How to Successfully Bid on Travel

Introduction

• Hotels almost never sell all of their rooms on a particular night. Airlines almost never sell all of their seats for a flight on a particular day. The price they name for those seats and rooms is only an approximation of the value they attach to it, and if someone comes to them with money in hand, and offers them less than what they are asking, they are sure to accept the offer rather than have the seat or room remain empty. If you're looking for a bargain, the main solution is for you to bargain with these travel entities. Here, we're going to show you how to bid on not only airfares, but also hotel rooms and rental cars, so that the next time you take a trip, it's on your terms.

How to Bid for a Hotel Room

• If you are flexible about the specific hotel, bid for a hotel room on Priceline or Hotwire. The hotels are deeply discounted, but you won't know what specific hotel you're staying at until your bid is accepted. There are many strategies you can use to get an exceptionally deep discount.

1. Go to the site Bidding For Travel (Priceline-only information) and Better Bidding (Priceline and Hotwire information).
2. Look in the forums for the area in which you are staying. Both sites have forums for states, as well as for specific metro areas.
3. The top post in the forum is a list of hotels that Priceline and Hotwire book users into, listed by area and star rating. This will give you an idea of the kind of hotel you can expect to stay in.
4. Review the posts in the forum to get an idea of the winning bids for the area you are staying in, around the dates you are staying there. This will give you the information you need to make an informed bid, as well as an idea of the hotels you might be booked into.
5. Go to Priceline or Hotwire. You will have to pay if your bid is accepted, so make sure to use only one site at a time to avoid double-booking.

How to Bid for a Hotel on Priceline

1. Go to Priceline.
2. Click on the Hotels tab.
   Figure 1: Priceline.com's Hotels tab
3. Click on the "Deeper Discounts - Name Your Own Price" button.
   Figure 2: Priceline.com's "Deeper Discounts" button
4. In the pop-up window, enter the destination, check-in and check-out dates, and how many rooms you would like.
5. Click "Next".
6. Choose the area you want to stay in, and the star level of hotel you would like to stay in. Remember, if your first bid doesn't work, you will be able to add areas or lower (but not higher) star levels and bid again, so it's best to aim high and narrow-focus on this round of bidding.
   Figure 3: Priceline.com's "Name Your Own Price" page
7. Review the recent winning bids for that area and star level on Better Bidding, Travelgoop and Bidding For Travel in order to make an informed bid.
8. In the "Name Your Own Price" field, enter your bid.
9. Click "Next".
10. Enter your initials on the next page.
11. Click "Next".
12. Fill out your purchase information.
13. You will either be told immediately that your bid is accepted, or receive an email telling you whether or not your bid is accepted.
14. If your bid is not accepted, you can re-bid by adding a zone or reducing the star level. Make sure to adjust your bid accordingly: prices can vary widely depending on both zone and star level.
15. If you add a zone, you can add a zone that does not have hotels at the star level that you're looking for, and change your original bid. Since the new zone has no hotels at your chosen star level, you will only get hotels in your original zone if you place a winning bid.

How to Bid for a Hotel on Hotwire

1. Go to Hotwire.
2. Click on the Hotels tab.
3. Under "Destination", type in your destination city.
4. Enter your check-in and check-out dates.
5. Select how many rooms you want, and how many people will be staying in them.
6. Click "Find a Hotel".
7. Review the hotels presented. Remember, star ratings on Hotwire can be misleading!
8. Cross-check the location, star ratings and amenities of the hotel(s) you are interested in with the information listed on Better Bidding to get an idea of which specific hotel it might be.
9. In Hotwire, click on the "Continue" button for the hotel you have selected.
10. After reviewing the information provided, click "Continue" again.
11. Type in the name of the guest in the appropriate fields.
12. Click continue.
13. Enter your payment and other required information.
14. Click "Book Trip".

How to Bid for Airfare

• If you are flexible about your travel times and airlines, you can bid for a plane ticket on Priceline. Remember, they can book you to travel at any time in a 24-hour period, so this is only recommended for longer trips - and, according to people who frequently bid on travel, it is much more difficult to get a great deal on these sites than it used to be.

