Priceline Flights: Easy and cheap if you're flexible
Written: May 19 '02 (Updated May 20 '02)
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Priceline, http://www.priceline.com, has evolved over the years. At one point it was offering gas and grocery savings, but when they remained unprofitable Priceline returned to their mainstay of travel reservations. Originally, the only thing you could purchase at Priceline was airline tickets. Now, you can also purchase car rentals and hotel reservations. I have only ever purchased airline tickets from Priceline.
How Priceline Flight Reservations Work
Priceline was the first web site to offer reverse auctions. To purchase an airline ticket from Priceline, you start by specifying the departure city and date, arrival city and date, and the number of tickets you want to purchase. You can purchase up to 8 tickets at a time. Priceline is for personal, non-commercial use only. Priceline then gives you a choice of airports near your destination and arrival cities and asks you to "Name Your Own Price". The more airports you indicate you are willing to use for the trip, the more likely your price will be accepted. You must enter the passenger names, whether or not they are children, and the number of children under 2 traveling with you. Children under 2 may sit in your lap for the flight. If you do not want them to sit in your lap, e.g., you want them to travel in a safety seat, then you must purchase a separate ticket for them.
Options
There are three options that can affect the probability that your price will be accepted. The first is specifying that you are willing to take off-peak flights. Off-peak flights leave before 6 AM or after 10 PM and may depart as early as 5 AM and as late as 2 AM the next day. This means that you may actually be traveling in the wee hours of the morning the day after your departure date. Priceline automatically searches for non-stop flights and flights with one connection.
You may also specify that you are willing to accept up to 2 connections each way. Because of the airline hub system, this is generally a good choice to make. Many destinations are not available without 2 or more connection. However, this can also extend your flying and connection time considerably.
Finally, you can also specify that you are willing to fly on non-jet aircraft. You will always fly non-jet aircraft across an ocean, but domestic flights. However, many local and regional airports are serviced by turboprops, therefore specifying that you are willing to take non-jet aircraft increases your chance of having your price accepted.
There is a new option to pay $15 for travel insurance against unforeseen illness, injury, and baggage loss. The terms are clearly spelled out on the web site.
Pricing
Today, there are many bargain fare options, especially since September 11 devastated the travel industry. Do research into the price of bargain tickets on sites like Cheaptickets.com, HotWire.com and even regular travel sites like Expedia.com that offer sales before naming your price at Priceline.com. I usually would rather have some control over my travel times than save a couple of dollars at Priceline. I have not had a low-ball price accepted at Priceline in years.
If you put in a very low price, Priceline gives you a chance to increase your price. They will tell you prices that have a "Fair" and "Good" chance of being accepted and allow you to "Name Your Own Price" again. Putting in a low-ball price to begin with gives you the opportunity to better estimate your chance of getting a ticket at the price you want. Priceline advertises that you can save up to 40%. You are unlikely to have a price less than 40% below retail accepted. In addition to the price you name, your final price will also include a $5.95 processing charge and standard government taxes that typically range from $12 to $39.50 per ticket.
The Rules
Pros
* Your ticket will be issued by a major full-service US airline or an affiliate.
* You are protected by the same airline regulations as all other passengers, including protection against overbooking and baggage loss.
Cons
* All tickets purchased through Priceline are non-refundable, non-transferable and non-changeable. You must fly on the flights assigned to you and you may not fly stand-by.
* Priceline tickets are not eligible for frequent flyer miles nor upgrades.
* Priceline does not guarantee that any special in-flight needs, e.g. dietary restrictions, will be accommodated.
Did you get it?
After you agree to the Priceline terms of service and enter your credit card information, Priceline answers you within 15 minutes whether or not your price was accepted. The last time I used the service in 1999, the time window was 1 hour. Apparently, Priceline has improved the efficiency of their services. The most important thing to remember is that you do not get to pick your flights or airline, and you cannot change or refund your ticket after you choose to "Buy My Tickets Now". If an airline accepts your price, your tickets are purchased. Your credit card is not charged if your price is not accepted. If your price is not accepted, you can submit another price, but you must change the airports you are willing to fly in and out of and/or your dates of travel.
My Experience
In late 1999, I used Priceline.com to buy roundtrip tickets to Denver for the weekend. I was pleasantly surprised to get direct flights on United Airlines for $200 when the lowest fare I could find online at the time was around $300. I never received the eticket confirmation in the mail as advertised, but I was able to bring my email printout with me to the airport and show ID to get on the flights without a problem. The main drawback was that I had to spend an extra night in Denver because I couldn't select the time of my flights. However, I had decided ahead of time that if I saved enough on the tickets, it would be worth it. Since then, I have submitted bids several times, but I have never had a price accepted.
Bottom Line
If you're willing to spend extra time traveling on an airline to which you're assigned to save money, I recommend buying airline tickets from Priceline.com. However, you will not be able to change or refund your tickets if you are not happy with the flights that are assigned to you, even if you made an honest mistake. Make sure you input your dates and airports correctly the first time!
Recommended:
Yes
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Member: Janine White
Location: Chandler, AZ
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About Me:
Criminologist turned Software Engineer
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