Priceline....should I book???
 

We're traveling to Ireland the first 2 weeks of September. Aerlingus shows a price of $1370 for 2 roundtrip. I went on Priceline and bid $500 each and it's coming out to be $1193 for 2, but I can't see the times until afterwards. They have deals that do show the times for $1290. The duration is about 13-15 hours, is this right traveling from Los Angeles? And we've never used Priceline, so I'm unsure if I should take the risk and purchase the lowest airfare and then find out the times are horrible! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi tl,

Aer Lingus non-stop LAX to Dublin is 11:05 hr.

A one stop flight via Chicago is about 15 hr because of the layover time.

Is the risk of a very inconvenient flight worth saving $90 pp?

((I))

That's the catch with Priceline - the unknown. You just have to expect the worst case scenario and be willing to accept it if you want the lowest price. You may get better, but you may end up with a flight with a layover in Chicago, New York, Atlanta or Boston.

I never bid on Priceline for airfares unless I've done a lot of research about fares, schedule, etc.

If you haven't already, check the biddingfortravel.com site to see what others have bid and one on Priceline for this type of flight.

You're talking about less than two hundred dollars difference between Aer Lingus and a Priceline crapshoot. Even if you can pick the times for the $1290 fare, once you buy it you own it. Lots can happen between now and Sept.

To me, this isn't just a scheduling issue. I haven't used Priceline so don't know what guarantees they give you regarding airlines and number of stops, but if none, you could easily end up with a flight taking 16 hours with two layovers for that route. On top of that, I'd bet you'd end up with United or USAir or some airline in bankruptcy, unless they guarantee you wont.

Even if it's just a scheduling thing and long layover, any time you introduce stops, you run a greater risk of missed flights and lost luggage.

So, is that worth saving $90 to you? It wouldn't be for me, but perhaps some others. Also, once you buy tickets on Priceline, you don't have the same customer service safeguards as real tickets, as I understand it. Maybe someone can clarify on that point.

That's what I'm afraid of. I don't want to have an extremely long layover, but when we left Shannon Airport and stopped in Toronto the last time, going through customs was a complete nightmare! We had a 2 hour layover and we almost missed our flight by 5 minutes! On Aerlingus it's showing LAX to Dublin and then to Shannon so I don't believe we even get off the plane.I'm almost thinking we should just fly to Dublin instead, because on the return we have to stop in Dublin for 2 hours?

From what you've just said I rather doubt the $90 "savings" is really worth it..you have too many previously "bad" experiences, etc. For this type of deal you need to be TOTALLY flexible and chilled to the max..so forget it, spend the extra money, and start thinking about other aspects of this trip.

Yes, don't forget that your time and peace of mind are worth something, too. If it's not a substantial savings, it may not be worth the risk.

tlucey, you probably already know this, but just in case: "All Name Your Own Price(R) tickets are non-transferable, nonrefundable and cannot be cancelled, refunded or exchanged." [Source: Priceline's FAQ]

This is something to keep in mind if there's any risk that your travel plans will change between now and September. Though ordinary discount tickets are also non-refundable, they can usually be changed for a fee of several hundred dollars per ticket (but always read the fare rules before buying, to make sure).

Any thoughts from others about the right time to buy? Fares in the high six hundreds (USD, per person, including taxes and fees) are acceptable for a transatlantic itinerary from the US West Coast -- but not great.

Paul Marcelin-Sampson
Santa Cruz, California, USA

Be very careful with priceline. We booked to Ireland a few years ago and the flights were over sold, we were bumped coming and going. It took us an extra day to get there and an extra day to get home. The airline could have cared less as we booked through priceline. It's not worth the hassle to save a few bucks.

"Priceline...should I book?" Maybe, but not yet. First go to www.biddingfor travel.com and study the bidding process until you are thoroughly familiar with every detail. Then study it some more. IMHO, it's way to early to use PL for September tickets. Watch fares carefully for a while (June or July), and maybe you'll be lucky enough to find a sale. If not, then you can think about PL.