1. Go to the sites Bidding For Travel or Better Bidding.
2. On Bidding For Travel, scroll down to the Airline Tickets section, and look for the forum appropriate to your trip. On Better Bidding, go under "Other Deals" to the "Airfare" forum.
3. Review the posts in the forum to get an idea of the winning bids for trips similar to yours. This will give you the information you need to make an informed bid, as well as an idea of the kinds of flights you might be booked onto.
4. Go to Priceline.
5. Click on "Save More - Name Your Own Price".
6. In the pop-up window that appears, type in your departure and destination airport and dates. Click "Next."
7. Select the airports you wish to fly into and out of. Note the nearby airports - you'll need this information if you re-bid.
8. Type the price you want to pay in the "Name Your Own Price" window. Remember, this is the price you will pay before fees.
9. Type the passenger info into the Passenger and Ticket Information section.
10. Click "Next".
11. Review the cost of the ticket after fees. You may find it's significantly different!
12. If you are still interested, initial the Important Information section, and fill out your payment information.
13. Click "Buy My Tickets Now".

If your bid is rejected

1. If your bid is rejected, close your browser, re-open it, and re-access Priceline.
2. Type in an alternate nearby airport for either your departure or destination airport. Click "Next".
3. In this window, check the airports you actually want to fly into and out of.
4. Increase your bid by about $25. Click "Next".
5. Repeat as necessary until either it gets too expensive or your bid is accepted.

How to Bid for Rental Cars

• If you are flexible about the rental car company, bid for a rental car on Priceline or Hotwire. The rental cars are deeply discounted, but you won't know what specific rental car company you're using until your bid is accepted. There are many strategies you can use to get an exceptionally deep discount. Remember that Priceline adds fees to these bids, which are sometimes quite steep - check the final price before bidding!

1. Go to the sites Bidding For Travel (Priceline-only information) and Better Bidding (Priceline and Hotwire information).
2. Look in the forums for the area where you will be renting the car. Both sites have forums for states; Bidding For Travel also has specific metro areas.
3. Review the posts in the forum to get an idea of the winning bids for the area you are traveling to. This will give you the information you need to make an informed bid.
4. Go to Priceline or Hotwire. You will have to pay if your bid is accepted, so make sure to use only one site at a time to avoid double-booking.

How to Bid For a Rental Car on Priceline

1. Go to Priceline.
2. Click on the "Cars" tab.
3. Click on the area labeled "Deeper Discounts: Name Your Own Price".
4. In the pop-up window, enter your rental location, preferred car type, and pick-up and drop-off date and time.
5. Click "Next".
6. In the next window, select your car type again.
7. Select your pick-up/drop-off location.
8. Input your flight information (if any). This will allow the rental company to learn if you are delayed and act accordingly.
9. Input the driver information. Renters under 25 may be charged additional fees.
10. Type in the price you would like to pay per day. Your preliminary research should give you an idea of what to bid.
11. The "Shop and Compare" button next to the "Name Your Own Price" area frequently gives misleading information. Ignore it.
12. Click "Next".
13. Review the cost, including taxes and fees, which can have a significant impact on the final price.
14. Click on "Terms and Conditions" and "Privacy Policy" to read those documents.
15. Type your initials in the "Initial Here" area.
16. Click "Next".
17. Type in your credit card information.
18. Click "Buy My Rental Car Now".
19. You should learn within moments whether or not your bid has been accepted.
20. If it is not accepted, you may be given the opportunity to re-bid immediately. If not, you will have to wait 72 hours to re-bid.

How to Rent a Car on Hotwire

1. Go to Hotwire.
2. Select the "Car Rentals" button.
3. Type in the location where you want to rent a car (either the city or the three-letter airport code).
4. Select your pick-up and drop-off dates and times.
5. Click "Find a Car".
6. Review the options presented. If one looks like a good deal, click on the green "Continue" button.
7. Review the total cost information. If the total cost is acceptable, click Continue.
8. Type in the primary driver's name and age. If the driver is below the age of 25 or above 65, there may be additional fees involved.
9. Click "Continue".
10. Enter your credit card and contact information.
11. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Click on "Hotwire Terms of Use Agreement".
12. Once you have reviewed the terms, click the check box.
13. Click "Book Trip." Do not click this button unless you are absolutely sure you want to rent the car - your card will be immediately charged!

Resources for How to Successfully Bid on Travel

• Priceline: Name Your Own Price
• BiddingForTravel.com: Priceline Advice
• BetterBidding: Priceline Advice
• Hotwire: Cheap Travel Deals

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