United Travel - Option - How it Works name Your Own Price" priceline's "

Become sworn Priceline loyalists once they've read their confirmation pages and discovered just how much of a great deal they've stumbled into weary as they first may be, i have also found that these same people, It's been my experience that people to whom I've recommended this site generally ask the same questions and/or express similar concerns, although I highly recommend using Priceline.com's "name your own price" option.

Here's how it works:

I will use the hotel option, for this example. Or how many airline tickets you will need, like where you intend to pick up your rental car, it will also ask for information more specific to the link you've chosen. A box opens requesting your destination city and your intended travel dates, if you click on any of these links. "bid now" beneath them, all with the tags, all in little squares, and a car, a hotel, "name your own price" with icons of an airplane, you will see the title, in the middle left-hand corner of the page. Etc), a car rental, book an airline flight. You will see an assortment of links tagged with information relating to whatever it is you want to do (e.g, when you land on Priceline's main page.

Don't bother looking for a list of hotels in the "name your own price" option. This will be all of the information you can offer regarding your choice of hotel, keep in mind. It will also ask you what Star level hotel you would like. Or how close points of interest lie in relation to each other, the site offers you a map to consult if you are not sure where you want to be, like New York or Orlando, if you are going to a larger city. Some cities simply aren't large enough to warrant a choice of locations. It will ask (if applicable) what part of the city you would like to be closest to, once you've entered your destination city and dates of travel.

I recommend starting your bid at 1/3 the amount you would expect to pay if you booked your room through the hotel directly, and have any idea at all what a standard room would cost in your destination city, if you have selected a 3 1/2 star hotel, for example. Regardless of what you think a room may cost at the star level you've selected, my recommendation is to start low when entering this price. You will be prompted to enter an amount you would like to pay per night at the hotel star level you have selected.

The worst thing that can happen is that you don't get the room and you bump your offer price up. But go ahead and proceed anyway, which is usually going to be well higher than you you entered, you may get a window that advises you what the average price is for a 31/2 star room in your chosen city.

You will only pay additional charges if your destination hotel requires additional deposits at check-in. This is the final amount your card will be billed. Including all applicable taxes and surcharges, along with the total charges for your room, you will see a screen displaying your itinerary, before actually placing your bid. Your card will be billed automatically right on the spot, therefore, you will be required to pay for your room immediately; if your bid price is accepted. You will have to give your credit card number in this field. Etc, phone number, address, this is the same information you would fill out if you were to book any type of reservation online: Your name. The next screen will prompt you to fill in all of your contact and billing information.

You click on "buy my room" and wait a few seconds to see if your offer was accepted, once you do all of that. And you will have to initial a box stating that you have read and understood the site's terms and conditions, you will have to agree to the site's terms and conditions.

Here's where most people I've spoken with have a problem:

You won't get a live person on priceline when you choose the "name your own price" option because: Usually people prefer to speak to someone directly because somebody is present to at least re-assure the potential buyer that the website is not a scamming people out of their money. Mainly because fraud is so prevalent, several people are still concerned about entering their credit card information into an internet site.

The system is automated and it draws from a database of hotels who have agreed to participate in the program. 1.

A live person would not be able to tell you who among their list of hotels will be willing to accept your price for a room per night. 2.

The third problem is that you pay in advance and you cannot cancel or change your reservations once they've been made. I usually find this to be people's biggest hurdle to leap. You will come up with the short end of the stick, it seems to be instinct that if you enter blindly into a transaction. At least that's how I am. Usually you want to know as much about the room as you can before you pay, if you bid to pay $100.00 night for a room. Another problem people have is that they don't like surprises.

I will address these concerns later in the article with tips that I think will be helpful I tell people not to let the fear of cancellation stop you from trying the site, but if you know you are going to take the trip, and it can be a headache, i have gone through this. And it will usually require you to pay a cancellation fee equal to one day at the price you bid, however there needs to be reasonable cause to do so, you actually can cancel.

This usually happens. Don't be too surprised if you started your bid too low and your first offer gets refused. You will know (in usually less than 60 seconds) whether your price was accepted, once you've submitted your offer.

The website will give you a couple of opportunities to bump your price up and re-try your bid. It just means you have to start over with a slightly higher price. You don't need to be concerned, if your offer is not accepted. You will get a notice stating that the site could not find any takers for your offer, if your bid is too low.

Don't panic and bump your price up too high.priceline 8 Then raise your bid $10.00, if you have your heart set on a higher star level hotel and you know you bid unrealistically low. I like to raise my bid $1.00 each time. You will have to re-agree to the terms and conditions each time you start over.

Then start your bid at a dollar amount slightly higher than you last bid, make these adjustments as best as you can. It will prompt you to change some of the key factors of your bid such as your star level and/or the area in which you would like to stay. The site will know longer allow you to raise your bid in slow increments, after too many unsuccessful bids, at some point.

You want to start your new price just slightly higher than your last amount (which you already know will not get accepted). But this pretty much guarantees that you can increase your price as fast or as slowly as you like, you will have to re-enter all of your information and start the whole process from scratch. And will not keep reminding you that your bid was not accepted, the site does not remember your information, by doing so. You can go back to the beginning and disable the cookies on your computer.

I like that because it means that I don't have to set aside money for the hotel when I check out. You know your hotel is already paid for, that when you budget your trip expenses, the best part is. All of the information they will need to check you in can be found on the print-out. I find that it is easiest just to give the printed page to the receptionist upon arrival along with your driver's license. Simply print out the confirmation page and bring it with you when you check into your hotel. You're done, once you've confirmed that you got the hotel room at the price and the star level you've requested. Website and complete contact information, you will see your hotel's name, on this screen. You will see a screen telling you that your price was accepted, when you enter a successful bid.

Or getting stuck with reservations they can't use: or those who are too concerned about getting scammed, here are some tips I give to first-time users, I want to make it clear that you will always get a price accepted.

Especially if you're driving, i recommend maybe booking a day or two before your scheduled departure. I have booked hotels through Priceline.com by 12:00 in the afternoon and checked into the hotel by 3:00 pm that same afternoon. Waiting until your departure date gets closer lessens the chances that something will come up to prevent you from taking your trip. Don't plan a trip with Priceline.com too far in advance. 1.

I find that people are a little more willing to try Priceline.com if they are not perceiving that they will be losing much in the event that something goes wrong. Get your price accepted and see what happens, book a hotel (a day or two before you leave), if you are going away for a day or two. Try Priceline.com for the first time when you are going on an extremely short trip. 2.

And it will be a deal which will be much better than what the hotel would have offered you, the point is: don't let the fear of what may happen interfere with the fact that you will get a deal for a room. I could stand the $20.00 hit. I was not concerned if something came up, although I have never needed to cancel a room. I have gotten rooms for $20.00 per night. Then use an amount that won't hurt you to lose, but if you think you will, i am not implying that you stand a good chance of losing money. You wouldn't mind so much that you lost money, if you lost it, book a rate that. 3.

You also can see the hotel and the room amenities from the link at Priceline.com. You will see at least a 50% savings (if you didn't panic when you placed your bid). Go to the website of the hotel which accepted your offer and see how much they would have charged you for a room on the same nights you plan to travel, once your room is approved. 4.

Now he would tell you to try it too. And it still took years for me to convince him to try it, and compare them to the deals he was getting, i had a friend who I'd have to tell time and time again the deals I'd get on Orlando hotels. I never plan a trip without checking Priceline.com first. I have rented cars for $12.00 a day. I have stayed in 3 1/3 star hotels for as low as $35.00 per night.