Priceline Hotel: 4* NMA Millennium 8/11-8/15 $55 (w/ $10 bonus)

[dada]

Hi all, this site was mentioned in FW and I just successfully bidded a 4* Millennium Knickerbocker at NMA for 4 nights, 8/11-8/15. With the $10 hotel bonus, I first tried to bid at $45 with no luck, added Skokie with 5 bucks, and failed. Then added Evanston with another 5 bucks and got it. Iam so happy with the price.

Your offer price: $55.00

# of rooms: 1

# of nights: 4

Subtotal: $220.00

Taxes: 36.13

PL service fees: 5.95

Total charges: $262.08

Now I have one question, why the taxes is calculated based on 4 nights of my offer price $220. instead of the actual PL bidded price $65? I am confused. Anyone knows?

This site is informative too, I will post more with my successful bids later. Thanks

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding, we look forward to your seeing your past and future bids!

Now I have one question, why the taxes is calculated based on 4 nights of my offer price $220. instead of the actual PL bidded price $65? I am confused. Anyone knows?

Priceline has changed their 'system' and the taxes and fees are now combined. The fee is no longer fixed at $5.95 and the fee is determined by a formula based upon the tax rate in the area and your bid price. So the fee is now variable, and there is no way to figure out Priceline's exact cost.

Thanks again for posting, registering, and becoming a member of our community.

[dada]

Oh, I see now, b/c last time I bidded at PL was back in November 2002. I guess PL changed their policy. Thanks for telling. So, is "the variable fee" only occur in bidding hotels? Or its now happen in both airfare and hotels? Because I want to bid for air at PL too. Is there any standard fee they will charge in air now? Thanks in advance.

[thereuare]

I don't know as i don't use the airline product, but i THINK that it is specific to the hotel product (perhaps an atempt to prevent what we were all doing, figuring out their cost).

If you haven't used the Airline product in a while either i would browse around there a bit before you bid, as i hear there have been some negative changes there as well (perhaps some members of the board that are familiar with this can chime in with the actual changes?.... i don't use Priceline for airfare, so i didn't pay too close attention).

I would also make sure that you know 'traditional prices' before you bid, as i've heard reports that given the decreased capacity and resulting lower fares direct from the airlines, the airfare product hasn't been giving the great savings it once had been. On the other hand, most recently i've been hearing that airfare prices have been firming, so you milage may vary (bad pun intended :) )