Priceline.com = VacationDream.com
Written: Aug 31 '01 (Updated Nov 26 '01)
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The Bottom Line
With cost-savings as a priority to me, Priceline.com allowed us to spend more time concentrating on making "memories" of our vacation, and less on the cost actually getting there!
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| Full Review |
I am a married, working mother with two children (nine years apart), also a home-owner with two dogs, a cat, lots of fish, and plenty of stress. After six long years of dedicating "extra" money elsewhere and no "family vacation", my hubby and I decided we were long overdue for a vacation. However, having just started a new job (with not a lot of vacation time accrued), and with my husband being a small business owner with no benefits, where could we go that we haven't been before (i.e., in driving distance)? Could we fly? After deciding where we wanted to go (Las Vegas/LA from Dayton), I immediately started checking costs.
From Dayton to Las Vegas with a lay-over, the cost was $401. Ouch! Four people X $401, there goes the vacation. I tried again, Cincinnati to Las Vegas, a little better, $391, still with a layover, and still not within our budget. At my husband's urging, I tried Chicago to Las Vegas, even better at $265, with a layover at, guess where, Cincinnati! (That in itself is another Epinion.) Then somebody suggested Priceline.com. What did I have to lose? A little or a lot, depending on how you look at it.
When you enter the Priceline.com site, it is very user-friendly, even the novice computer techie can manuever through the site. You can choose flight days, even specified airlines, and name your price ("bid"). The site advises you if your dates are high-flight dates which could result in rejection of your bid. You have the option of keeping your dates and still picking your airlines, or giving some latitude with that. You do not have any control over the times of the flight that is chosen.
I entered my preferred dates (no preferred airline) and the top price I was willing to pay (at least the top I was willing to admit to at that time), then the screen changed and informed me that I must enter my credit card information. Which caused some concern, but I chose to take the risk.
IF, Priceline.com is able to match the dates and bid, your card will be automatically billed, you have no opportunity to back out. This is a risk, to say the least. With my situation, I had certain days I wanted to travel (preferrably fly out the evening after I got off work, and return early afteroon the day before I had to return to work). Since you have no choice in the flight times, in order to avoid risking flying out when I was supposed to be working, or returning at 11:00 p.m. the night before I had to return to work, I used the day after my last working day, and the Saturday before I was to return. In a perfect world, I would fly out early my "first" day of vacation and return early afternoon on Sunday. However, this to me was minor if I could get the price I was able to pay for my family and I to take a much needed vacation. Keep in mind that if Priceline.com is unable to match your bid exactly, your card is NOT charged.
Also important to note, anytime you fly these days, surcharges and taxes are added to your flight charge. In my research, these averaged about $40-55 per ticket. When you bid at Priceline.com, these charges are inclusive, so if Priceline.com is able to match your bid including these charges, your bid is rejected and your card is not charged. Some of the web sites I encountered would quote you a price which did not include these additional costs.
The formula/strategy I used was information. I knew the average price airlines were charging, including information obtained on the web as well as through travel agents and the airlines themselves. Then I picked a realistic figure I was able to spend and started low. If your bid is rejected, no harm/no foul, you can increase your bid and try again.
My husband and I sat at the computer and moved through the questions: Destination, travel date, return date. We were given the option of changing our dates (no), and also asked were we willing to fly out of an alternate airport (Columbus, Cleveland), Columbus was an option we had not thought of and were amenable to. Finally, the moment of truth, how much were we willing to pay?
Using our "strategy" we decided that a flight to Las Vegas for four for $100 would be very cool. Add to that the average "surcharge", and we came up with $135. After all, we were risking inconvenient flight times and were uncertain exactly from where we would be flying. Realistically, we could always re-bid.
We finalized our information, and received a prompt "Based on the information entered, you have a less than 1% chance of receiving your fare at the chosen bid. Would you like to increase your bid?" "No." Continue. In less than 15 minutes, we received an email advising us to return to the site to see if our bid had been accepted. The moment of truth!
We returned to the site and low and behold, our bid had been accepted, with a full itinerary. We saved $1,064!!! Also, and purely by the luck of the draw, my flight times were exactly what I wanted. Again, keep in mind, you have NO control over flight times!
Having saved $1,064 in fare, we now have the time (vacation days) and the money, to enjoy our vacation. If you are travelling anywhere by air in the future, I would highly recommend Priceline.com.
P.S. The tickets are electronic, you show up at the airport with a confirmation. There is a surcharge if you require paper tickets. Therefore, some of the details below-listed may not apply, but there was no N/A option!.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Mari
Location: Ohio
Reviews written: 51
Trusted by: 50 members
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