Priceline Hotel: 3* Los Angeles (Airport LAX) Crowne Plaza

[nexus]

See reason for bidding this way below, perhaps a text like this could be added to a more general posting to help other newbies?

Started

4* 55$ LAX

4* 60$ LAX, CulverCity,

3* 50$ Lax, CulverCity,

closed window

3* $55 LAX,

closed window

4* $65 Lax

3* $60 Lax WON

Priceline said for LAX on this date

1 Star $65

2 Star $68

3 Star $154

4 Star $209

Official price advance rate for this hotel 184$

This price is okay because the saved money justify the loss in points for my other none priceline choice.

I already stayed there and hope to slip in my number with status to get lounge access. (i know, i know)

Could not book through savebarn.com because this is blocked through a firewall I cannot turn off here. :) But I know about it and want to book throught it and will try to do the other bookings from another place. ! :)

Why this booking strategy.

I am a newbie to priceline and hotwire and there are not many basic information around which give you a quickstart *why* someone books or why a special strategy is chose.

I knew I have to be careful what to add as well as that I can close my browser.

I never saw anything which resembles the here often described "priceline offered me a bid"

Objectives:

I needed a stay at LAX, pref. with airport shuttle, for 2006-09-26.

Prices for a hotel on howire for a 3* where around 77 dollars, one 4* for 117. Priceline is said to be cheaper.

Checked LAX listening on this board and tried to get a feel for it, 3* around this date seemed to be possible for 60.

Steps:

1. 4* 55$ LAX

Impossible bid to get a feel for what is happening here?

2. 4* 60$ LAX, CulverCity,

Just wanted to raise by 5 dollar but learned I had to change something else too.

3. 3* 50$ Lax, CulverCity,

Added 3* level and rebid at 50$

4. closed window

I realized that I don't want / cannot have a hotel in Culver City! Little panik attack.

5. 3* $55 LAX,

Thought about it. 50$ for 3* did not go through. I can update in the next step with 5$ more and check 4* as 'change'

6. closed window

Once the bid failed I saw that my idea had failed as well, because choosing 3* meant: including 4*.

As there was nothing else to do what I did want to change (55 dollar for a 2,5 star was too much!)

- closed window.

7. 4* $65 Lax

I had not tried that one, could have worked.

8. 3* $60 Lax

Added 3* level and rebid at 60$

bet got accepted.

Additional possibilty

I took a close look at the map and learned that there are areas where there are no 4* hotels.

Going 4* Lax with different bids and adding these regions is a 'change' but will have no bad effect.

hth

nexus

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

I took a close look at the map and learned that there are areas where there are no 4* hotels.

That is NOT how to determine your re-bid zones, do it this way is extremely risky... see Priceline Re-Bidding Explained for the proper way to check your re-bid zones.

Thanks for the post and enjoy your stay.

[nexus]

I did not meant the Priceline maps here if you thougth that but the ones on Priceline itself. It goes without saying but is probably worth mentioning that it is an 'open up' thing as also stated in the linke you gave

"the zone you add (that you really don't want) must NOT have the star level you are bidding OR HIGHER. If you are bidding 3* and add a zone that does not have 3* but does have 4*, Priceline can upgrade you to the 4*!"

Thanks for the aid / link anyhow, the small things make it count. :)

[nexus]

I have yet failed to find the so called rebid / counter offer.

Where do i find that information?

So far I have only seen below my bid amount a "... ususally cost x in this zones" or what the wording is, but that does not seem to be the one you are all talking about?

thx

nexus

[cornishgirl]

Once you submit your bid, the next screen will say that either it's been accepted or give you a counter offer--something to the effect that although nothing was available at your bid amount, they have found another hotel for a different amount. (At least, that's what happened to me.)

:)

[thereuare]

Why don't you post the details of your bidding in the appropriate section of the board (include star rating, region, zone, dates, failed bid amounts, etc)... maybe we can offer some insight whether your bids are appropriate for the dates your trying for.

... and as per above, 'counter-offers' are given after a bid is submitted. Something along the lines of:

We couldn't find a x* hotel to accept your offer of $xx. However, if you are willing to bid $xx (or raise your bid by $xx) we will let you try your bid again immediately.

[nexus]

Thanks for the text which I have never seen before on the site.

The bid history was on my other posting (CP LAX) and at the moment I am trying to conduct some new research and will make a search on the page when it comes back to see whether I missed it until now! :))

if I get stuck I will make sure to post it although I think I do have a good overview of what should be working or not - referencing hotwire and real cost of the hotels in that area on a given date kind of gives a good overview as well. :)