Travel Report:  Mike's Travel and Adventures

Fall 2005

Behind every good man there's a good woman, and the youthful-looking woman behind Mike's Travel is Judy Adkins, originally from Georgia.  Judy has worked in this 23-year old travel company for 8 years and now supervises a staff of 6 (plus 3 more that accompany guests on trips).  Mike's Travel provides casino junkets for all types of players departing from North Carolina, handling 350-400 gamblers a month on a combination of large charter flights and what Adkins calls "splinters," small groups or couples traveling free on commercial flights.

The junket business is a marketing strategy to encourage frequent gamblers to a casino through free flights, hotel rooms, meals, and other perks.  Because casinos make a ton of money off of slots, high-limit slot players are highly prized as are players who make $25 or higher bets on craps, blackjack, baccarat, and other table games.  Casinos provide the charter planes (or seats on commercial flights) and all the other perks.   It is a great deal for everyone.  Customers get free stuff.  Casinos get high-betting customers.  Junket operators get paid by the casino based on the total amount bet by their customers.

While most junket customers travel for free, some pay to travel.  Still, these deals are quite good, much less than retail rates for plane and hotel.   (See Triangle Poker Journal's home page for a listing of East Coast casinos and junkets).

Every weekend, Judy and her staff send 20-30 people to Tunica to the Grand Casino and the Horseshoe.  She runs 120-person charters out of Raleigh and Kinston to the Taj Mahal once a month.  She runs 120-person charters from Kinston, New Bern, and Jacksonville.  Her trips go to Aruba, Fallsview, Puerto Rico, Las Vegas, St. Kitts, and New Orleans a few times a year. 

Although much of their business is by referral, Mike's Travel advertises regularly in the News and Observer Sunday section as well as other Eastern North Carolina publications.  You can get on their postcard list which goes out a few times a month.  Their website is www.travelmike.com but it is best to call.  "We're so busy that no one remembers to update the website," says Judy, wearing a telephone headset in front of a desk filled with paperwork.   "People don't realize how much work goes into planning these trips.  There are just not enough hours in the day." 

I went to Tunica on one of their trips in 2005 and was impressed by the customer service.  Transfers and registration went flawlessly and the price was terrific for flight to Memphis, hotel accommodations at the Gold Strike, and limo to and from the airport -- $234.  It's more now but not much.  Adkins says she expects to continue to grow over the next year.  Contact Judy or any one of her staff at 800-726-6453.