garynfla

I used them for a renta ca car in Myrtle beach in June.. All rentals companies wanted 400..plus for a luxury car, PL came in at my 249.00 request,I have rec'd the same type of deals with them on Airfare, Purto Vallarta was 635.on all major airlines, with PL I got my 399 and flights were great.I am a beleiver!!!!!!!!

doolin

And what exactly is the point of your post John? To let us know that you have money to burn? At least you should get your facts straight before calling people nuts. I just had a fabulous stay in NYC and knew exactly what area of the city I was bidding for. And the hotel was wonderful...adn at a great price!!! Thanks to priceline.com . I'm a believer too!!! Priceline's for me.

Michelle M

Me too. I was very hesitant to use PL- and then...I paid $90 at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC. Just request 5-star/ luxury.

jill

I don't think John has any more money to burn than myself or the others. However, I agree with him that it's more like taking a chance on your accomodations-if you cannot be flexible. You're generally bidding blindly. But if I could have a flexible schedule then I too may try it. The savings are substantial it seems.

Andrew

Jill, you are not "bidding blindly" at all if you use BiddingForTravel.com . This is a website where Priceline bidders record their successful bids. From this info you not only get an idea of the prices people are paying, you get an idea where people are staying in particular cities. Priceline does not use every hotel in town; you are probably going to get only one of several hotels. BFT helps you learn which ones.<BR><BR>When you look at the results of people's bids and you see two or three nice hotels in the area and quality range in which you want to say, it's very easy to think, "Wow, for 60% off, I could stay in any of those three nice places - who CARES which one?"<BR><BR>If you bid in a high enough quality range (3-star or higher), you are usually assured of getting a very decent place even without knowing bidding data. Priceline uses pretty safe bets most of the time - Marriotts, Hiltons, and Sheratons. In Portland where I live they even use botique hotels like the Hotel Vintage Plaza - a very desirable property. Honestly, I think people worry far too much about getting "dumps" with Priceline. Most of the bidding results I see are posts from very satisfied Priceline customers.<BR><BR>Andrew<BR>

doolin

Excellent reply, Andrew!! You explained it perfectly. It certainly isn't 'bidding blindly', as Jill suggested. I did a lot of homework on bidding for travel before deciding to go ahead with priceline. I then chose to bid on a 4 star.... quite true I didn't know which one I would be staying at, but I knew I would be thrilled with any 4 star. ..Any of them would be more than I could normally afford. I will always use priceline for hotels. I think it's great. I'm only disappointed that Canadians can't use the airfares and car rentals.

jill

Thanks for correcting me Andrew. I did not realize it's that simple-really got the impression that it's a blind bid. I may give Priceline a try then.

kayd

After seeing several references on this board to Priceline and biddingfortravel.com, I decided to give it a try. Next week I will stay in the Boston Sheraton at the Pru for about $82/night (including taxes and Priceline's $6 service charge), while the rack rate for that hotel on my dates was $219. When I stay in comparable hotels for work, the convention rate is in the vicinity of $150, so I'm pleased with the price I got.<BR>Many thanks to the Fodors posters who steered me to biddingfortravel -- I would never have considered Priceline if I had not read up on it at BFT and learned from others' bidding strategies.

Vincent

I have been tempted to use Priceline UK on different occasions for flights, but, at the last minute, always chickened out. I wouldn't hesitate a minute for a hotel in the US, where star rating is more consistent than in Europe, and the general hotel culture is open to fierce price negotiation. But I wanted to book a London-Panama, and, due to the JFK-AMS, was afraid to be eventually stranded into a three day journey. In this case, it really is a blind date. And even BFT recommends that you shouldn't try to bid for more than 20 % reduction off the common rate. Basically, I think that PL's strength is its negotiating power in the US due to the volume of American travel. When it goes to less traveled routes, and especially from Europe, I am afraid that its rationale doesn't work any more. But I would be happy to be converted...

Ann

Vincent-I've used priceline.co.uk for hotels in Glasgow and Liverpool. Both times got Marriott, at about 1/3 of the rack rate.

