Clifton, I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope you were able to find a place in LA.

Lee Ann

Thank you for the comments everyone. I'm sort of at a loss for knowing what else to say about that, I'm afraid, and am not quite myself but it they're appreciated.

We did go ahead last night and just book with travelodge through an Australian site (saving the exchange anyway). Just too much else going on to spend more time on it. But I'm sure we'll travel back through LA again and get flights that don't match up again, so will keep the bidding approach in mind. We just didn't know in time about whether 3 people presented a problem and wasn't in a risk taking mood. But it sounds like there are great deals to be had.

Taking off in ~18 hrs and have nothing packed and ready for maybe a 4 week or so trip... so I better get on this. Thanks again.

Oh and Ann - yes, on our way to STL. Well, STC anyway.

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, Clifton.

The thing with priceline is that they will only guarantee 2 beds- maybe a queen that sleeps two or two twins. You just don't know till you get there. If your daughter will sleep in your bed, or if she can sleep on a couch or "bed" made out of a folded bedspread you'll be fine. (I've found hotels will always give you an extra sheet and pillow if you go that route.)

In LA , where hotel rooms are big, you can often pay a bit more and get a rollaway, but I would never try this in NYc where there's usually no room for a rollaway!

Just a quick comment re the 'PL double issue' -- In SF or NYC or London, etc. a double is a double and you really can't hope to squeeze in even a small child. But most airport or suburban hotels have either king or two-queen rooms. Most of the time when you check in they ask what sort of bed configuration you want.

Does PL guarantee two beds? I thought they only guarantee sleeping space for two people, which more often than not is the less popular king size bed.

In some parts of LA such as downtown and Hollywood it is hard to find queen beds, they use mostly doubles there. At LAX, there is a mix, you have to shop around for queen beds.

PL doesn't guarantee bed types, but one can usually call the hotel and put in a <b>request</b>, which is not guaranteed either. But with a LAX hotel, I seriously doubt it will be an issue for the OP with a toddler. It is not like they want to put 3 adults in the room and must have 2 queens. If that's the case, then don't do PL.

Yes, the request which may or may not be honored. And the possibility of two adults cramming themselves into a double bed after a 12+ hour flight.

Actually, I don't think I've ever had a double bed in California, unless there are two beds in a room. It's normally two beds OR a Queen or King when a room is sold as a double (for two people). But you just never know with PL

4 hotels reported as 4* on Betterbidding for LAX zone. Not hard to check what beds do they have:

Hliton - King or 2 Doubles
Renaissance Montura - King or 2 Doubles
Sheraton - King or 2 Queens
Westin - King or 2 Doubles

If all are acceptable, then it's okay to use PL. If one type is unacceptable in any of the hotels, then don't use PL.

Oh Clifton, I'm so sorry.

My Mother in Law died in July and we had to make plans to fly to England, thankfully we had 2 weeks between her death and the crematorium service so we, my BIL in Kentucky and my BIL in Sydney could all make plans to be at the funeral.

It's not easy at all trying to come to terms with your grief and dealing with 'real' life.

Sorry.