I need advice on purchasing airline tickets from Priceline or Hotwire...please let me know about your expeience...thanks!

I used priceline last summer to Hawaii from NY and got a fair of 487, the over the counter price was 1200. This year they were not going lower than 690 what I paid on a one week only deal offer from continental seven months before departure. The airlines seem to be playing the keep them guessing game. So I am not sure those deals from price line are out there.

VERY EXTENSIVE website discussing bidding strategies and prior winning bids as well as "bonus money": www.biddingfortravel.com

I've used Hotwire (and was VERY satisfied), but next time i will try Priceline as i hear you can often get a better deal w/ Priceline. HOWEVER, you have to use these companies with the right attitude. You must be flexible in your plans, don't expect a specific hotel, and if flying, be prepared to fly at anytime of the day.

I agree that www.biddingfortravel.com is a good source for info, just beware of the dictator, er I mean administrator as she can be a real @#%@# sometimes!

I don't know about there being no deals on Priceline anymore. We got from MI to FL (Orlando) for a total of $112 per person this year. And we stayed in a great hotel when we got there for a total of $116 for 4 nights. I've booked 6 hotel rooms (for myself and various family members) through Priceline for an upcoming wedding for $28 per room. Patience pays off.

I agree about Sheryl, the administrator at biddingfortravel.com. She can't be quite rude at times. However, the site is a great way to research bidding information.

Hey XXXXXX, I'm glad to know it's not just me. I won't post on that board anymore due to her attitude, which means that the other members lose out on my bidding history. I wonder how many others she has scarred off or who just "lurk" in the background like me. It's really too bad, because I think she could really build a community there if she'd just relax a little (or a lot!).

I understand that when bidding on a hotel room, it is for two people. What is the percentage of times that you received two beds? As a mom traveling with a 17 year old son, you can see where this is important. After receiving the name of the hotel, have you called the hotel directly to make special requests? Am I just reaching here?

Can someone tell me what Biddingfortravel.com is? Thank you.

Hi Merilee,
You may also want to check out Expedia.com for airfare. I got an excellent "bargain fare" deal thru Expedia. I took a chance, since I was blind to the time I would fly & what airline I would fly with. You are notified immediately of your flight itinerary. I was very pleased! Got the shortest flight timewise.

I agree with the comments regarding the administrator at biddingfortravel.com, however, in her defense, it IS one of the easiest boards to find what your looking for and not have to sift through lots of junk. I think her (stiff) rules keep the board "clean" and pertinent. The site IS quite extensive, and without her "strictness", it would be a mess, as well as you finding information you needed in "improper threads."

Joan, I've had a couple of experiences where I wasn't able to get 2 beds. I once received Homewood Suites (?) on a 2* bid and along with my Priceline acceptance letter was "A note on Homewood Suites". It explained that these accomodations contained one queen bed and that maid service was not available on a daily basis. Supposedly this was to make the guest feel more at home and less intruded upon.

Another time I had very luckily booked 2 rooms for my family of 4. Each room had a king bed. We had to change rooms because of a broken air conditioner and we were given another king room. It just so happened that this hotel was hosting a couple of family reunions, booked months in advance, and doubles just were not available.

biddingfortravel.com is a website, type it in to the URL window on your browser window, hit enter, and then you can see exactly what it is! Amazing technology, eh? How lazy are you?

Lazy, Thanks for nothing, smartass. Gee, it didn't occur to me to type in the website address and actually go there! You know it really does take less time to ignore my post than to make a rude and useless comment. Thank god all the posters on this site aren't as nasty as you are ...

Curious: I too, logged onto biddingfortravel and don't get it. I think I'm brain-dead.
Lazy: What a snotty remark.

The site explains bidding strategies for Priceline and allows posters to list their bidding success (or failures).

I don't think I've ever gone to a website and not been able to figure out what it was (possible exception: a website that claimed to decipher speeches by politicians etc that were played backwards. Even with the sound clips and helpfully provided "translation" I still didn't "get" it.).

Lazy was just stating what many of us were thinking. And besides,the second response to this thread stated: "VERY EXTENSIVE website discussing bidding strategies and prior winning bids as well as "bonus money": www.biddingfortravel.com"