Casino owner Derek Stevens introduces restaurant owners during a news conference at D Las Vegas in downtown Las Vegas Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Stevens unveiled the restaurant lineup for his new Circa hotel-casino which is scheduled to open downtown in December 2020.
Published Wednesday, May 27, 2020 | 10:56 a.m.
Updated Wednesday, May 27, 2020 | 4:25 p.m.
Downtown casino owner Derek Stevens is giving away 1,700 free flights to Las Vegas in hopes of jump-starting its tourism industry.
Stevens, owner of The D Las Vegas and Golden Gate on Fremont Street, initially announced plans today to give away 1,000 one-way flights from 20 U.S. cities.
After people snapped up those flights in less than two hours, Stevens added nearly 700 more tickets this afternoon.
The new flights — available through Allegiant Air, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Sun Country Airlines — will originate from a dozen U.S. cities, including Denver, Boston, Kansas City, St. Louis and Tampa, Fla.
"We knew there was a high demand for Las Vegas, and to see these flights book as quickly as they did is overwhelming and exciting,” Stevens said in a statement.
Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered casinos and other nonessential businesses closed in mid-March to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. He gave the go-ahead for casinos to reopen starting June 4.
“As we begin to reopen our doors across the city, we are proud to help reinvigorate travel to Las Vegas while supporting airlines in America impacted by the COVID-19 crisis,” Stevens said. “While we’d love for visitors to stop by downtown Las Vegas, we primarily want to get people back to Las Vegas to experience the attractions and amenities that make it one of the greatest places on Earth.”
People can sign up for the free flights on a first come, first serve basis online at www.thed.com. All participants must be 21.
