may differ from the Atlantic City offering.

Bonus bet question: I also have a different offer for 1 free night at Harrah's an a cruise certificate which needs to be a mid-week stay. Since I'll be there on the junket mid-week, what are the odds I can get the certificate on the same trip? And is it worth it? The email is lacking details on the cruise, so it might not be worth having to drive all the way back to AC for a single night for a day cruise.

Thanks!

Oh no, bizzaro world me!


Seriously though, let us know how the junket goes. I get those offers to Laughlin all the time, although the sticker price varies based on my recent play. At one point I got one that was flight and hotel covered for 3 days, for $20/person "experience fee." The most recent one I got was something like $269/person.

Oh dear - I need to see if a mod can change my username.

Yes, I'll do a trip report when I return, here's hoping there are few strings attached!

Where is CET?

Quote: superrick

Where is CET?

Caesar's Entertainment. The rooms are at Harrah's AC.

Okay lets try this again, where do you live, CET doesn't tell the whole story, it would be interesting to see just how far you are flying to get your comp!

I have done these several times. The offer usually includes air fare, transportation to the hotel and back to the airport, and the rooms. You actually are booking through a contractor under the Harrah's umbrella, even if it looks to be directly from them, and you'll have a special number to call for arrangements. It's very bare-bones transportation/hotel, and any other incentives will be listed separately. It will likely be on a commercial carrier, though it could be a junketer. However, knowing the state where you live, you'll probably be booked on an air carrier at their negotiated price and given a code to use for check-in.

If you haven't already, you might check your TR account online for "you also get" offers; sometimes they put added incentives in to be used with a particular offer and you have to sign up for those separately, either by phone or by printing out the offer and bringing it along. Cage cash, TR points, spa discount, other stuff.

The easiest way to get answers is through your host if you have one.

I did have a situation where I had 2 offers valid at the same time a couple months ago. I was there on the poker tournament offer. There was a simultaneous offer that included a show and lodging, and when I asked about the show, they re-booked me on that offer, which messed up my tournament entry. It got straightened out, but you may run into a similar boondoggle if you try to redeem the cruise thing while you're on a different offer. Your host is the best person to override that and get you both, and CET has made it so your one host can do all your arrangements nationwide, rather than having to have one on-site in AC.

Quote: superrick

Okay lets try this again, where do you live, CET doesn't tell the whole story, it would be interesting to see just how far you are flying to get your comp!

Ah ha. I'm in the New York metro area, total flight time is 55 minutes. Even with the airport parking and the (apparently unwaivable) $20 "experience fee", I'm probably even against gas and tolls. Retail pricing is $349 plus the same $20 fee.

Quote: AcesAnd8s

Ah ha. I'm in the New York metro area, total flight time is 55 minutes. Even with the airport parking and the (apparently unwaivable) $20 "experience fee", I'm probably even against gas and tolls. Retail pricing is $349 plus the same $20 fee.

Ok, then you'll be junketing rather than commercial, almost certainly, and I totally misunderstood where you live. The rest is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Quote: beachbumbabs

I have done these several times. The offer usually includes air fare, transportation to the hotel and back to the airport, and the rooms. You actually are booking through a contractor under the Harrah's umbrella, even if it looks to be directly from them, and you'll have a special number to call for arrangements. It's very bare-bones transportation/hotel, and any other incentives will be listed separately. It will likely be on a commercial carrier, though it could be a junketer. However, knowing the state where you live, you'll probably be booked on an air carrier at their negotiated price and given a code to use for check-in.

If you haven't already, you might check your TR account online for "you also get" offers; sometimes they put added incentives in to be used with a particular offer and you have to sign up for those separately, either by phone or by printing out the offer and bringing it along. Cage cash, TR points, spa discount, other stuff.

The easiest way to get answers is through your host if you have one.

I did have a situation where I had 2 offers valid at the same time a couple months ago. I was there on the poker tournament offer. There was a simultaneous offer that included a show and lodging, and when I asked about the show, they re-booked me on that offer, which messed up my tournament entry. It got straightened out, but you may run into a similar boondoggle if you try to redeem the cruise thing while you're on a different offer. Your host is the best person to override that and get you both, and CET has made it so your one host can do all your arrangements nationwide, rather than having to have one on-site in AC.

Excellent, thanks for the info.

