Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - This is a great time to Priceline

I don't know if it's the recession or just my reluctance to use Priceline in the past but I've gotten some outstanding deals in the last month or so using Priceline's "name your own price" feature.

JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London, $160/night x 5 nights in March (Marriott website quote of $350/night).

Hotel Krasnapolsky, Amsterdam, $70/night x 1 night, last weekend (Hotel K website quote of 150 euros/night).

Omni Hotel San Diego, $75/night x 1 night, this weekend (Omni website quote of $209/night).

These prices compare VERY favorably (mostly better) with the historical "wins" that I'm seeing on betterbidding.com and biddingfortravel.com. Now is the time to NEGOTIATE!

I've found that too. Recent wins on Hotwire and priceline have been anything from 25% down to 66% off list price.

Not that I'm complaining ;)

I agree. A month ago, I got the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii for $105 a night for the first week in March. Their best rate on their website for the same dates was $269/nt. Someone else got the same place in April for $95/nt (although my bids of $99 and $102 were rejected for my dates prior to $105 being accepted).

I've been an avid Priceline user since 2002 when the post-9/11 deals were terrific. I also agree that now is a "buyer's market" with regard to the current economic situation. However, I am seeing truly amazing hotel rates being offered directly the hotels themselves, in addition to sites like Expedia, Travelzoo, etc.

Personally, I closely monitor hotel rates in San Francisco as I am a local who enjoys frequent discretionary stays in this city. Priceline rates for 4 star hotels has been running in the $75-$100 range lately. However this week Expedia has been advertising rates for 4 star luxury hotels such as Starwood's Le Meridien for as low as $83 per night (Hotwire selling same hotel for $109). You can further discount this by $10 per night using Expedia's 10FEB promo code mentioned on a previous FlyerTalk thread.

So although I agree Priceline rates are great during the economic downturn, so also are direct-booking rates if you keep a watchful eye on the Internet. In many cases, you can get Priceline-type prices with the added bonus of accruing points and stay credits within the brand's loyalty program.

I can't speak for the city/area you monitor the most frequently, but don't make a blanket assumption that Priceline is the best you can do.

^^^^^

So although I agree Priceline rates are great during the economic downturn, so also are direct-booking rates if you keep a watchful eye on the Internet. In many cases, you can get Priceline-type prices with the added bonus of accruing points and stay credits within the brand's loyalty program.

I can't speak for the city/area you monitor the most frequently, but don't make a blanket assumption that Priceline is the best you can do.

Absolutely. One should always check the hotel's own website, as well as other booking websites, prior to playing the Priceline game. ^

I'm getting better Priceline deals today at some properties than I ever got at them at any time over nearly a decade of using Priceline. For example, a hotel that used to go for $55 at best in the nearly ten years of popping up on priceline.com is now coming up at $47 -- and these are at properties that have been renovated rather recently.

I concur wholeheartedly. I've been using Priceline since they started, and think it's a great (scary?) barometer for how bad the hotel industry is really hurting. I just booked a room in Tulsa for $35/night - best available rate online was $95. Stayed at the Edgewater in Seattle for $75/night recently... The list goes on...

An article I read today says that convention and business meetings in some typical large convention city's are down significantly and that priceline type sites offer way more off than normal. Sort of depends on where your traveling to.

As a Priceline user for years, I pretty much agree with you all, as far as last minute travel is concerned. However, I'm finding that I'm having LESS success right now for travel over a month away. For instance, I recently was bidding for a 4-star in the Raleigh-Durham area to surprise my husband for Valentine's Day. I tried for a good month, going as high as $80. No go. Then two weeks before Valentine's Day I got one for $60. Now I'm trying to get a deal in both Orlando and Tampa. For the past few years, I've had no problem getting the "resort" Hilton in Downtown Disney for around $66. So far, I can't even get a 4-star in Orlando for that. The "wins" I've seen posted for Florida are actually HIGHER than I have seen over the past few years.

Winning bids for the New York City zone have been at prices not seen since post 9/11/2001. Hampton Inn @ $69 and 4* wins in the low $100 in the Midtown East zone.

