BearX220

But not to be hailed as Mr. Ethics.

ThWilmesi

I am just reading through this thread and it is really mindboggling to me what certain people are doing, I guess if anybody would apply a litte common sense when using these deals if would serve well. formyself I never book anything which I don't need, of course I also saw these super deals which were obviously mistakes - yes I would have booked if I would have planned any trip to Tokyo or Osaka or whatever, but only for the time really needed and not just for extended times when it is just for fun and not really needed.

I think just apply some common sense and it would be fine, but I guess for everybody the measuring stick for common sense is different - and when it comes to money common sense doesn't apply anymore

JBlaine

ingy, I can see your point. But perhaps there is a difference when a provider charges a person up front (such as PL) vs. when the provider charges a person at the time that the service/product is being provided? If the consumer is charged up front, basically the provider and the consumer have entered into a contract that should be honored, or at the very least, any changes should be negotiated between both parties in good faith. Further, instead of "one size fits all" response, it would seem that the provider ... who has entered into a binding contract ... should work with the consumer to find a mutually agreeable solution instead of arbitrarily declaring what the solution will be. After all, the provider has taken control of the consumers' $$ in exchange for a service or product and the consumer has operated in good faith by giving the provider his $$.

Particularly in the case of PL "name your own price," the terms & conditions are clear that the consumer's purchase will not be reversed or refunded no matter how much of a mistake the consumer made or overpaid for a service/product. And specific to the case of La Quinta, $65 + tax/night for a room might seem like a pretty reasonable exchange to many people. But I realize your post is broader than the La Quinta situation, and I appreciate that you expressed your views.

But really, it's a slippery ethical slope that you outlined above. If one suspects that a sale price is a mistake, is taking advantage of it even one time ethical or appropriate?

Not to nit-pick, but what is described here (half above, half below some specified number) is actually the median, not the average.

JBlaine

It seems like many hotels already do this with peak periods ... like requiring 30 day cancellation notice over the holiday weeks and charging an administrative fee for cancellations.

gemac

While I agree in general with what you say, on the rare instance when this does make it into the press, it is the one individual who books a room for a year who is cited in the article, as those involved in the Expedia Japan thingy will remember. The reporter always picks up on that one person, makes it sound like that one person is typical, and uses him to justify the actions of the provider in welching on the deal. The travel reporter is in the pocket of the travel industry (keep all that free travel coming), so they will try to justify welching anyway, but the one greedy individual makes it much easier.

derpelikan

sure there might be different views , but this time, it is a bit different from other deals.
i remember for example the SAS deal, in which everything was canclled first etc.

the conrad took 1.5 days time to sort it out, and than they diceded to not only honor it, but they even decided to honor the pres. suite at this ridicoulous amount.

what i can not understand is, if you get a good deal and get superb treatment, why wont you spent some extra money at this hotel?
if you get a suite which is 650usd per night at a rate of 18usd /night, and you would normally have spent for a normal hotel room 100usd per night, well thats 80usd difference. it might be difficult to spent all this money, but why not use the minibar (one coke 1usd... ) and drink some drinks?
it is not about how much you use, but the hotel had no obligation to honor this deal, but they did it, because most of the people are loyal hilton customers.

i dont say that one should use the spa 5 times a day, or each day, but if you can find something which you might be able to use , well why not use it?
the BMW pick up is 65usd for 3 persons. well compared to a taxi normally i would say, damn, is the hotel crazy? which idiot would book this car at this rate?

but for myself we had plans to go there anyway, and the hotels were 170usd per night. so i am saving 120usd per night.

120 x 7= 840USD safed, so can i pay 130usd for airport pickup. YES i will.

sure i am happy too if i can safe some bucks, but is it all about saving money?

if you are flying to the hotel, and you didnt need to go , you are just wanting to exp. the presidential suite, than i can understand if you might not be able to spent so much money , as you burned maybe an award to get to bkk from us or somewhere else.

i can understand that mostly the people are here to find good deals etc. , but i dont think that a person who likes to book a great deal or a great fare, cant see what the hotel did for us.

there is no amount we are talking about, ist just an attitude thing.
in germany there is a sententence which was used in a tv commerical which is : geiz ist geil.

this means, its nice to be stingy.

yes, i am sometimes stingy too, and i wouldnt spent 70usd one way for a hotel car pickup.
but in this case i am willing to spent at least the money i would have spent anyway normally in the conrad.


so do the right thing, and drink a soda

Flyer Walker

Which hotel costs 650 $ per night? The Bangkok Deluxe Conrad Suite costs about 230 $ per night. You can book it online.

derpelikan

the time i did book it , it was 660usd...

derpelikan

where do you find this price?
the cheapest suite i can find is 470usd.

and we are confirmed for the deluxe suites

1 KING DELUXE 1 BDRM SUITE
650USD,

you might check again, or let me know the channel you are using for these bookings, if it is 1/3 of the normal price.

dp

gpan

The use of such a phrase is discriminatory. Perhaps the same should be said of the airline execs that get paid handsomely, while their frontline people barely scrape by. Shall we call that feeding on the bottom too (i.e the current situation at NW with flight crew and denial of self-help)

Flyer Walker

I lost my whole money that was invested in Air Canada bonds. Who is now the bad guy?

DeirdreTours

As opposed to non greedy FTs who only want to spend a single night on "someone else's dime"? Or is it a weekend? Or is it a week? Or is it really whatever you (and every other poster with this point of view) has booked?

I don't have any of these mistakes booked-- they have never matched up with my plans (or were long gone by the time I read of them). But I do find the attitude expressed in many posts-- sort of "I am not greedy booking x number of days, but those booking more than x are ruining it for everyone" stange.

BobbySteel

This is what's really irritating. It's one thing to share w/ forum members but another annoyance to broadcast things to the world and even help technophobes who wouldn't ever do something like this on their own. Plus it sets up those w/o knowledge of the context for a fight w/ hotel managers if something goes awry. Bad form.

tcook052

How is it strange? Are hotels more willing to accommodate 100 people all booking one or two nights and staying and enjoying the property or 10000 people all grabbing months at a time, some who might never even set foot on the property? Doesn't seem that strange to me...

anonplz

What feeds the feeding frenzy is the uncertain window of opportunity - no one can predict at what point these deals are going to get pulled. It could be literally moments after you find out about it. So you panic, try to figure out when you may be able to go, book something for each possibility for $15 or whatever, and then later cancel what you aren't going to use.