I guess it's time to find a host with CET, since it's my usual chain. I'm a solid Platinum, rarely Diamond, so perhaps a bit low for them to assign someone. But Station was all over me after one trip.

Quote: beachbumbabs

Ok, then you'll be junketing rather than commercial, almost certainly, and I totally misunderstood where you live. The rest is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

So with that in mind, if I took them up on the northern Nevada offers, that would be commercial? Too much time off, but just curious.

Quote: AcesAnd8s

There are a few reviews out there, but most are old or to different locations (Tunica, Reno) so may differ from the Atlantic City offering.

To all and whomever no matter what their monikers....
Good luck on the junket. Don't trust your luggage to keep pace with you, so have money, meds and whatever on your person, not in your luggage. If all goes well with your luggage, fine; if not, you may lose gambling time. The Junketeer wants to get YOU to the casino and may contract out the picking up of your luggage to someone else.
Please do let us know how efficiently it went.

Quote: beachbumbabs

Ok, then you'll be junketing rather than commercial, almost certainly, and I totally misunderstood where you live. The rest is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

I took an MGM direct offer to Biloxi. I had to drive to Greensboro, NC to get on the flight, which turned out to be the same chartered jet that we fly on the typical junket flights out of Kinston, Raleigh, and Greensboro. In this case, it was the Greensboro travel junket that was filling the flight. I was talking to the rep, and she said that when I booked directly, she was contacted and told she had 1 less seat she could sell. She also got no credit for my play.

Quote: AcesAnd8s

So with that in mind, if I took them up on the northern Nevada offers, that would be commercial? Too much time off, but just curious.

I just signed up for a Harrah's offer for 5 nights in Reno (from FL) through Northern Nevada. It is on commercial flights (United, I believe). The person taking my call said Northern Nevada no longer does charters.

I wish I could give you an idea of what to expect on your upcoming trip, but this will be my first Harrah's (or any, for that matter) junket, too.

Quote: AcesAnd8s

So with that in mind, if I took them up on the northern Nevada offers, that would be commercial? Too much time off, but just curious.

Can't say 100%, but that would be most likely. Junketers tend to stay within 1000 mile range of destination, in my experience. Since you're almost always doing the trip for a few days (ref. FleaStiff's comment), I would do carry-on only if at all possible. However, again in my experience, if it's a junket flight, your luggage gets there because it's all unloaded at destination and you're not changing planes. Chances are, also, you are the last stop (if not the only stop) picking people up, so you probably won't have to put up with extra landings/takeoffs on the way. Here, a lot of flights go to Ft. Lauderdale first, then stop in Orlando to pick up more on the way to AC, and sometimes also JAX. Then the reverse home. Bleah for the FT. L pax.

Quote: AcesAnd8s

Excellent, thanks for the info.

I guess it's time to find a host with CET, since it's my usual chain. I'm a solid Platinum, rarely Diamond, so perhaps a bit low for them to assign someone. But Station was all over me after one trip.

I had a host with CET as a Platinum for a while. But I didn't put forth the effort to get one, I just got a letter one day.

Quote: AcesAndEights

I had a host with CET as a Platinum for a while. But I didn't put forth the effort to get one, I just got a letter one day.

See, there's my short-circuit. the new A&8, I thought he was you at first, til he said he was in NYC. Oops.

My wife gets those offers from Harrahs AC all the time.

The problem is, we live in Norhtern NJ. The airport is in Westchester NY. It would be about an hour ride to get to the airport. If we were really interested in an offer, we just wait for a regular offer and take the two hour drive to AC.

If they made an offer that used Teterboro, about 15 minutes from home, we'd take them up on it.



But I'd love to hear your review. I'm most curious about the transfer from the AC airport to the casino. It's about 15 miles away....

I did two of these junkets last year from Dallas to Atlantic City and have one scheduled this year for july 8-12. The carrier is Republic Air (Frontier Airlines) and there are about 90 plus seats - two on each side. It was actually different both times last year. The first trip we went on in May - we had to wait and collect our own luggage because they said because of being a Saturday night - they were short on bellhops.

The second time the luggage was collected by CET and delivered to room. There is a bus that will take you to your hotel and what we did is take our small carry-on with makeup, meds etc with us on plane and then - took it to room. They will either give you your room key on the bus if there is a representative or they will give them to you as you get off the bus at Harrah's.

