Rick Archer sat down with Don Nadeau, the president of BidonTravel.com, which providing Priceline bidding advice.
RA: Why would anyone want to use Priceline?
DN: You & # 39; ll save a lot of money.
RA: Yes, but who wants to get up in time for a 6:00 am flight? You can not pick your departure times or airline or anything like that.
DN: Well, just use Priceline for air tickets when you & # 39; re going to Australia or traveling at the last minute. You & # 39; ll save hundreds of dollars. best bet.
That always bid on Priceline hotels. That's easy and you do not have to get up at 4:00 am
RA: Sure, but I do not want to to stay in some crummy place.
DN: No, no, no. Bid for three or four-star hotels. You pick the quality.
You & # 39; ll end up at a Hyatt, Hilton, Holiday Inn Crown Plaza, Sheraton, Marriott, or Doubletree - someplace like these.
And, over a few days, you 'l l save hundreds of dollars.
Practice hotel savings average some 40 percent over these sites. In fact, I predict you & # 39; ll save on average at least $ 100 a night over the price you get on Expedia, Hotels.com, or similar discount hotel sites.
RA: What about location?
DN: You pick that, too.
In the Orlando area, you have a choice of 11 neighborhoods, in or near San Jose, eight.
RA: So you can not pick a specific hotel, just a general neighborhood?
DN: That & # 39; s right.
That & # 39; s why hotels use Priceline to sell excess inventory at prices that they do not want their regular customers to find out about.
RA: So would it be correct to assume that if there is a big event going on in the area and hotels are heavily booked, rooms will not be available through Priceline?
DN: Actually not.
I once got a Priceline discount at the headquarters hotel of a huge medical convention at the last minute.
Priceline tells you if rooms are available before you bid.
RA: How do I know what to bid?
Go to the Priceline Hotels section of BidOnTravel.com.
RA: Just give me three main tips.
DN: Okay. First, bid on three or four-star hotels. That & # 39; s where the real savings are.
Second, look up the best prices for the star quality and neighborhood you want on a site like.
Third, find out what Hotwire.com charges.
Hotwire is Priceline & # 39; s main competitor in the & # 39; you do not find out the name of your hotel until you pay category, & # 39; and it & # 39; ; s.
Therefore, bid 10 - 20 percent below Hotwire & # 39; s price.
See BidonTravel.com, though, if you want to refine this process to maximize your savings.
RA: What if I still overpay?
DN: Priceline has a best price guarantee.
There's a lower price on another website for the same type of room at the same hotel or resort on the same dates, Priceline will refund you the difference. There & # 39; s some small print, Such as "this rate has to be available to the general public and you have to make your claim within 24 hours of booking," but you really can not lose.
RA: There must be some drawbacks to using Priceline for hotels.
DN: There are.
Most importantly, you & # 39; ll get no refund if you cancel.
At some hotels, these may not be large enough for two more.
RA: What about smoking or nonsmoking?
DN: This is never absolutely guaranteed regardless of where you book.
When using Priceline or other online sites, I also try not to show up too too late, when the hotel may have run out of certain types of rooms.
RA: Thanks. I 'll try bidding next time after reading the tips on your site.
Rick Archer is President of SearchSummit, a Search Engine Marketing company.