I just scored a 4* in AMS in Sept for 2 nights. There is a HUGE conference 49,000 people the day after we leave so I didn't want to take chances on everything being booked up. I got one of the Nh hotels-the Carlton for $64, that's only $8 more than two dorm beds in a backpacker hostel! I posted on BB.

I am hoping Paris hotels start dropping too.

An article I read today says that convention and business meetings in some typical large convention city's are down significantly and that priceline type sites offer way more off than normal. Sort of depends on where your traveling to.I'm currently at a PL hotel in downtown San Diego - with no convention at the adjacent Convention Center, I got the room for at least $20 less than the common price that has been reported on BB and similar sites in the past.

In general, the best deals on Priceline are very close to the actual date. In my experience, an "OK" rate is half the hotel website's rate, and a good rate is 1/3 of the regular rate. But there are no guarantees.

Don't forget the "free rebid" strategy for higher-rated hotels. What you do is:

Go to the "Name Your Own Price" area and look at all the zones. Find the zones that do NOT have a hotel at your star level or higher.

Bid for the one you want. If you don't get it, add one of the "impossible" zones and bid a couple dollars higher.

Say you want zone A, and there are "impossible" Zones B, C, D, and E. You can:

Bid $50 for A
Bid $52 for A+B
Bid $54 for A+B+C
Bid $56 for A+B+C+D
Bid $58 for A+B+C+D+E

Still didn't get it? Exit entirely and start over

Bid $60 for A+C
Bid $62 for A+C+D

etc. You usually have to wait 24 hours to bid again, but not if your bids are not identical. (Adding a HIGHER start level though doesn't count as a "different" bid.)

I would agree these are great times for Priceline, I managed to get a colleague an 11 night stay in April at Intercontinental The Barclay (4*MTE NYC) for 123USD a night (cheapest prepay on their website was 220).

Normally I wouldn't even bother bidding for a big chunk like that but I thought I would have a crack so she didn't have to change hotels, I am sure I could have got it a little cheaper that way but she was still estactic.

To my mind the hotel industry is hurting bad but they are trying to not show it but offloading on priceline.

To my mind the hotel industry is hurting bad but they are trying to not show it but offloading on Priceline.I agree with this statement - the current Priceline bargains seem to be (as with my San Diego example above) that hotels that are long-time users of Priceline are selling their rooms for lower than previously (sometimes dramatically lower).

Other hotel companies are using their own discount channels - for example, in the current Marriott e-mail, there are hotels being offered for less than previously (keeping in mind that those rates do earn points and stay credits in Marriott Rewards).

I would agree these are great times for Priceline, I managed to get a colleague an 11 night stay in April at Intercontinental The Barclay (4*MTE NYC) for 123USD a night (cheapest prepay on their website was 220).

Normally I wouldn't even bother bidding for a big chunk like that but I thought I would have a crack so she didn't have to change hotels, I am sure I could have got it a little cheaper that way but she was still estactic.



While $123 is certainly an excellent price for a 4 star NYC hotel, the real story here is the fact it's for an 11-night stay. Unbelievable. In better economic times, it was nearly impossible to get a stay of this length at bargain-basement prices (especially in large, major city) due to one (or more) nights the hotel wouldn't allocate inventory to Priceline (due to high occupancy) and/or a higher Priceline rate for one of the nights which would wind up in a rejection for the entire stay. Congratulations on quite a Priceline feat. I hope your colleague knows/appreciates what an achievement this is!

A related question - I am looking for a 2-bedroom suite at any beachfront property in the Tampa area for the July 4th weekend. Does Priceline allow me to specify these 2 specific requirements (bedroom and location)? I certainly don't want to wind up with a great rate on a room - with two double beds in Downtown Tampa.

You cannot be THAT specific on priceline. Suites are not an option.

A related question - I am looking for a 2-bedroom suite at any beachfront property in the Tampa area for the July 4th weekend. Does Priceline allow me to specify these 2 specific requirements (bedroom and location)? I certainly don't want to wind up with a great rate on a room - with two double beds in Downtown Tampa.

Through its features icons, Hotwire does identify all-suites properties before you commit to buy. However, beyone that, there is no further opportunity to further specify the configuration of the suite.

Hotwire does specify if things are on a beach as well.

