The Las Vegas Monorail plans extension to McCarran Airport

The Las Vegas Monorail, which started running in 2004 as a seven-stop, elevated transport system along a four-mile route connecting hotels and attractions along the east side of the Las Vegas Strip, is planning an expansion.

Curtis Myles III, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Monorail Co., said plans call for the monorail to connect as many as 20 resort properties and provide direct access to McCarran Airport by 2011.

A $400 million, 2.3-mile extension of the monorail to downtown Las Vegas was planned, with stations at the Stratosphere Hotel, Charleston Boulevard, World Market Center and the Golden Nugget, but the federal government refused to provide funding. It's not clear if that route will ever be built.

However, an airport extension is currently on the drawing board. New stations may open at the LV Outlet Center, the Thomas & Mack Center and the Main and T2 terminals at McCarran. The extension may also link the existing monorail to three smaller rail lines on the western side of the Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas' public transit experiment began when MGM Grand and Bally's opened a monorail that traveled the eight-tenths of a mile between the two hotels.

"Originally, the monorail itself was the attraction," Myles said. "Then we realized we could garner revenue from advertising and, since we get no taxpayer money, that's what we did."

Today, passengers can travel the length of the Strip in 15 minutes or less at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour in a car that is both clean and comfortable.

Monorail trains are electronically controlled and monitored for security. The only humans in sight are some ticket sellers and security personnel in the lower levels of the stations.

In the hot Las Vegas summer, the ticket sellers sit behind nifty, portable air conditioners rather than plain, garden-variety fans.

With trains running approximately every four to 12 minutes, riders can board and disembark at stations located at the MGM Grand; Bally's/Paris Las Vegas; the Flamingo/Caesars Palace; Harrah's/Imperial Palace; the Las Vegas Convention Center; the Las Vegas Hilton; and the Sahara.

Automated voices point out the attractions along the monorail route. Some cars are wrapped and decked out to not-so-subtly impress advertiser messages on the rider.

In October, some cars were emblazoned with a design created to promote the 2007 National Basketball Association's All-Star Weekend, to be held in Las Vegas from Feb. 17 to 19.

Catering to business travelers

Because many business travelers frequent Las Vegas, the Convention Center monorail station offers visitors the Sprint/Nextel Business Center.

There, monorail riders can conduct business, arrange meetings rooms, check e-mail at no cost and have a drink.

The Las Vegas Monorail Co. is also working on a new bulk-ticketing program for conventions and is developing wireless ticketing and print-at-home ticketing.

The company's new Web site has links to all of these amenities as well as other information and attractions.

Attractions and amenities along the monorail are plentiful:

" GM -- The Drive: At the northern end of the line, the Sahara station is the gateway to the monorail's latest partner attraction, GM -- The Drive.

Opened by General Motors on 11 acres behind the Sahara in April, the attraction enables visitors to experience driving a selection of GM cars. They can drive a Hummer on an off-road course and can drive a Corvette or Cadillac on a racetrack.

Patrons get two driving experiences for the $10 price of admission. Guests at the Sahara can take advantage of a two-for-one ticket.

GM -- The Drive is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For groups of 10 or more, contact the group desk at (800) 851-1471

" The Hilton Las Vegas: The Hilton Las Vegas, sponsor of the monorail's Star Trek Experience cars, features a 1978 bronze statue of Las Vegas icon Elvis Presley. The statue had to be repositioned in the hotel lobby following site renovations.

" MGM Grand: At the very southern tip of the monorail tracks, the MGM Grand is home to Cirque du Soleil production "Ka" as well as top-notch Italian restaurant Fiamma.

The MGM Grand also boasts a new concierge service, the only one in the city. Not just for high-rollers, the concierge service and the amenities it provides -- consultation with a concierge, reservations and tickets -- are available to any hotel guest.

Also available to anyone headed to the MGM Grand is airport hotel check-in. The casino resort has joined Harrah's properties in offering this service.

Only VIPs get use of the hotel limousine, but guests staying in any room category can check in, leave their bags to be transported to their rooms and get their room keys.

" Bags to Go: Both the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Venetian (adjacent to the Harrah's/Imperial Palace monorail station) boast the latest innovation in simplified airport check-in, designed to simplify the process of getting to McCarran Airport, checking bags and obtaining boarding passes so that passengers only have to go through security at the airport.

Developed by entrepreneur Keith Wiater, the Bags to Go check-in and transport service is currently available only for Southwest Airlines passengers.

In addition to the Venetian and convention center, the firm operates at the Luxor Hotel and Casino, off the monorail line.

Passengers bring their tickets and bags to the Bags to Go counter at least three hours before their flight and, for a fee of $20 per person plus any airline fees for overweight luggage, they can check in and see the luggage transported to the correct airport terminal.

Exact baggage allowance is dependent upon the airline's regulations.

Trucks carrying the luggage are constantly monitored by a global positioning system during the journey to McCarran to ensure security.

Wiater said he is looking to expand the service soon to additional hotels and airlines. For more, visit www.baggagecheckin.com or call (702) 261-7700.

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