For football fans, the countdown is on: There’s less than a month until the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
The event figures to be quite the spectacle. As usual, there’s the game featuring the NFL’s top teams in front of a television audience of millions. There’s also the halftime show, which Usher will headline this year.
But what may make the big game an even larger draw this year is that, for the first time, it’s in Vegas — one of the nation’s top tourist destinations, famous for its resorts, casinos and sportsbooks.
If you’re considering traveling to Vegas for the game or booking a last-minute trip if your favorite team qualifies, there’s little time to waste.
When and where is Super Bowl 58?
Super Bowl 58 is set for Sunday, Feb. 11, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Kickoff will be at 3:30 p.m. PST.
It will be the first Super Bowl for the stadium, which opened in 2020 and is named for its budget airline corporate sponsor, Nevada-based Allegiant Air.
Which teams are playing in the Super Bowl this year?
It’s too early to know. The Super Bowl matchup will be set Sunday, Jan. 28, when the top teams in the AFC and NFC face off in their respective conference championship games.
That means once your favorite team qualifies, you’ll have less than two weeks until kickoff to book flights and hotels and land tickets.
Are flights available to the Super Bowl?
Plenty of seats are still available on flights to Vegas for the Super Bowl. After all, the city’s Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) is one of the busiest airports in the country.
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It’s also a top destination for many leisure-oriented airlines like Southwest Airlines and ultra-low-cost carriers such as Spirit Airlines.
Whether you can find affordable flights, though, is a different story.
According to booking app Hopper, even the best deals you’ll find to Vegas for Super Bowl weekend are likely to be at least 25% more expensive compared to the month of February as a whole.
And those are just averages. As always, the fares you actually find as you search for your specific route and travel dates may be much pricier — particularly if you’re traveling to Vegas just before Super Bowl weekend and departing the Monday after the game.
Let’s say you’re a Baltimore fan hoping to lock in a reservation, banking on the fact that the Ravens are currently the top seed in the AFC playoffs.
A Thursday-to-Monday round trip to Las Vegas from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) aboard Southwest Airlines currently goes for $470.
Prices may be a bit more palatable from the Bay Area for fans of the NFC’s top-seeded San Francisco 49ers — another Super Bowl contender. We found a $333 round trip from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Vegas on Alaska Airlines.
Viable award availability is a challenge, too. Though you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a seat that’s technically bookable with miles, there’s a good chance you’ll have to part ways with a significant number of miles.
Will more flights be added?
Oftentimes, airlines will add flights to the Super Bowl from the cities of participating teams.
American Airlines did this last year, for instance, between Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) after the Eagles qualified.
Might airlines do something similar this year?
It’s possible, though you’ll probably need to check back after the matchup is set Jan. 28.
Southwest Airlines told TPG it’s keeping an eye on travel trends and booking patterns to and from Vegas — already one of its largest operations, with 230 daily departures to nearly 70 cities across the airline’s network.
It’s also worth noting that some airlines have been known to shift newer, nicer aircraft to the Super Bowl; American Airlines, for one, is shifting its Airbus A321T aircraft to carry travelers to Vegas that weekend.
Are hotels available?
The story with hotels is a similar one. In a city with so many hotel rooms, there is still availability. However, you’ll likely find both expensive rates and sky-high points pricing.
How much does it cost to stay in Vegas for the Super Bowl?
We searched for four-night stays from Thursday, Feb. 8, to Monday, Feb. 12 — essentially right during the peak Super Bowl period.
Nightly rates at the major resorts and casinos included:
- $404 per night at Luxor
- $407 per night at Excalibur
- $722 at MGM Grand
- $856 per night at New York-New York
- $860 per night at Park MGM
- $1,092 per night at Bellagio
- $1,137 per night at Aria
- $1,751 at The Cosmopolitan
A lot of hotels don’t have award availability at all. And those that do may be places where you’d rather not redeem your hard-earned points. (For instance, we found a three-night stay at a Fairfield Inn for 126,000 Marriott Bonvoy points — an average of 42,000 points per night.)
That being said, if you think there’s any possibility you’d like to attend the Super Bowl if your favorite team makes it later this month, you should go ahead and lock in a flexible booking. You can typically cancel it later at no penalty if you decide not to go.