I agree with the other postings. We are traveling to Italy in mid March. I booked all but one stay using priceline.

Venice 5* Hilton $125 per night.
Milan 5* Le Meridien $110 per night

I really excited about what deals I can get for our summer excursion across the US.

I just scored a 4* in AMS in Sept for 2 nights. There is a HUGE conference 49,000 people the day after we leave so I didn't want to take chances on everything being booked up. I got one of the Nh hotels-the Carlton for $64, that's only $8 more than two dorm beds in a backpacker hostel! I posted on BB.

I am hoping Paris hotels start dropping too.
Can you tell me which conference will be going on in AMS in September? I'm trying for around the 18th and am not getting good quotes...

It's the IBC Conference - I have no idea what it is but you can Google it. It's on from 10-14 Sept.

I had really bad luck in Germany, Oktoberfest doesn't start until 19 Sept but I couldn't get a PL deal on 13 or 14 Sept in Munich. I got a SPG award on the 13th but decided to take a 2 hour train north to Nuremberg on the 14th after seeing sights in Munich, there is NOTHING reasonable from that day onwards.

...went on BFT website to see what Sedona resorts were going for...$80-85 seemed to be the norm (pub average rate of $169.00).
So day before arrival bid $80 on PL it was refused...next day bid $85 (day of arrival) refused with a counter email of add $22 to secure. Screw you...so i showed up got the La Quinta (ya its not a resort) for $65 at a walk up. This was not on a weekend so I dont think its across the board that low prices prevail.

...went on BFT website to see what Sedona resorts were going for...$80-85 seemed to be the norm (pub average rate of $169.00).
So day before arrival bid $80 on PL it was refused...next day bid $85 (day of arrival) refused with a counter email of add $22 to secure. Screw you...so i showed up got the La Quinta (ya its not a resort) for $65 at a walk up. This was not on a weekend so I dont think its across the board that low prices prevail.


When you got the counter email to add $22....had you upped your next bid by $5 you probably would have scored the room.

...went on BFT website to see what Sedona resorts were going for...$80-85 seemed to be the norm (pub average rate of $169.00).
So day before arrival bid $80 on PL it was refused...next day bid $85 (day of arrival) refused with a counter email of add $22 to secure. Screw you...so i showed up got the La Quinta (ya its not a resort) for $65 at a walk up. This was not on a weekend so I dont think its across the board that low prices prevail.

Priceline will almost always accept less than their counteroffers. This is pretty much common knowledge for those who follow these types of message boards. When you think about it, it makes sense. Priceline wants you to bid more than necessary so that they'll make an extra few bucks. Just a handy piece of knowledge you'll pick up around here if you're looking to do future business w/Priceline! A $22 counteroffer is a typical "number" that shows up when bidding in the $80-dollar range. As Diplomatico stated, it's possible to score for as little as $5 over your bid price, despite their "enticement" to add $22.

I got the "add $18 to your bid" last evening.... for a hotel near Foxwoods. I did the old add $5 and got the Mystic Hilton for $36. Not bad!

I have had the $22 counter and been accepted for just a a dollar more on occassion.

I've been mostly bidding on hotels through priceline, but lately their airfare deals got a bit better.

I've been mostly bidding on hotels through priceline, but lately their airfare deals got a bit better.

Can you give an example of the airfare deals you've gotten?

I've been mostly bidding on hotels through priceline, but lately their airfare deals got a bit better.

With regard to air fare deals, are you speaking of their name your own price model?

Following the 9/11 travel slump, you could get some great air deals on Priceline. But as the travel (and the economy) rebounded, the deals dried up as airlines no longer needed to liquidate empty seats to Priceline to sell. So now we've come full circle again and the economy is in the toilet. I've been wondering if we'll begin to see good air deals on their name your own price product now or in the near future. I see very little examples of this posted over the Internet, however someone a few days ago posted on Better Bidding netting a $305 air fare from SF to Hawaii that retalied for $600 on the same flights and travel dates. So I believe there are deals out there, however probably better in certain markets than others. Time will tell.

