Las Vegas is famous for travel discounts and promotions. So much so that you should never pay full price, especially as it applies to Grand Canyon helicopter tours. How to get the best deals on these flights? On the Internet, of course.

The trick to getting great discounts is buying direct from the tour operator. Not the broker. Not the hotel concierge. Not the sidewalk ticket vendor. Each of these guys exists because they make insane commissions. The result: You pay more.

Tour operators understand that middlemen are a part of conducting business. In a perfect world, however, they'd prefer to book all their trips themselves. Why? The process is smoother. Customer service is higher. And, most of all, they know that you're getting the right trip at a fair price. Brokers, on the other hand, are interested in selling you the trip that gets biggest commission.

Tour operators understand the concept of "customer value." They also "get" the idea of repeat and referral business. If they didn't, they wouldn't be in business. These companies know intrinsically that if you are happy with your helicopter trip that you'll refer your family and friends. It's a "value" that's so important that they factor it into their business plan. Middlemen don't do that.

Because they value your business, the most-trusted operators like Papillon Helicopters, Sundance Helicopters, and Maverick Helicopters bend over backwards to make you purchase tours on their websites. There most powerful incentive is offering exclusive specials, promotions, and discounts of up to 35 percent. For example, take Papillon's Grand Celebration Tour, it's most in-demand West Rim landing tour. It retails for $399, and, if you purchase from a broker, will most likely be the price you pay. However, if you go to Papillon's website, you can buy the same exact tour for $280. That's a $120 savings! Or check out the company's Grand Celebration with Grand Canyon Skywalk and Boat. This wildly popular package retails for $597 but can be purchased online for $400, thus saving you a cool $200!

The discounts pile up even higher if you do a group order. Papillon considers a "small group" to be between 10 and 29 people. If your party falls into that range, you get an additional 10 percent off the reduced price. The "small-group" option is kind of buried into the page. To find it, go down the right-hand side under the testimonials and click the link that says "Click to switch to Group mode." Doing this will refresh the page and give you the "group" rates.

There's no lack of helicopter tour coupons in Las Vegas, the leader in discount tour packages. Marketers and middlemen far and wide will tell you that they've got the cheapest package price. Not true. The owners of the helicopter tour companies are offering the best price. These businessmen accept third parties selling their trips as a "cost of doing business." Their preference, however, is if you bought straight from them, and they'll reward you with discounts of up to 35 percent (higher for group bookings) if you do. They do this because they value your business and want to sell you a trip that meets and exceeds your expectations. That's why they post fantastic promotional offers on their websites. Remember: If you are ready to fly, book direct online.