Priceline Hotel: Bidding 2 days b4 thanksgiving..good idea??

[funred55]

Is it a good idea to bid right before thanksgiving? I know in the past I've gotten great rates when bidding right before a trip, but I also know that this is thanksgiving, the highest travel time in the year. Would you say that it's living too far on the wild side to wait till the last minute to get a deal on a hotel in Chicago? We're traveling the 24th-28th, I'm thinking of waiting to bid on the 22nd...

What do YOU experts think? :)

[Romelle]

I think I'd test bid my lower $$ bids now. If it works, you are set. If it doesn't, the only thing it cost you is a bit of time, and you still can bid again at the last minute. More chances for success.

And maybe even bid higher if the lower $$ last minute bids don't work. Assuming you have some free rebids, are open to various CHI areas, and/or are open to different star levels.

And I'd have a "Plan B" - cancelable back-up reservations - as a "belt and suspenders" type person. But maybe you prefer "living on the wild side"?

IMHO - Romelle

[thereuare]

Rates for these dates are already low and if you're plans are firm i'd start bidding now... i don't think there is much risk to rates heading much lower, imo.

I know in the past I've gotten great rates when bidding right before a trip...

It would be appreciated if you began to share your wins with the board so that others could benefit from the information... and please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[AaronJB]

The days before Thanksgiving are some of the slowest of the year in Chicago, as is often Thanksgiving itself. However, the days after Thanksgiving often see either a good deal of shoppers and/or a convention.

I'd start trying to get a deal now, as while I don't think there's much chance of rates changing, the days after Thanksgiving could see a decent amount of traffic and rates could creep up a bit.

In terms of the difference in rates, if you search for 11/24-26 on HOTWIRE, you'll see rates on those dates are moderately or significantly cheaper than when searching for 11/24-28.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.

[funred55]

Thanks a bunch everyone! these are some great tips!

[AaronJB]

Happy to help! :)

Please let us know what you decide and if you have any questions.

Thank you for using the site's HOTWIRE or PRICELINE links to start your purchases and searches.