Priceline will almost always accept less than their counteroffers. This is pretty much common knowledge for those who follow these types of message boards. When you think about it, it makes sense. Priceline wants you to bid more than necessary so that they'll make an extra few bucks. Just a handy piece of knowledge you'll pick up around here if you're looking to do future business w/Priceline! A $22 counteroffer is a typical "number" that shows up when bidding in the $80-dollar range. As Diplomatico stated, it's possible to score for as little as $5 over your bid price, despite their "enticement" to add $22.

...I didn't know that and will apply the $5 rule next time....cheers! ^

Here's a recent PL airfare win: EWR-IAH $115 bid + $33.25 "taxes/fees" = $148.25 for flights on UA. UA's e-receipt shows the taxes at $47.53.

Lowest airfare at the time was about $250 ai on CO. UA's flights were roughly $295 ai. Judging from the taxes on UA's receipt, the bulk rate was under $100.

Note the low "taxes" shown by PL. I incorrectly assumed I'd receive the non-stop CO flights since they were only $33.25. Looks like PL covered some of the taxes from the base rate.

I've got a flight from Detroit to LA, through name your price, for about $40 bucks cheaper than I could find anywhere else(I was flexible on dates/time~24hrs). I was buying about 2 weeks in advance, so may be that had something to do with it too.

Is the value of the frequent flyer miles you won't receive worth the $40, though? That's almost 2,000 miles each way if nonstop, and you're an elite flyer 8,000 miles RT. Add in a connection somewhere and more miles. That would be well worth paying the extra $40 for some of us.

I use PL regularly for hotels, including London just last month, but won't use it for flights.

Is the value of the frequent flyer miles you won't receive worth the $40, though? That's almost 2,000 miles each way if nonstop, and you're an elite flyer 8,000 miles RT. Add in a connection somewhere and more miles. That would be well worth paying the extra $40 for some of us.

I use PL regularly for hotels, including London just last month, but won't use it for flights.

IMO the answer to the $40 question would depend on whether one is a frequent flier or not. In my case, I am not. So the miles don't mean to me what they mean to others. I've got a little over 30,000 miles w/Continental, however have been unable to redeem for a free ticket to save my life. I was finally able to unload some UAL miles for a flight in January, however have no motivation to accure more miles with them because I don't care much for their program. From my experience, they don't release many award seats until 21 days prior and then penalize you $75 to $100 for a "close in" booking.

So if you truly are a frequent flier, have elite status, etc, then yes, a $40 Priceline savings isn't worth it. But to the schmuck like me, it's a different story!

One of the things I do like about Priceline's name your own price air fare model is that the taxes/fees are displayed before you purchase. This helps you to determine if Priceline is going to assign you a nonstop or connecting itinerary. In a few cases, I've been on a route that only had one nonstop flight a day to my destination, so I knew before I purchased the exact flights I was going to receive (and did).

***
One of the things I do like about Priceline's name your own price air fare model is that the taxes/fees are displayed before you purchase. This helps you to determine if Priceline is going to assign you a nonstop or connecting itinerary. In a few cases, I've been on a route that only had one nonstop flight a day to my destination, so I knew before I purchased the exact flights I was going to receive (and did).The taxes aren't a foolproof way of determining whether the flights will be nonstop. One example, my $33.25 taxes for connecting flights.

The taxes aren't a foolproof way of determining whether the flights will be nonstop. One example, my $33.25 taxes for connecting flights.

The total taxes for a domestic nonstop round trip itinerary total $21.20 if the two airports you're using impose $4.50 in PFC (Passenger Facility Charges). The tax total is less than $21.20 if you're flying to any airport that charges a $3.00 PFC (CLT, IAH) or none at all (MEM, for example).

So if Priceline is telling you before you purchase that your taxes/fees will be $33.25, that's your "tip off" you'll be assigned connecting flights.

Is the value of the frequent flyer miles you won't receive worth the $40, though? That's almost 2,000 miles each way if nonstop, and you're an elite flyer 8,000 miles RT. Add in a connection somewhere and more miles. That would be well worth paying the extra $40 for some of us.

I use PL regularly for hotels, including London just last month, but won't use it for flights.

You are assuming that the flights won't earn miles -- that assumption is not a given in practice when the passenger is not tied down to just the operating airline's FF program.