Jen

Vincent, I was very surprised to read that you think that the hotel star rating system is more consistent in the US. Whatever the European system is, it can hardly be less consistent than the US system, as there simply isn't one. Priceline, Mobil, Hotwire, AAA (which uses diamonds rather than stars) etc. all have their own rating systems and since the criteria vary, any given hotel can have very different star ratings simultaneously, from the different systems. But the Priceline web site does spell out their criteria quite explicitly. There are only a handful of hotels in the US that are rated 5-star by Priceline..

clif

Nuts? I'm at the Copthorne Tara in London right now. Got the room on Priceline for $90.00. It would have gone for $200.00 plus. And I did choose which part of London and rating of hotel. I also got to Paris last week on a $400.00 round trip ticket (Raleigh - Paris) from Priceline. It works for me.

xxx

We are leaving Thursday on flights we booked through Priceline for the first time. We got great Delta flights from Denver to Madrid, Spain. So who's nuts?

Jerry

I like taking risks and am full aware of the risks I take from bidding on Priceline. No need to slam people who like to take a risk. Maybe you should take more risks.

rory

To John, Eddie, and other naysayers of Priceline: I've stayed at the Stanhope in NY for $75 a night, whereas the rack rates are far higher than that. Tell me, where else can one find a deal like that? No amount of research is going to get you that kind of price for that kind of hotel. Why pay the same price for a dump when you can get luxury?<BR><BR>Eddie: You sound like the one who is "intelligence impaired". As for myself, I only graduated Magna Cum Laude from college. That must make me a moron, right?

Me too

I have also gotten some fabulous deals at Priceline and will continue to do so in the future. Good to know that we won't be running into John or Eddie at the next MENSA meeting!

SeeMore

OK Priceliners. Read your posts. All of them. Priceline is good because you can't beat the price. Period. No service, no guarantees, no help 800 numbers, nothing. Just price.<BR><BR>If you paid $75 to stay at the Stanhope in NY, but your flight is cancelled and you get in a day late, 1) do you get a refund for the missed night?, 2) do you get reimbursed for the night at an unplanned hotel en route?<BR><BR>If you get beri beri and can't travel, can you change dates? Get a refund? NOPE.<BR><BR>If you show up and they have no record of your reservation and all you have is a confirmation from Priceline, and it's midnight in NYC, and you can't get online to send a complaint to Priceline, what can you do?<BR><BR>I like adventure but not that kind. Thanks, but no thanks.

Hmmm

Absolutley agree. Especially for airline tickets. Why would anyone agree to pay for anything without knowing what you are getting? How can you make a "bid" without knowledge of the details? It is NUTS! Goes to show PT Barnum had it right.

Jen

SeeMore, I agree with everything you said. Except your last sentence. I'm a Priceine enthusiast. Apparently I'm willing to take the risks associated with Priceline and you're not. Fine; something for everyone.<BR><BR>Me, I'm willing to take the risk of the occasional lost night(s), since I'm paying less than half-price. That's definitely a trade-off, and one that each individual has to assess for themselves. To me, the bottom line looks very cost-effective.<BR><BR>Be realistic, when your flight is delayed and you have to stay in a different city, it matters not a bit what type of reservation you have at your destination, that hotel isn't going to help you at your unexpected halfway point. And lost reservations happen in any system, as any experienced traveler or reader of these boards knows. Common sense tells you to call the hotel and confirm, regardless of the type of res.<BR><BR>It's true, you get what you pay for. If you're willing to pay twice as much because you're afraid of beriberi (easily preventable wtih vitamin pills, BTW), then go right ahead.

SeeMore

Jan, I've had very good luck with understanding hotels when stranded. I was stuck in Salt Lake City recently when a mechanical caused our flight to make an emergency landing. It was about 9:00pm in NYC when I called and explained our plight. They said they would cancel the no-show and would hold my room for next day arrival.<BR><BR>Our "hotel" that night was the plane, which landed 12 hours late into Newark. <BR><BR>We got to the hotel at 6:00am and they let us check in at no charge.<BR><BR>The booking was made with their res. system.<BR><BR>A Friend booked a flight on Priceline (LA to Cincinnati) and his flight was cancelled about 45 minutes before scheduled departure. Delta refused to rebook him. Told him to take it up with Priceline. He didn't go (unrestricted Y class was way too expensive.)