Did you know that Priceline has made some recent changes that might change your experience traveling through Priceline.com? For example, now when you make a bid you’ll have an answer within 15 minutes, and when you travel, you’ll enjoy shorter connection times between flights.

Also, Travel expert Pauline Frommer is now a special advisor so Priceline can continue to understand what consumer travelers need and want.

Ummm,

I usually welcome everyone to this board, but, please go away.

Can't afford those Shatner spots anymore, so yuo're resorting to spam on our little board.

Shame on you.

They always had 99% of hotel responses within 15 minutes anyway, and probably 70% within 3 minutes. It was an unpublished feature.

You wouldn't have happened to have read USA Today today (2/6) by any chance?

Now, I wish that they would go back to a printable receipt that can contain the price, hotel, and date information as well as the priceline logo in one page. I've spent four emails over the last day and a half to PL customer service on this issue to no avail, as it now sprawls over two pages and makes it very difficult to submit for reimbursement.

I saw "services" in the Topic, and immediately thought memorial services.

Priceline isn't dead. Yet.

"...You wouldn't have happened to have read USA Today today (2/6) by any chance?..."

Admittedly, this thought had crossed my mind!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum74/HTML/001227.html

PCLN: Know why I will not use your service?

- No FF Miles. Can't even make your bid include them.

- Ticket is valueless if you can't use it. Emergencies do arise and holding a ticket that is good on one and only 1 flight is very risky.

- Can't choose your airline (maybe this has changed?). I won't fly on CO, but could end up on them through your service. No thanks.

- Time windows and connections are too wide. Not a big deal if you're going on a three week trip, but losing 1/2 of your three day trip due to possible odd flight times and numerous connections is not desirable.

There you have my reasons. You can give them to your superiors ala The USA Today, or you can ignore them. But your company needs to make those changes if they ever want my business. Thanks for dropping by....

------------------
"Sire, it is not a revolt. It is a Revolution!"

[This message has been edited by Spiff (edited 02-06-2001).]

Well, our newbie also appears to be posting to other places today, but under different email addresses... see an excerpt below. Is he/she an imposter, or really representing priceline?

1. If you're officially representing Priceline and somebody sent you here today because of the USA Today Article... A real introduction is in order. Explain who you are, who sent you here, your real name/email, etc. Guess what? Even though this forum is rather anti-PL for airfare and split for hotels, people will give you the benefit of the doubt and will value your presence if you are truly helpful. But just putting marketing materials out doesn't do anybody any good.

2. If you're a Priceline employee that came on your own initiative, welcome as well. I understand that giving out your name might be job-threatening in some organizations, but at least explain your situation.

3. If you're an imposter or a troll... why? And I'd bet that the folks at Priceline really wouldn't appreciate an imposter.

I'm trying to be as well-balanced as possible here about your motives, since I think we should all greet newbies with a degree of kindness unless they're over the top. But, we need a little more details here.

--------------
From: <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2001 3:28 PM
Subject: Re: The "real" lowest price? Priceline? Help!

> Guys, I would check priceline.com now, they've made significant service
> enhancements and help you pick the best possible deals with the least
> amount of connections.
>
> Check the announcement -
> http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?
> ticker=pcln&script=410&layout=7&item_id=149011
>
> cheers

Connors Communications is a privately-held PR firm based in New York City. Priceline is one of their "top" clients. Connie Connors runs the company.

I'll venture a guess our mystery poster is either Karen Rappaport <[email protected]> or Amanda Britz <[email protected]>.

BoSox,

I am humbled in your presence after the USA Today article. Good show buddy.

I've only used PL for airport hotels. I've had accepted bids between $20 and $36 accepted. Three of 4 hotels were Hilton. Sheraton or Marriott. One was a Days Inn!@#$^

For hotels I don't have to be so choosy. As for all day mileage runs with multiple segments on unknown airlines....I'll pass.

Dan

PCLN is not dead yet, but if they keep doing these kind of spams, they will be dead sooner.

------------------
Al

I agree with you Al. I will not use them if they are going to put unsolicited spam onto this board. You had better rethink this strategy Priceline. Responding to people's problems ala Starwood Lurker is one thing. Spamming us with advertisements for your product is another.

Djlawman

I have used PCLN in the past for rental cars, and for hotels.

I won't any more. Using their P.R. firm to spam us is really the wrong way to reach us.

Remember, we are allegedly "more savvy" than the average traveller.

This is an absolutely humilitating way to get any sort of free P.R. As a P.R. company, you should be humiliated by these tactics. Is this really the best you can do?

If this poster did get the idea from USA Today, they went about doing this in the wrong way. Starwood doesn't pump their products anywhere on our board. Turning this into a free ad is completely contrary to the spirit of the board.

I will e-mail a link to Priceline to let them know what I think.

As most of you know, I host a message board to discuss Priceline travel bidding. Because of my board and my participation on FT, Priceline has gotten hundreds of new customers. This spam by their PR firm is unconscionable. PR person, if you are monitoring the responses to your post, you need to come back here, fess up, and admit that what you did was extremely inappropriate. You've done far more harm than good for your client.

(I believe) it's just a matter of time and Priceline will be history. Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger.

Consider yourself shot MrLimo.

I think Priceline for hotels are a SUPERB resource, having just booked a Seattle Airport Doubletree for $8 etc.

Agree with Elmhurst Nick their confirmation process needs to be CONCISE with all data in one place, to print out and pack as one page.

And none of this excuses clear spamming in the wrong Forum by the Priceline PR company. This is their first and ONLY post on FT, (under the name used above anyway) so they seem to have got the message. A note from them to confirm they erred in judgement is now called for as Sheryl comments above, and she (and Nick & co) have contributed (at no PR company cost) more new clients to Priceline than that PR firm I can bet.

------------------
~ Glen ~

[This message has been edited by ozstamps (edited 02-11-2001).]