I use PCLN for flights on some routes, and earn miles, bonuses and get lounge access and the like entitled by way of my FF elite status accounts -- I just don't usually try to credit the flights to the operating airline's own FF program.

..............

So if Priceline is telling you before you purchase that your taxes/fees will be $33.25, that's your "tip off" you'll be assigned connecting flights.

I didn't know that. Thanks for the tip of the priceline "tip-off" ;)

hi guys! im planning to fly to NYC for spring break later this month, friend of mine told me to check out priceline....im still quite confused as to how it works but slowly gettin the hang of it, i searched for flights on my days from my airport (MSP) to either JFK or LGA, bid $100 for tickets, found some i guess, so its offering me them for $100 + $49.50 in taxes (GREAT deal compared to orbitz/amex/direct booking which is around $400 now). can anyoen tell me how likely it is that il get really crappy tickets? like flying out at 4 AM, and return flight again at some ungodly AM hour? :p and based on what i read in this thread...the $49.50 taxes indicate il have atleast one layover somewhere on the way?

hi guys! im planning to fly to NYC for spring break later this month, friend of mine told me to check out priceline....im still quite confused as to how it works but slowly gettin the hang of it, i searched for flights on my days from my airport (MSP) to either JFK or LGA, bid $100 for tickets, found some i guess, so its offering me them for $100 + $49.50 in taxes (GREAT deal compared to orbitz/amex/direct booking which is around $400 now). can anyoen tell me how likely it is that il get really crappy tickets? like flying out at 4 AM, and return flight again at some ungodly AM hour? :p and based on what i read in this thread...the $49.50 taxes indicate il have atleast one layover somewhere on the way?

What are your specific travel dates, both outbound & return?

As to your 4:00am "ungodly" hour question, unless you specify you're willing to travel on a red eye, Princeline will not assign you flights departing before 6:00am or after 10:00pm.

What are your specific travel dates, both outbound & return?

As to your 4:00am "ungodly" hour question, unless you specify you're willing to travel on a red eye, Princeline will not assign you flights departing before 6:00am or after 10:00pm.

mar 19-22nd. hehe yea i remembered that after i posted, but still...6 AM is ungodly for me ;) i dont mind a early departure from MSP, id just like to avoid one on the return, dont want to have to go to bed rly early on saturday so i can get up super early to catch a plane :p and avoid super long layovers. ive never used priceline, im guessing these risks are part of why flights are so cheap?

When you entered a bid of $100, Priceline was merely responding back with the taxes and giving you a total figure to authorize before submitting a bid. This does not mean Priceline was going to accept your $149 bid. I'm assuming you never continued the process by entering your name, credit card info, etc, right? Priceline cannot process your bid without payment info.

Knowing a $100 bid wouldn't be accepted for this route, I entered a "dummy" bid for your travel dates. Upon submitting my bid, Priceline reponded with two counteroffers:

1. $283 + $49.85 taxes for a total of $333. This was for a trip flying to LGA.

2. $344 + $28.65 taxes for a total of $373. This was for a trip flying to JFK.

If you were to accept counteroffer #1, the $49.85 in taxes indicates connecting flights.

If you were to accept counteroffer #2, the $28.65 in taxes indicates a nonstop itinerary.

Sorry to burst your bubble if you thought Priceline would accept a $100 bid. If that were the case, I'm sure Priceline's name your own price air fare product would be selling like hotcakes!

ahhhhhh.....i kinda figured this might be to good to be true :P darn, well those prices are still a bit better then anywhere else

Back in 2002, I was living at the Hyatt Regency in downtown San Francisco for $37/night. Priceline rates have a long way (down) to go back to that level before I would say that "This is a great time to Priceline". Right now they're just nice.

Back in 2002, I was living at the Hyatt Regency in downtown San Francisco for $37/night. Priceline rates have a long way (down) to go back to that level before I would say that "This is a great time to Priceline". Right now they're just nice.