You get one free drink each way and free wifi on the plane. Usually just a snack like pretzels. Upon checkout, we noticed that the $20 experience fee for both was taken off of my points as well as the AC fees/taxes (like around 12-13 per day- even the last day)

It is really a nice deal - because everyone on the plane is going to gamble and it a good mood. I actually stayed at Caesar's Palace because I combined a 7 star experience with it the first trip.

If you have any questions that I haven't answered - please ask and I will try to help.

Good luck!!

Just a note - with some admin help, I've changed my username so there's no confusion with AcesAndEights.

Onboard wifi, it always seems like the greatest thing, until you reply once and people expect you to work!

Thanks, this is great information. For some reason, they requested we arrive 2 hours early, which given that it's a small airport cannot be due to security. I was expecting some elevator pitch like timeshares.

I'll be sure to write a trip report later this month.

Quote: DeadMansHand

Just a note - with some admin help, I've changed my username so there's no confusion with AcesAndEights.

Welcome to the forum and probably a good idea!

That hand will always stick with me too. The last hand I played for real money on PokerStars since I'm American...


PokerStars Game #60869046836: Triple Draw 2-7 Lowball Limit ($1/$2 USD) - 2011/04/15 13:47:16 ET
Table 'Chara IX' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: The Just ($44.25 in chips)
Seat 2: Vman96 ($22.25 in chips)
Seat 3: SibusisoZZ ($31 in chips)
Seat 4: IgrimX ($46.75 in chips)
Seat 5: stasaltai22 ($30.50 in chips)
Seat 6: Mulkero1 ($37.25 in chips)
Mulkero1: posts small blind $0.50
The Just: posts big blind $1
*** DEALING HANDS ***
Dealt to Vman96 [2d 8c 8s Ah Ac]
Vman96: folds

The two hours early is just a standard thing. They have a standard form letter they send out no matter where you are flying from.

If you have free play already you can use it but since it is a paid for by CET charter= they are really not too generous with other comps. However, you can always ask. The first time - I played a few hours at Bally's and a person (host?) came by and asked how I was doing and if they could do anything. I requested two tickets to the Legends show and after several hours they did give me a comp for that.

When are you leaving? Please do a trip report since we are leaving July 8. Thank you in advance for that.

Quote: DeadMansHand

Just a note - with some admin help, I've changed my username so there's no confusion with AcesAndEights.

Thanks to the admins for doing this; already confusing enough between myself and aceofspades.

Quote: DeadMansHand

Just a note - with some admin help, I've changed my username so there's no confusion with AcesAndEights.

Onboard wifi, it always seems like the greatest thing, until you reply once and people expect you to work!

Thanks, this is great information. For some reason, they requested we arrive 2 hours early, which given that it's a small airport cannot be due to security. I was expecting some elevator pitch like timeshares.

I'll be sure to write a trip report later this month.

I'm glad to see that you were able to change your user name. When I had a problem logging in under my first user name I pleaded with anyone and everyone for assistance and got nothing, not one response from anyone. I finally had to change my name and rejoin.

I guess I should be glad I wasn't nuked for having dual accounts.

Quote: AcesAndEights

Thanks to the admins for doing this; already confusing enough between myself and aceofspades.

Maybe we should set up a "nom de board" system. For insatcne, common terms or words could only bebused once. So if someone takes "Aces" that's it.

Of course signing up would be hell and the numbers of new users would go way down.

Quote: AcesAndEights

Thanks to the admins for doing this; already confusing enough between myself and aceofspades.

You're both welcome, and that's exactly why I did it; I was among the confused. JB also came in and relocated his first posts, thanks again JB.

Yes, thanks again.

I'll be doing a trip report when I return at the end of the month, so it should be in time for kankan53.

Quote: AcesAndEights

Thanks to the admins for doing this; already confusing enough between myself and aceofspades.

Well luckily for you he has nuked himself so now you are in the clear :)

Quote: DeadMansHand

Yes, thanks again.

I'll be doing a trip report when I return at the end of the month, so it should be in time for kankan53.

I do appreciate that!! Thanks!

Quote: AxiomOfChoice

Well luckily for you he has nuked himself so now you are in the clear :)

I HEARBY CLAIM THE NOM D'BOARD ACES