This is not observational, but directly in all of PCLN's investor filings - a similar trend is being indicated.
On the hotel side, it appears that spoiling inventory has really fallen off in a number of cities. Many hotels have no concern about offering opaque pricing that is similar to retail (or maybe discounted) retail pricing.
The explosion of hotelscombined/trivago/kayak have also made knowledge of 'hidden' pricing much more comprehensive and useful as well.
However, I still see this as only because of the current cycle where demand is very strong. Should there be a downturn due to whatever reason, opportunities will arise again.
Similar situation happened in NYOP air, which has been dropped entirely.
I believe the only category that still has useful inventory is NYOP car rental. Mostly due to competition from using Uber/Lyft instead I think. However ABG, the major vendor to PCLN has indicated in their investor releases that they are much more choosy about their opaque pricing and what business they take from there. I feel the argument is pretty weak as the car rental industry continues to hurt (although, they did get a bunch of cars really cheap recently due to problems in new car sales).
In summary, worth a glance at Express Deals (which now also appears for car rentals from time to time), but with fees, a slightly higher rate that also accrues elite value will be more useful.
Rasheed