ttlax

Sometimes they do this on the original offer as well. I've made a few bids over the last month and sometimes its a non stop and sometimes its not...even on the original offer.

techmom

Have anyone bid on priceline for flight to Europe. I'm particular interested in LAX-ARN with one stop only. How do I find out if the flight is 1 stop or 2 stops before bidding?
Thanks

Romelle

You might check out www.betterbidding.com or www.biddingfortravel.com for a little more discussion.

You've certainly got a fighting change of getting the 1 stop flight, since it is also cheaper for the airline, and most of the majors have 1 stop flights from LAX. That tax analysis discussed earlier could also be helpful.

Romelle

flyingstudent

I just used PL NYOP for a SFO-YVR ticket (ongoing price $550 for nonstop). The counter offer actually comes back showing nonstop service both ways.

For international ticket, NYOP price needs to include taxes.

I ended up getting the United evening flight outbound, losing a day. I save more than $200 and got a nonstop, so I guess that's fine.

rasheed

I need more data points here, but I recently did a booking for a weekend trip (Fri-Sun) and received a flight with 45 hours and 52 minutes on the ground. It ended up being Fri morning to Sun morning (which is not as great), but it appears that Priceline may be doing the minimum stay lengths on not just vacation package bookings.

Thanks,
Rasheed

Colfax

Last week I got a great deal on an airline ticket via Priceline bidding...more than half off the best available rate. It's been five years or more since I won an airline ticket on PL.

I was bidding two days before the trip, roundtrip SMF to PHX. Southwest was $526 with tax. Best available rate $454 with tax.

I was very surprised when my first Priceline bid of $150 was accepted. $202.15 with taxes and fees. United Express with connection in LAX both ways. Could a lower bid have worked?

Departure times were late both ways: 7:21pm and 8:08pm. That could be inconvenient but for this trip it was fine.

So don't write off Priceline for airline tickets completely, especially for last minute purchases.

ChanmanX

This is the reason why there are so few opportunities to actually use their air product. They may guarantee a minimum "playtime" on the ground, but that schedule is pretty much a no-go for any working stiff looking for a weekend jaunt. You don't get use of your Sunday and you'd have to bail early (or possibly take the whole day off) on Friday. These fares usually require the crappiest booking class and all the "good" flights (fri/sun evenings) never have 'em.

Not trying to crap on your deal; you got a great one, just saying that opportunities to use PL's air product are really limited to longer stays where flight time is not as much of an issue.

rasheed

I am in full agreement here with the flexibility problem. I think there is a market for a premium bid product with time ranges (these used to exist I think on some sites).

Aside from this, when you look at the lowest fare for a given route and the fares often found these days (especially for last minute or any 'peak' days), if you can deal with the flexibility, I think Priceline can provide a very cheap choice.

There are a number of destinations where you do not get much flexibility in cheap ticket travel these days (I would put Hawaii and non-stop to major Europe destinations in that category) where I think Priceline is a great option.

All of those non-stops to Europe are charging absurd fares right now via retail, but the potential price via Priceline NYOP could be very good because the airlines want the bookings.

Rasheed

ecgz88

thanks! priceline fee is $8 per ticket or $8 each way?

GUWonder

For PCLN NYOP tickets it is worth trying to get frequent flyer miles out of it. I've rather routinely in recent years been earning miles from such tickets. Although it may take trying to credit the flights to the program of an airline that is partners with the operating airline in order to get miles, it often enough works even with the operating airline's own program too.

Colfax

Priceline fee is about $8 per ticket but it's bundled with the taxes into one figure called "tax/fee".

ALadyNCal

FWIW, PL was not a great option for Hawaii tkts for me. I submitted close to two dozen bids in the four days before travel (mid April). Airfares were $550+. I bid all the way to $450 (ai) on PL and did not get anything I gave up at that point.

Dieuwer

How about biz fares? Can you bid for those?

Colfax

Sorry, no.

nigelloring

Sorry for being dim, but does this mean that nonstop taxes & fees are $28, 1-stop = $38, 2-stop = $48?

Thank you.