They had a nice $20/night bonus for using AMEX. I bought some $100 AMEX gift cards so I could partake of this nice bonus. I was getting an off strip 2* Vegas hotel for many Sun/Mon nite stays for a friend of mine for $5/night, $17.95 all in for 2 nights. Not a bad hotel & I'd stayed there a couple of times with my friend. I also got the Costa Mesa Wyndham for $20/night, the Woodfin down in North San Diego (Mira Mesa zone) for $20 with free breakfast. ^ Many other bargains too numerous to mention including a couple of $1/night hotels in Atlanta & Phoenix that were not too bad. (nicer than Motel 6). These are after the $20/night AMEX bonuses. :)

The bargains today are nice but not quite to the level of 2001-2002 yet.

I was one of the heavy priceline users when they first got started (back in the pre-BFT days when it was just a yahoo group). Granted, the $25/night AMEX discounts skewed things, but I would routinely stay in rooms for $25-$40/night, and even had a $1 night for a work trip in Des Moines, and several $10-$12 nights. An expensive stay was when I'd go to Boston for work, and pay $80-$110 for a $245 weeknight room in the financial district.

As the economy strengthened and my travel patterns changed, I pretty much stopped using PL as my first choice, and focused on getting status with two hotel chains (Hilton and first Starwood and now Hyatt) for award travel. For the last 3-4 years, I've probably successfully used PL 2-3x/year at most, as I'm usually looking for a deep discount to make up for the upgraded accomodations when staying at a property where I have top-tier status, and I've stopped using them for work because my responsibilities are different now and I have more changes which make PL unusable.

Property owners are also aggressively moving into offering reasonable non-refundable rates directly in certain situations. I'm going to the KC BBQ Do, and my choices are:

- Hyatt Crown $149/night refundable
- Sheraton Suites Plaza - Cash&Points, 2800 points plus $45, so worth about $115, refundable
- HGI $79/night nonrefundable but about a ten minute drive away

Realistically, I'd have to bid no more than $33 to make PL work over the HGI, where since I'm Diamond I get $12 worth of points (valued at $0.006/point), free full breakfast (so let's value this at the $7 I'd spend at Waffle House), and guaranteed free wifi. The Hyatt often comes up, but at a bid of $54-$56, and I'd have to pay for wifi.

Back in 2002, I was living at the Hyatt Regency in downtown San Francisco for $37/night. Priceline rates have a long way (down) to go back to that level before I would say that "This is a great time to Priceline". Right now they're just nice.
There was somebody in the early days of BFT who paid less than $175+tax for four weeks at an extended stay place outside of Dallas, 7 bids at $24 each for 4 nights - $4/night plus $5/bid.

Realistically, I'd have to bid no more than $33 to make PL work over the HGI, where since I'm Diamond I get $12 worth of points (valued at $0.006/point), free full breakfast (so let's value this at the $7 I'd spend at Waffle House), and guaranteed free wifi. The Hyatt often comes up, but at a bid of $54-$56, and I'd have to pay for wifi.Excelent and important point - calculating the "REAL" costs (overall) is a very important thing to do (and I think that too often, people forget to do it).

I'm facing a somewhat different dilemma later this week. For a one-night stay, I can either use points at a hotel that will require a shuttle, cab ride or car rental to reach, or I can PL a room at the airport (free shuttle).

In my case, even with paying PL for my airport hotel room, I will come out at least $10 ahead, and will have my points intact to use in the future.

I so loved that AMEX bonus... that is what got me hooked on Priceline.

William

They had a nice $20/night bonus for using AMEX. I bought some $100 AMEX gift cards so I could partake of this nice bonus. I was getting an off strip 2* Vegas hotel for many Sun/Mon nite stays for a friend of mine for $5/night, $17.95 all in for 2 nights. Not a bad hotel & I'd stayed there a couple of times with my friend. I also got the Costa Mesa Wyndham for $20/night, the Woodfin down in North San Diego (Mira Mesa zone) for $20 with free breakfast. ^ Many other bargains too numerous to mention including a couple of $1/night hotels in Atlanta & Phoenix that were not too bad. (nicer than Motel 6). These are after the $20/night AMEX bonuses. :)

The bargains today are nice but not quite to the level of 2001-2002 yet.

