Travel Anyone use Priceline's "Name Your Own Price" for air travel?

[Vinyl]

I've found threads regarding hotel deals & such, but I'm more concerned about air travel.

I'm looking to book tickets from Honolulu to Los Angeles for a weekend trip, which is basically always nonstop... since you just cross the Pacific Ocean & that's it.

The cheapest deal I can find is $762 total roundtrip for 2 people, which I find a bit pricey, although it may be because I need it in April. Now on Priceline's "Name Your Own Price," I've found it for $389 total roundtrip for 2 people. Of course, I know you don't find out which airline & what time until after the purchase.

What I'm wondering is do you think it's possible that it won't be nonstop? That would just be ridiculous since HNL to LAX, like I mentioned, is a nonstop route. Would it be possible for Priceline to actually find a LONGER route than usual?

 

[twiggers]

I would check out betterbidding.com. Based on the taxes of the trip they can narrow down which airports and determine whether it is non-stop or not!!!

I've used hotwire for air tickets....but I knew it was nonstop (only 3 flights a day to this podunk place I was visiting) and I wanted to leave early in the morning anyways. I was able to save about $100/ticket and was pleased.

 

[jillian8706]

so if you do the name your own price, do you find out right after you purchase what airline & time or will they take days, weeks, or months to let you know what you're flying?

 

[Vinyl]

so if you do the name your own price, do you find out right after you purchase what airline & time or will they take days, weeks, or months to let you know what you're flying?

You do find it immediately if your bid was accepted or rejected as the site searches. However, I have read stories where the bid was accepted, but Priceline later "rejected" the credit card & so the process didn't completely go through (I'm assuming it's another way of telling you they couldn't find you a flight).

I would check out betterbidding.com. Based on the taxes of the trip they can narrow down which airports and determine whether it is non-stop or not!!!

I've used hotwire for air tickets....but I knew it was nonstop (only 3 flights a day to this podunk place I was visiting) and I wanted to leave early in the morning anyways. I was able to save about $100/ticket and was pleased.

Thanks, twiggers! I'm just envisioning a crazy scenario in which the plane would fly to like Las Vegas first, then go to L.A. It's possible, but gosh, haha.

 

[csamcharlie]

Actually I'm in the same boat as you since I'm trying to find tickets from LAX to HNL for September. I've thought about using Priceline's bidding. I've used them before for a trip from LAX to Washington DC and there was a layover in Atlanta but it was a great price.

Even though it's assumed that it would be a non-stop flight from HNL to LAX, Priceline will most likely make a layover in San Francisco and then go to LAX. It's dumb, I know. If you're not too concerned about the stop, then book it cuz you're getting a really great deal. I'll be travelling with an airsick bf so we need a non-stop flight.

 

[sailornep5]

I would check out betterbidding.com. Based on the taxes of the trip they can narrow down which airports and determine whether it is non-stop or not!!!

Based on betterbidding, it looks like the other LAX-HNL wins have all been nonstop. I think you should go for it!!

 

[NVMyLV]

I have never tried Priceline for airfare, but I did use it this past Sunday to snag a $189.00 night room at the Vanderbilt Marriot in Nashville, for $80.00! The room was very nice and only 1 mile from Louis Vuitton.

 

[krazy4bags]

I've never used priceline for air, but we bid for hotels almost every time when we travel. We like to maximize our vacation time and also be able to pick our traveling time. Usually we like to leave early in the morning and flyt back late evening, and with priceline we might get random flights that leave right in the middle of the day. If we have very flexible traveling schedules (like if we don't have to work! =P) then we'll definitely do priceline for air.

 

[Vinyl]

Well, I ended up not going through w/it since my parents are busy & didn't want to risk the random flight times. If it were just me, I'd probably do it in a heartbeat since I always fly red-eye flights for some reason.

 

[Christine]

I got turned off of Priceline a long time ago (8 yrs?). We went on a ski trip and on the return trip decided to get to the airport early (or got there early - details are getting foggy in my old age. ). The one gentleman who used Priceline had a flight leaving at 3 pm (or somewhere around that time). We boarded an early morning flight. He was on the same airline as us but they would not let him switch flights due to the fact that it was purchased on Priceline. So he had a nice long stay in the airport!

Now I am not sure if that is how it still works, but if you are hoping for flexibility (like going stand-by on earlier flights), I would at least check with the airlines about their Priceline policies. That is all I know.