On Kayak.co.uk you can register and get them to send you weekly or daily updates of the best prices they find. I always use them when I'm looking for flights to Vegas.

I can't comment on July but August is very similar and we went this year. Yes, Vegas is scorching at this time of year but you won't find that the flight prices mirror what is deemed an "off peak" period. What you will find is deal after deal of superb hotel offers meaning you won't be paying serious money for accommodation (I paid $69 a night for the MGM Grand, Excalibur was $41, Mirage was $85, even the Venetian was only $101, just some examples for you).

The heat doesn't put people off as much as you would think though and certainly the Sunday we arrived in mid August it was absolutely heaving in the MGM, although it did quieten down during the weekdays, which is pretty normal for Vegas. Obviously people are going to take advantage of these hotel deals, it's common sense, and if an American can hop on a Southwest flight from LAX for example and pay just $100 return, you can see why it was very busy. I did say at the time that I wouldn't consider going at this time again, sweat was literally pouring off me on the strip, but at the same time with hotel prices low, and also plenty of offers on for shows etc it is extremely enticing.

We paid £625 return but our flights were London to Albuquerque via Houston, and Vegas to London also via Houston as we had 8 nights in New Mexico initially. By contrast, and as you have already mentioned, September flight prices are cheaper. We had 6 nights in Vegas for my Wife's 30th in 07, and although we went indirect via LAX with Virgin, we only paid £375 each if memory serves me correctly. Vegas direct was still expensive, but it doesn't hurt to hop on a Southwest from LAX to Vegas (it is only 45mins after all). Hotel deals were still quite plentiful in September (booked in July) but were not quite as low as the offers for August this year.

It all leads to the question, do you have to go in July? If so, I would just keep checking Expedia every day (or Kayak as Pebbles mentioned) and when you see a flight at a price you are willing to pay, book it. There are countless posts on other forums about people who have booked flights in advance and then seen the prices come down. It's a risk to book early, but it's also a risk to leave it too late. Any return flight to the US under £500 is ok for me, but of course it all depends on the time of the year. I mean I am looking at direct to Philadelphia in March and prices are around £280 return, but as much as I would love to book it here and now, there are circumstances against that at present.

If it doesn't have to be July, then the world is your oyster, but what you may save on flights, you might pay more for on accommodation.

Best of luck and keep us updated.

Hi and thanks for all your help.

We are rather tied to July/August as we are going with our family to hopefully renew our vows there in one of the little chapels as it will be our 30th wed anniv on 28 July, plus our younger daughter will be starting a college course in September so we cannot go then. We will probably stay in Vegas for about 5/6 days and the plan is to then go to somewhere in LA where the theme parks are as me to a certain degree and two daughters and elder daughter's boyfriend are into roller coasters etc and it would be nice to relax on a beach somewhere, I think I will start looking at flights to LA and see if it is cheaper to fly there and then get internal flights to Vegas for the days we want. We are only in the planning stage at the moment and you are right we will hopefully save a bit on the hotels, I will keep you all posted as to developments.

Polly