I've been regularly bidding on priceline hotels since it started. I'm actually a little DISAPPOINTED this year because I thought the deals would be better than they are given the economy. My experience is, of course, anecdotal -- about 50 or 60 separate bids a year -- but I'm really not getting better prices than I did last year. My guess is that there are some cities with more availability (NY, Vegas), but overall I would keep one's expectations reasonable.

Ironically, one of the area's where priceline HAS improved for me is with car rentals. Rental prices seem to have been jacked up of late (I guess the agencies are cutting their fleets), so priceline is better than the discount codes in more situations (still no more than 25% of the time).

I typically am not a "last minute" hotel bidder, but I'm keeping my options open this year as many situations are a "buyer's market" for hotels. I do think there are more non-opaque promos that usual. It is also worth watching the hotel deals section of mileagerun for "dollar off" promos at some of the online agencies. That can work out better than priceline, especially at non-luxury hotels.

One thing this economy is doing is reducing the cost of overseas travel, so I'm taking more int'l trips and fewer domestic trips. Priceline is less useful overseas than in the US with hotels, although there are some bargain destinations.

Back in 2002, I was living at the Hyatt Regency in downtown San Francisco for $37/night. Priceline rates have a long way (down) to go back to that level before I would say that "This is a great time to Priceline". Right now they're just nice.

Yes and I also recall getting 1500 ebay anything points that could be converted into AA miles at close to 1:1 ratio. Good old days...

Some places remain quite PL friendly for extended stays - I believe Disneyland is still in $40-50 range.

Priceline is less useful overseas than in the US with hotels, although there are some bargain destinations.

Pleased to report that my recent experiences suggest that PL can be as useful abroad as at home. To wit: Milan Hilton 6 nights for avg. $109 each--their site wanted $210. Berlin Marriott during the Berlin festival, 40 meters from the main event sites, $106 when their site wanted 260 Euros. Marriott Heathrow $74.

Yes and I also recall getting 1500 ebay anything points that could be converted into AA miles at close to 1:1 ratio. Good old days...

Some places remain quite PL friendly for extended stays - I believe Disneyland is still in $40-50 range.

It was Priceline-earned eBay anything points converted into Asia Miles and PCLN hotel stays providing stay credit (even good toward free nights) that provided me even more than usual value -- the former benefit is no longer around and the latter benefit is now a generally uncommon occurrence for me.

The Anaheim/Orange County areas have some good bargains for extended stays.

Pleased to report that my recent experiences suggest that PL can be as useful abroad as at home. To wit: Milan Hilton 6 nights for avg. $109 each--their site wanted $210. Berlin Marriott during the Berlin festival, 40 meters from the main event sites, $106 when their site wanted 260 Euros. Marriott Heathrow $74.

Yeah, over the years, I've gotten some sensational priceline deals in Europe, too. Less reliable than in the US, however. But if a city has a number of US chain hotels, you can get very lucky. Note the pattern of your wins.

Ironically, one of the area's where priceline HAS improved for me is with car rentals. Rental prices seem to have been jacked up of late (I guess the agencies are cutting their fleets), so priceline is better than the discount codes in more situations (still no more than 25% of the time).

I agree with you 100%^

Sorta last minute trip to MCI, booked plane tickets yesterday, so I needed to find a car. Was searching the last two hours and couldn'tfind anything less than $300 ai, granted I'm not the best car rental deals searcher, but I'm no slough either.

Decided to give PL a go as I got an excellent deal at LAS last week, plus because all economy cars were gone, I got a free upgrade to a Prius from hertz.

To make a long story short, Avis accepted my bid of $22 a day:

Total Charges: $185.00
Lowest Published Price: $383.99 (USD)
Total Savings:* $198.99 (USD) (You saved 52%)

And here's hoping for a nice free upgrade.

I want to book an international flight to Beijing. I will get a 90 day visa but may need to change the date of my return flight. Can priceline really tell the airline to not allow changing of the ticket dates?

Or should I just go to the airline and book the flight directly through them?

Thanks

I want to book an international flight to Beijing. I will get a 90 day visa but may need to change the date of my return flight. Can priceline really tell the airline to not allow changing of the ticket dates?

Or should I just go to the airline and book the flight directly through them?

Thanks

If you want any sort of flexibility, book through the airline but make sure you get a ticket that allows changes. Be prepared to pay for it though.