Self fulfilling prophecy. I'd be pissed also if I were a member of your family.

What is the big deal...get up early!!! When we travel during the winter our charters leave at 7:00 a.m.usually...and everything is all set for a 3:00 a.m. wakeup....or sleep at the airport hotel...Frankly, I'd rather get at my destination earlier.

I second ParrotMom! We get to the airport early, armed with backups. You know, magazines, books, and sometimes even Travel Scrabble. And we've never missed a flight.

WHAT??? Bunch a HOAX?? Oh say it ain't so. >-)

Congratulations bunchargum...you got what you were looking for on this troll, a "bunch of arguments".

Bunchargum, there are so many ways you don't seem to "get it" that perhaps it's not worth trying to explain. But first, any post that is designed to get people into an argument is a troll, as is any post that describes an unlikely situation in order to provoke answers, criticisms, praise, or some other manipulated response. A hoax is the highest form of trollhood.

This thread is an example at least of a troll insofar as it really sounded like you wanted someone to tell you Priceline was going to be less rigorous about their rules than they say they are. The "what would happen" question sounded exactly like a teenager being told to get home by 11 pm and asking, "well, what would happen if I got in at, say, 11:01".

Rightly, many responders pointed out that with Priceline you have a contract where the benefit of a cheaper fare is secured with the "price" of very strict conditions. What else would you expect? Nonetheless, the kind Fodorites also offered all sorts of suggestions to help you avoid the inevitable -- which apparently you ignored or, amazingly, circumstances conspired to undermine.

In fact, your follow-up story is almost hard to believe -- self-fullfilling prophecy indeed! What did you want us to say? You were late through no fault of your own? The airline was cruel and heartless? I can just imagine how thrilled the airline was to be dealing with someone who paid 40% of their lowest fare, standing there "with much crying and complaining!"

As to hoax vs. troll regarding her other posts, Bunchargum seems to think they are on "important" travel issues. Well, that's always going to be a matter of opinion, but the entire motivation for most of her posts seems to be to stir something up -- often very nonspecific as to place or trip -- and be the focal point of it all. Yup, quintessential troll mentality.

Amen to that. Bunchargum's post always have an element of interest, but the overriding thing seems to be intent on starting a tussle.

John, Sad but true. I think there are less deals to priceline as there are to travel agents ... I did look just a day or two before that fare drop, promos were out there though for upcoming drops. I Bid on those dates and I did not get a bite. Well now I am not going for other reasons.

Being that I was one of the Fodorites who offered Bunch some advice, I also cannot sympathize with the fact that s/he missed the flight. Stop complaining and next time get up like the rest of us would have if we had been saving 60% off the fare!!! (or even if we hadn't saved that much and payed full price....it's called responsibility, Bunch, or is this word new to you?) Save it for someone who cares about that kind of bull.

Let's back up here a moment.

Assuming for the sake of discussion that this is a true story (and I certainly have my doubts), let's imagine that there was NO "rolling pot hole crew" and that you were actually the only car on the road. I still don't see how you could have been on time.

You have to be at the airport ready to check-in AT LEAST one hour beforehand (and oftentimes two hours). So even cutting it to the bone, that would be 5:05 a.m. So by leaving at 4:45 a.m. that means you left yourself exactly twenty whole minutes to drive there, park the car, unload your luggage, and get from the parking lot to the airport. Even if you lived next door to the airport, you couldn't do that. So who are you fooling (obviously all of us--ha ha)?

It either never happened, or you had no intention of getting there on time, traffic jam or not.

By the way--Wasn't there another post along these same lines awhile back?

Judy24, there have been several similar troll posts and variations:

3-29 says Wash. DC is her hometown
4-13 just returned from FL trip
4-16 scheduled trip to CA for the following week
4-18 questions location of San Francisco
4-25 almost overbid on priceline
4-28 wants to know where the nicest place in the U.S. is in the spring. Wants to go there
5-29 2:10 PM discusses recent flight on small commercial plane
5-29 2:55 PM discusses recent cross country car trip
6-01 infers she lives in northern VA
6-10 her missed 6:01 flight out of BWI

I have better things to do than dwell on his/her posts. There must be some easy way to check this stuff out, huh?? I certainly hope nobody spends that much time on Bunch (or anyone else who trolls.) Bunch is just having fun with all of us. Probably is 15 and doesn't travel much. LOL

Bunch, how much money did you end up wasting?

I'd kill to get a 6:05a.m. flight from P'line!
Most of the times we've flown and got tics thru them, you usually get the 11a.m./2p.m. flights, the less popular ones.

Since we're only about 20 mins. from SMF <around 15 if we go thru the rice fields!> 6:05 is no problemo...Even if we get behind on of those thingamajiggers.

Kal

Pothole Crew?!? I'd say we've been had. I hope everyone notices if you add a few more letters to finish bunch's name you get buncharguments.

What a sad state of affairs! To those people who have gone through my prior postings trying to figure out the truth and determine if I am a man or a women, GET A LIFE!

Yes, everything in the story is true, and I lost about $350.00, Priceline air, car and hotels.

Bunch, the price for your entire family's vacation was only $350?

Must be either:

a)very small family of trolls
or
b)the worst, cheapest location in the world to vacation.

Which was it?

The $350.00 was for me only. I was on my way to visit family in Iowa. The cost break down was: $158.00 airfare, 3 nights at a hotel $41.00 a night ($123.00) and $69.00 for two days of a car rental. (close estimates) All were lost because I did not make the flight. All prepaid using Priceline!

Silly you.

In all reality, did you really expect to get from Northern VA or DC to BWI in 20 or 25 minutes? The trip from the beltway to the BWI exit on the Baltimore- Washington Parkway alone takes at least that long. I don't think your gender is being questioned, it's just that..............