2,000 flights to Vegas snapped up fast
Dis cleared for takeoff. The D Las Vegas and Golden Gate co-owner is heralding his resorts’ June 4 reopening by giving away 2,000 one-way flights to Las Vegas from 24 U.S. cities.
An initial 1,000 flights sold out in less than two hours Wednesday morning, and another 1,000 were added at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Those flights were gone by 4:55 p.m., and there are no more flights to be added.
“We knew there was a high demand for Las Vegas, and to see these flights sell out as quickly as they did is overwhelming and exciting,” Stevens said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. “Whether people decide to visit my casinos or explore other parts of the city, this is a strong indicator of how Las Vegas can quickly be restored to its former glory.”
Stevens’ flight plan is dubbed “Keep America Flying.”
“This is a way for Las Vegas to be respectful of the fly-in market,” Stevens said in a phone chat Wednesday morning. “The drive-in market is very important, but with what’s happened to the airlines, that industry has really been decimated. We wanted to come up with something that helps the U.S. airline industry and helps support Las Vegas.”
The campaign kicked off Wednesday morning on the D Las Vegas website. Flights were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Flights were offered on several airlines coming from cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Memphis, Tennessee; Omaha, Nebraska; Phoenix, San Francisco, Tampa, Florida; and South Bend, Indiana.
Stevens prefers those who got the flights to stay at the D or Golden Gate. But tourists could book the flight and stay elsewhere.
“I’m happy if people want to stay with us, obviously,” Stevens said. “But at the same time, if they say, ‘I just want the flight. I’m staying at Wynn, or Caesars or Bellagio. That’s great, too. We’ve just got to get people out to Las Vegas.
“Mccarran airport is the lifeblood of our community.”
Stevens locked in rates when demand was at an alltime low. The prices Stevens paid for the flights are set, even as demand is expected to rise after the June 4 reopening announcement.
Asked to specify how much his company invested, Stevens paused, then chuckled, “I don’t want to get into specifics, but we got some pretty good deals.”
Smith Center stays dark
‘Hamilton’ has been felled by COVID-19.
The hit musical’s run from
September through October at The Smith Center’s Reynolds Hall has been postponed and won’t play in the current Broadway Las Vegas Series season. Smith Center President Myron Martin made the announcement via email Wednesday.
“Our community may be starting to reopen, but sadly it’s clear that large theater venues will be among the last facilities to reopen,” Martin wrote. “Our doors have been closed for months now, and we remain dark indefinitely.”
Martin had applied his theater ingenuity to a comprehensive health safety plan. He is a member of the Vegas Events COVID-19 Committee of venue operators and resort executives brainstorming concepts for theaters, showrooms, arenas and stadiums to reopen safely.
But Martin has accepted the reality that theater ambiance and box office business at Reynolds Hall can’t be attained amid the pandemic.
“While I have been hopeful from the onset of this pandemic that we would be reunited again soon, the reality is that social distancing just doesn’t work in a theater,” Martin said. “Not only is it financially impossible to accomplish, it is artistically troubling as well. We all know how the magic of a live performance is created when we sit arm-to-arm and share the experience with others — laughing, crying, singing along.”
The Smith Center is rescheduling concerts and events that had been booked this summer and fall. Martin can’t predict when Reynolds Hall, Myron’s Cabaret Jazz or Troesh Studio Theater will reopen.
In the face of the schedule upheavals, Martin has announced the Road to Recovery Fund, a clearinghouse donation portal on The Smith Center’s official website. The initiative is open to anyone who wants to become a member, donate their postponed show ticket refunds back to the center or make a straight monetary gift.
Martin dubs the campaign “a major fundraising effort to ensure that we are able to reopen, present live performances, provide stages for our resident companies and deliver transformational arts education programming in the future.”
Martin, a 25-year Las Vegas resident and a beacon in the arts community, added, “You will be hearing more about this fundraising initiative in the coming weeks, but we hope you will agree that if there was ever a time for us to ask you for help, that time is now. With your financial support, we can raise the curtain again.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His Podkats! podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/ podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal. com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @Johnnykats1 on Instagram.
As of 9 p.m. Wednesday:
1. Casino owner’s giveaway of 2,000 flights to Las Vegas gone quickly
Derek Stevens, co-owner of the D Las Vegas and Golden Gate, gave away 2,000 one-way flights to
Las Vegas from 24 U.S. cities.
2. Nevada gyms, bars that donotservefoodcan reopen Friday
Gov. Steve Sisolak announced Tuesday night the further easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
3. Las Vegas casino reopening ‘major milestone’ for city, industry
While not all properties in the state will take advantage of the June 4 reopening date, several casino operators said they’re excited to welcome guests again.
4. Updating: Which Las Vegas casinos, restaurants will reopen and when
More than two months into a state-mandated shutdown, several Las
Vegas hotel-casinos and restaurants are planning to reopen their doors to the public June 4.
5. Ten Las Vegas hotels set to host tourists sick with coronavirus
The state Gaming Control Board is preparing to accommodate tourists who show up in Las Vegas, show signs of being infected and are turned away by resorts.
As of 9 p.m. Wednesday:
1. Nevada gyms, bars that donotservefoodcan reopen Friday
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said Phase Two will begin on Friday.
2. COVID-19 Q&A
Dr. Brian Labus of the governor’s medical advisory team and RJ Health reporter Mary Hynes answer viewer questions regarding COVID-19 in Nevada.
3. Sisolak says businesses will begin reopening under Phase One
The first phase of reopening Nevada’s businesses will begin
May 9.