HTML source for "no chance" and "almost no chance"

[WillTravel]

If you know how to view HTML source (just select View > Source from the browser menu bar) and you are on the Priceline page where you enter the bid, you can see some hints of the programming logic for the "almost no" and "only a small" chance messages. There are some other interesting programming things there too if you take a look.

[gleff]

Rather than having to wait until the screen pops up again... care to enlighten?

[WillTravel]

I didn't want to post the source code because it belongs to Priceline.

Also, I'm not 100% sure I have the logic correct.

But what it seems to show is what amounts will trigger the message ("Almost no chance") or ("Only a small chance") or no message.

I suspect it might also be showing the so-called "bid minimums" for each star level, if these indeed exist. If so they would be 1* = $15, 2* = $17, 2.5* = $19, 3* = $25, 3.5* (Boutique) = $50, 4* = $40, 5* = $55

Other interesting things - although a city might not have a listing for a particular star rating (say Boutique), the source code indicates a so-called average retail price for that level in the source code. The source code also lists Boutique as 3.5* and Resort as 4.5*.

It's easy to check - just go into Priceline as if you were making a bid and go until the page where you choose the star level and then view source.

[bturner13]

WillTravel, you never cease to amaze me on how you educate us on this BB! Thanks for taking the time to care and share! Again I say I learn alot from you. :)

[DeltaPurser]

Alright... I'm impressed!

I looked at the source code and found... nothing! It's people like you that make me feel... well, dumb?!

Thanks!... I guess :)

[hannahb352]

Very Impessive! I checked it out...not exactly sure what I was seeing but it is interesting to see the 3.5 and also I tested your "warning message" amounts (as I'm sure you did) and they appear to be correct. Nice, very nice...so now if I can just figure out how to make all of this work for me for lower priced wins :)

[iahphx]

Interesting stuff. I have a few observations and a question to ask.

First, I know I've had bids hit when I've gotten a "warning" that I was bidding too low (I don't remember the exact language of the warning though). My strategy has always been to ignore the warnings, and I think that's still the correct thing to do.

Second, I've noticed I don't seem to get the "warning" when I rebid, even if I'm only adding five bucks and a new zone.

Finally, I'm wondering what the significance is when (always after my second unsuccessful bid) I get a link to Hotels.com offering me their prenegotiated (and not very good) rates. I've assumed that likely means that priceline has nothing in my star category or that my bid is WAY below the minimum they'll take, but I'm not sure. Anybody know?

[WillTravel]

I'd still ignore the warnings, certainly.

With my extensive rebidding for Paris over two weeks or so trying different methods, I discovered the following:

I would get a counteroffer every first bid, even if it was for an amount twice as much as my bid.

If, after the first unsuccessful bid, I just added a free rebid zone and bid again, I would get the LowestFare page (maybe they show Hotels.com for US city bids). I would never get another counteroffer.

If instead, after the first unsuccessful bid, I went back to the affiliate link (SavingsBarn.com in this case) and set up the bid with Zone1 (+ free rebid zone), I would not get the LowestFare page and I would get another counteroffer.

So Priceline seemed to see a difference between adding a zone vs. starting a new bid with the two zones.

So maybe when you next time get a chance to try a second bid, don't add the second zone right there, but go back to your affiliate link and start a new bid.

With this method, if for some reason you want to get back to your first counteroffer and accept it, this counteroffer will still be preserved in your profile (presuming you used one).

[iahphx]

Interesting, Will. I probably made a dozen unsuccessful Paris hotel bids in the past couple months (I WAS lowballing it, because it wasn't "worth" $100 to me for a 4-star). I only got one counteroffer, and that was when I bid low for a 3-star in La Defense (I was fishing for a cheap Courtyard).

I did get a lot of hotel links, though. Must have been lowestfare and not Hotels.com. I didn't look that carefully (everytime I glanced at the prices, I stopped looking!).