Priceline.com: There's no Telling What You Might Get!
Written: Aug 02 '01 (Updated May 16 '05)
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The Bottom Line
Priceline.com is too risky. You can get good deals, but you never know what type of room you're going to get.
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| Full Review |
Priceline.com is a web service that specializes in travel, purchasing new cars, long distance discounts, and home financing. This service was popularized by the television commercials featuring William Shatner. Priceline.com service isn’t quite as popular as it was last year, in part because of the overall decline in dot.com businesses and also because of Priceline.com’s own shortcomings. For this review, I’m going to discuss the pros/cons of Priceline.com hotel reservations, one of its many travel services.
How Does it Work?:
If you have never used Priceline.com before, let me give you a quick summary of the concept. Priceline.com allows the customer to search for hotel lodging (or airfare, cars, etc.) in a selected city. Instead of just listing out the places to stay and the prices, Priceline.com allows the customer to place a bid on the hotel room. Priceline.com then searches for a hotel that will accept the offer. If it finds one, it makes the reservation for you and sends you a notification.
You begin your lodging search by entering either an airport code or the name of a city. The city can be in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, or the Caribbean. You then enter your check- in and check- out dates, along with the number of rooms that you need to reserve. On the next screen, you will be asked to select a quality level of hotel that you want to reserve (economy, moderate, upscale, etc.). Next to each level, Priceline.com shows you what the average retail price is per night, for each quality level, to help you make your decision. Then, you will be asked to enter your bid, per room, per night.
The next screen that pops up will ask you to confirm your request. If you decide to move on to the final screen, you will be asked to enter your credit card information and billing address. If your offer is accepted, Priceline.com will immediately purchase your hotel rooms and charge your credit card for the base rate, plus taxes and a flat $5.95 Priceline.com service charge.
What’s Wrong With Priceline.com Hotels?:
I have the same problems with Priceline.com hotels that I have with its flight reservations. I realize that this type of service can result in finding a great deal, but I don’t like the “hit and miss” approach, when it comes to lodging. You don’t get to see a listing of possible hotels; you don’t get to see any pictures; you don't get any information on the hotels themselves; and you don’t get a chance to back out of the deal. You have to take what you get, and live with it. Priceline.com assumes that you have already done your homework and know what the average prices are in the area, so that you can make a competitive bid, and they leave the responsibility to you, the customer, to find information on the hotels and what they have to offer. Of course, with this type of service, you don't know what you're going to get until the offer is accepted so you really can't look up hotel information until you know where you're going to be staying, and the hotel that you get may not meet your expectations at all.
There’s no telling what Priceline.com might find for you. They make deals with hotels by offering your bid for excess inventory, with the hope that the hotel will accept a low offer because a discounted sale is better than no sale at all. Sometimes, you can end up with a great room at a low rate. Other times, Priceline.com may not come through with a great deal, and you will be stuck with a sub-par room, usually still at a low rate, but a sub- par room nonetheless.
Priceline.com will only make reservations for those who are over 21 years of age. Purchases through Priceline.com are not eligible for frequent traveler points, upgrades, or any other discount or incentive. And, once you make your purchase, there is no way to back out of the deal. You cannot cancel or change your request, and you can’t get a refund. Whether you like the hotel or not, that accepted your bid, you better learn to like it, because you’re stuck with it!
Final Thoughts:
Priceline.com does provide a way for the consumer to quickly find a room at a discounted rate, and it does allow you to make a reservation without first setting up an account. It can be useful for those travelers who just need a quick place to stay and don’t care what type of room they get, and for those who don’t plan on spending much time in their room. If you fit into one of these categories, then Priceline.com might suit you well.
I like the idea of placing a bid, and then waiting for acceptance, because this can often lead to finding the best possible deal. If Priceline.com would make a few improvements to this service, it would be much, much better. At the very least, they need to change the reservation system. They should send you back an e-mail, showing you a list of offers that are close to your bid, along with a link to check what the hotel is like and what amenities it offers. Then, if you find one you like, you could then accept the offer. The way it is now, you have to take whatever Priceline.com can find you, and there is no way to back out of the deal.
My bottom line on Priceline.com is that, in almost all instances, you would be better off using a different service. Unless you’re just looking for a place to sleep, Priceline.com’s “hit and miss” strategy results in too much uncertainty and too many “what ifs”. I prefer to know what I’m going to get, when I travel.
Priceline.com hotels gets a thumbs- down from me!
Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read More Reviews on Other Popular Travel Web Sites:
American Express Travel
Cheapairlines.com
Travelnow.com
Cheaptravel.com
Hotel Discount.com
Bestfares.com
Hotwire.com
America’s Vacation Center
Expedia.com Flights
Expedia.com Hotels
Expedia.com Cruises
Travelocity.com Flights
Travelocity.com Hotels
Priceline.com Flights
Vacations To Go
Vacationspot.com
Flycheap.com
LowestFare.com
Mytravelco.com
Placestostay.com
Orbitz.com
Cheaptickets.com
Recommended:
No
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