Priceline.com is a discount website. You've probably seen
William Shatner of Star Trek fame hawking the site on
TV ads. The current services Priceline offers are
US & Canada hotel rooms, prepaid long distance, home
loan refinancing, new car buying, rental cars from 5
agencies and airline tickets.

Best known for discount air tickets, that's how I first
came to this site. I had to fly a long way for a funeral
and had little notice. Prices were sky high (pun intended)
and I wanted to pay less. Friends said use Priceline.
Since I've only used the site for air tickets, that's
the experience that will be reviewed here.

Entering the air fare page of the site, I am to enter my
departure and arrival airports and the dates of travel.
If one or both of my dates entered are peak travel days,
I'm given the option to change either or both. This
could give me better prices since more seats are available
on non-peak days.

Now, the scary screen. I am asked to bid. After choosing
which airports are OK in the flight cities, I'm asked to
name a price. A fee of $5.95 for ticketing and airport
taxes of $12-36 will be added to my bid if accepted.

What's scary about that? The disclaimer which reads:

Because you can Name Your Own Price and save up to 40%
or more, all tickets sold through priceline are non
refundable, non-transferable, and non-changeable.

English, please? This means that if Priceline finds a
ticket within my bid price, they are going to charge my
credit card and send me my ticket. I won't know departure
or arrival times or any scheduled stops until after my
credit card has been charged. At that time, if I don't
like the times or stops, I have to lump it. Non refundable,
Non changeable. Period.

Options before bidding allow me to check whether:

o I am able to fly on additional travel dates that I
will select on the next page.

o I want priceline to look for flights during all
available flight times, including off-peak hour flights,
which may depart before 6am or after 10pm and may arrive
the next day.

o I am willing to make up to 2 connections each way.

o I am willing to fly on a non-jet aircraft.

Checking off any of these options increases Priceline's
chances of meeting your bid. But are you able to fly at
odd times? Do you want to fly a prop on Bing & Billy's
airline (In-laws movie joke)? Check any you are com-
fortable with, put in your price (remembering the fees
that will be added) and submit. Then you are given the
odds that your bid will be accepted. If you choose to
go ahead, you enter your initials and bid.

Now, the wait. Within minutes, usually 15, you'll get
an email letting you know the status of your bid. If you
asked for e-tickets and won your bid, they'll be emailed
to you as well. What if you don't like the tickets which
were purchased for you? Tough! Like them or else!
If you are particular about stops or times, Priceline
suggests using Travelocity.com to book through an agent.

How did it work out for me? I've used the service twice.
Both times I used Priceline, it was for adults only. For
my flight for a funeral and another time, for my parents
to attend a funeral, I bought through Priceline. We
each saved more than 60% off the lowest fares quoted us
by an airline or agent. Of course, those were for
flights with no advance notice. I don't know how much
Priceline.com would save me on a vacation trip that I
would typically book in advance. Now that my children
are older, I have more flexibility. Maybe I'll use
Priceline.com more.

Bottom line on Priceline's air fare service is that
savings are available for those who aren't particular.
If you want to choose departure and arrival times or
stops, go through an agent instead.



Recommended: Yes