Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Priceline and Hurricanes

Hello,

What happens to my priceline reservation at Orlando this weekend if the Hurricane Frances hits? Can I get a refund if I cant make it?

Thanks
MKA

I dont think so.

hurricane link (http://www.flyertalk.com/forumsfr.shtml)
This is a link to a recent experience.

After seeing hotel occupancy during the last hurricane that swept through, the hotel should be absolutely thrilled to be able to get a room back in inventory that they could definitely sell for rack rate (or above). If Priceline doesn't budge, I'd call the manager of the property. They would be stupid not to "buy" your room back.

A friend of mine is booked on Priceline at the Westin Resort in Savannah, GA beginning Sept 6 (Monday). She has already called directly to the resort and they will reschedule her at any time without penalty, despite being on a Priceline booking. She is retired and can go at any time.

Check the recent postings at http://biddingfortravel.com

IIRC at least one person got a full refund from priceline when the last hurricane hit.

Although priceline rooms are technically "nonrefundable" (no exception for natural disasters in their terms and conditions), it is not in priceline's interest to generate badwill and the cost is rather minimal.

Called the hotel and they said only Priceline can cancel.

Priceline cancelled without a hassle!!! Great and Thanks Priceline!

-MKA

I was booked for hotel & car in TPA 09/10-09/13, I called Priceline the day before and the rep cancelled my reservation without any hesitation and the credit is already back on my card. I even joked to the rep that it is possible to cancel a booking with priceline, and he told me sure, with intervention from God :) .

I'm surprised everyone else had such a good experience.

I had a room booked in Orlando for Wednesday night. Called and cancelled and they refused to refund me. They were aware of the hurricane, of course, but said that they had no information that Orlando was in any danger. I argued with them and the rep grudingly agreed to refund the room minus a $25 "administrative cancellation fee." He refused to waive this.

I asked for a supervisor, but I was told that supervisors do not take phone calls nor do they return them. The rep did, however, agree to transfer me to someone else "higher up than him." So I spoke with this second person who refused to budge on the $25 administrative fee. He also insisted that there was no one higher up at Priceline than him, despite the fact he acknowledged that he wasn't even a supervisor, unless I wanted to contact executive management through the Investor Relations link on the website.

I finally just took the refund minus the $25 fee. Do any of you have any suggestions for how I could go about getting this refunded? Or is the $25 just not worth the hassle? :(

I finally just took the refund minus the $25 fee. Do any of you have any suggestions for how I could go about getting this refunded? Or is the $25 just not worth the hassle?


What I would do is send a letter to Priceline thanking them for the courtesy of canceling a reservation they accepted from you in good faith. Sheesh, you make a non-cancellable reservation in the middle of hurricane season and then a hurricane hits. Who'd a thunk it? You want/need flexibility to cover any eventuality? Then DON'T bid on Priceline. You want an escape route? Then pay for one by making a changeable reservation, and paying for it. It's not such a hard concept to grasp.

It was pretty obvious that Orlando was nowhere near the hurricane's projected path. I'm not sure why a trip to Orlando on Sept 15 would have been cancelled in the first place.

Sheesh, you make a non-cancellable reservation in the middle of hurricane season and then a hurricane hits. Who'd a thunk it? You want/need flexibility to cover any eventuality? Then DON'T bid on Priceline. You want an escape route? Then pay for one by making a changeable reservation, and paying for it. It's not such a hard concept to grasp.

With one exception, aks. If the property is shut down due to the hurricane or lies in an evacuation zone (i.e., against the law to stay there), then there is no way the reservation could have been honored even if you tried to show up.

During Charley, the gulf beach resorts in the St. Pete/Clearwater area were forced to shut down, evict all the guests and get them off the islands.