GOING once, going twice, going to Maui: The Internet auction has become firmly established as part of the world of travel. LuxuryLink.com and SkyAuction.com let consumers bid for everything from luxury tours to last-minute flights, while on eBay's travel site, commercially packaged trips are displayed alongside listings from people trying to unload a time-share week in Florida.
Auctions let travel suppliers unload extra airline seats or hotel rooms without jeopardizing their standard pricing. For consumers, they offer the potential for a deal. Paige Cooper, a lawyer from Houston, honeymooned last January at Sandy Lane, an exclusive resort in Barbados where her fellow guests included Sarah Ferguson. Her five-night package, including some golf, spa treatments and meals, sold on LuxuryLink.com for $3,000. "I definitely felt like I was living the high life at low dollar," Ms. Cooper said, noting that the site had valued the trip at $10,500. ...</font>
