If he used his debit card to make the purchase on hotwire, that is more than reasonable, as the full amount of the hotel stay is deducted at the time of purchase. Some individuals don't have the luxury of a high credit limit (especially with the crap banks are pulling by lowering credit limits and raising interest rates), which can easily be rectified by paying in advance with a debit card.

As far as authorizing the incidental charges using the debit card, THAT is something I disagree with. Unless the credit limit would have been exceeded by the $150 authorization, I would always use a credit account.

All I'm saying is that paying for the hotwire purchase using a debit card is understandable. Authorizing the hotel room using a debit card should be avoided in the future.