Getting tickets to the Super Bowl
All this about flights and hotels, and no mention of actually attending the game.
Don’t expect a discount. Standard, semi-affordable tickets have long since sold out, so the prices you’ll find now will likely be four or even five digits.
On Ticketmaster, we found tickets starting at $11,000.
We found tickets on StubHub for as low as … $6,700.
There are also a variety of packages you can purchase through hospitality provider On Location, the official tourism provider of the NFL.
Some packages include a ticket to the game, a hotel stay and access to special Super Bowl week parties and events (and the food and drinks that come with those events). These all-inclusive packages start at around $12,000 per person, depending on the resort involved.
Tips for booking Super Bowl travel
Though the terms “Super Bowl” and “cost effective” generally don’t go together, here are some steps you may want to take if you’re planning a trip to Vegas for this year’s event.
Book cancelable flights now, even if you’re not 100%
Even if you’re waiting to make a final decision on traveling to the Super Bowl, it’s a good idea to lock in your airfare now. After all, prices typically rise as you book closer to your travel date, and you’re unlikely to find a good deal by Jan. 28 or 29, when the teams are set.
However, on the three legacy U.S. carriers and Southwest, you can cancel most tickets and at least get trip credit back if you decide not to travel — just don’t book a basic economy ticket. (Budget airlines typically do not have this flexibility.)
This is also when booking using points or miles can be helpful. You can cancel most award tickets and get your miles back at no penalty.
Lock in flexible hotel reservations now, too
It’s the same story for hotels (and car rentals). Book them now, and go with flexible reservations you can cancel if you decide not to travel.
Most standard hotel reservations (and reservations made with points) can be canceled penalty-free if you do so at least a few days before your scheduled check-in date.
Try alternative airports or dates
If you live in a metropolitan area with multiple airports relatively close by, open up your airfare or award space search to include more airports.
For instance, let’s assume that the Ravens end up making the Super Bowl again. A Baltimore resident may be inclined to fly out of BWI.
However, here’s a round trip out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) for 21,500 miles on American Airlines — a handy option if you’ve got a stash of AAdvantage miles or Bilt Rewards points to transfer.
Also, just like with any major holiday or event, the earlier you can arrive and the later you can leave, the more you’ll save.
That goes for cash fares and award rates.
For instance, you’d pay 32,500 MileagePlus miles one-way for this United Airlines Monday return flight from Vegas to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). If you extend your trip until the Wednesday after the Super Bowl, though, the rate drops to fewer than 7,000 miles.
Of course, that does mean you’d be paying for more hotel nights, but it could be a useful tactic if you’re inclined to spend a few days in the city after the chaos of the Super Bowl winds down.
Piece together an itinerary with sweet spots (and cash)
Hoping to use miles for a flight to Vegas for the Super Bowl? You might check some international airline loyalty programs.
For instance, travelers can sometimes find United flights for just a few thousand miles by converting credit card points to Avianca LifeMiles.
You may be able to do the same using Avios on American Airlines.
Here’s a one-way to Vegas for 6,500 miles for the Thursday before the Super Bowl — a United flight booked through Avianca. I’d have to find a return flight (no award space on the way back), but this could “solve” half the puzzle of finding cheap flights, at least.
Go with a budget airline and backpack it
Just about every major low-cost carrier flies a robust schedule to Las Vegas. Even if you wouldn’t normally be inclined to fly with Allegiant or Spirit Airlines, this may be the time to see if a fare works for you.
Don’t forget to factor in all the fees you’ll pay on top of your base fare. On the contrary, if you can travel with just a personal item that fits under the seat, you can make the flight portion of your travels much more affordable.
Leverage credit card offers
Check your credit card offers for potential trip savings.
I carry The Platinum Card® from American Express and found this offer: Spend $500 or more at Hilton Las Vegas and Nevada properties, get $100 back.
Though such offers are typically targeted at specific credit card holders (and thus not available to all cardholders), they can really help reduce the cost of your travels.
Consider staying away from the Strip
The Super Bowl is certainly a splurge trip, much like traveling to watch the Olympics in person. To that end, going to the Super Bowl in Vegas and not staying on or near the Strip might well defeat the purpose.
However, if you’re looking to sacrifice some luxury on the hotel end, there are cheaper options at budget-tier properties farther outside the city center.
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