How to book 7* Trip - You call your host at the Primary property to book.
If you ask at the Total Reward desk they can also help you find out who to
call if you don't know.
What to provide host - you'll need to give the host the times and days you
want to travel, along with airline you prefer. Some hosts may have to work
directly with Passport Travel. TIP: Go online to travelocity, etc. and figure
out the exact flights you want and airline. The 7* trip is supposed to have
airfare around $300 per person, but in actuality they can go over this a
bit. I was able to book flights in the $400 range. Call passport travel and
ask to speak to the 7* person there if you are uncertain if your preferred
flights are acceptable or not and see if they are okay. Once you have an
acceptable flight - THEN contact host with the exact flights by times, flight
number, airline etc. It will then be extremely likely that this is what Passport
Travel will book for you.
Do you need to book a hotel room? No. While you can book up to 7 nights as
included with the trip, you don't need to do so at the time they book the
air. In fact, you never need to book them. I booked my trip into Philadelphia
(close enough to Atlantic City to be acceptable), with the thought that I
wouldn't even go to AC! (I didn't tell them that! - I just said I would be
staying with friends). In the end, we actually did go to AC for 2 nights and
added that on later.
For this year, I am going to New Orleans. The air is booked (and coincides
with going on a free cruise through Harrahs New Orleans). The host in New
Orleans said it was too early to book the room, so hasn't done so yet (my trip
is in Dec.). I will contact him later on.
What else do you get? You can also ask the host to arrange a limo pick up.
You can ask for (but might not get) a suite. (It doesn't hurt to ask, as
Jean will tell you!). On arrival, ask if you get a fruit basket!
First Class? - No - this is going to be Economy.
Problems? Last year I had none in booking my trip. At that time my Harrahs
host just sort of said contact Passport Travel, and working with them, I had
no problems. This year my Bally's host is in charge (I switched "primary"
properties) and he said to send him the information on flights I wanted.
There seemed to be a few delays in dealing with him, and giving him info by phone
sometimes seems to get lost, so I sent him the info by email to ensure I
would get the flights I wanted. I did get those flights, but had to check with
Passport Travel to confirm that all was taken care of. It pays to keep on
top of what is going on when you are booking the 7* Trip (or anything through
Harrahs), and make sure all the details are taken care of. Also - double
check the confirmation that Passport Travel will send you by mail - one time they
booked me on a flight on a wrong day. Passport Travel will send you a
confirmation by email and then mail (this will serve as your e-ticket).
Extra thoughts: You can also give Passport Travel (and your host) other
information such as your preferred seating (aisle, etc.) and your Frequent Flyer
number. If this is not given at time of booking, you can contact the
airline and give them this info.
Remember: The 7* Trip is for 2 people, so take a friend. To maximize
value, plan to use the trip to a destination that has a healthy airfare cost, such
as cross-country, rather than nearby, if you can. For maximum comp
efficiency, if you can combine the trip with some other event (such as I am doing by
going when I have a free cruise), this is a good way to go. Also, as I
understand it, you can take 1 7* trip between March and March, so if you become 7*
in July 2006, you'll need to take your trip by March 2007.
Questions: Presumably you remain a 7* member for March 2007-March 2008
without another 100,000 points - but do you get another 7* Trip? I don't know.
Good points: Passport Travel will do its best to work with you to get the
flights you want. They also have some flexibility in the event a trip is
cancelled due to emergency. This is true for Reward Trips you book as well as
7*. Last year when a Reward Trip I booked to New Orleans was canceled due to
the hurricane, I was able to reuse it to get to Miami, since I was going to
use it in conjunction on going on a Harrahs-sponsored-free-cruise. Miami is
not normally a Harrahs-allowed destination, but they were able to make an
exception for me. I have found the Passport Travel people to be very friendly and
helpful.
Be prepared: By checking on flights yourself, you can be prepared to get
the best flights with the lowest number of connections at the times you want
and airlines you want, provided the flights are around the $300 range.
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