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Best price guarantee


zbenye
By zbenye,
in

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Recently, an irresponsible Priceline user complained in a newspaper that she had won a flight bid, and was later outraged when she found published rates that were lower than what she paid PRICELINE.

I'm sure that happens a lot for various reasons. I also believe that this alienates customers and deters would-be users for fear of getting a bad deal with no options.

Priceline has a "best price guarantee" for hotel bids (see Priceline Best Price Guarantee, where it would refund the difference if a lower rate could be booked elsewhere (web) within 48 hours for the same hotel/dates.

My question is, couldn't PRICELINE offer the same for airline bids? Wouldn't that encourage people to try that service? It is very evident that the airline service has far less users than the hotel service.

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My guess would be that they don't offer the price guarantee on airlines because their is no price stability within the airlines and prices change frequently throughout the day, while hotel prices are relatively stable.

My personal opinion is tha this stems from a bigger problem, which is that the airlines have basically stopped trying to differentiate themselves from other carriers based upon service. As the airlines don't see what separates themselves from each other, neither do their consumers, and they therefore are all forced to match their competitor's price decreases and sales (ie- one airline in an area reduces fares on a given route, all their competitors match it). This creates price instability and wild fluctuations, which is also the reasons i also hate buying airline tickets... nothing irritates me more than buying anything and then seeing the price lower a few days later.

This price fluctuation doesn't occur in the hotel industry, as hotel's DO try to differentiate themselves from one another based upon service (even within the same quality levels). Some brands are consistantly cleaner than others, others offer free breakfast (with varying levels of effort put into the breakfast... a further attempt to diiferentiate themselves), free morning newspapers are offered at some chains, some have free business centers, others give free internet access, etc, etc.

Although i've probably flown more in the last year than ever before, i'm not a frequent flyer by any definition. I do however, recommend and try to take JetBlue whenever possible due to their in-seat live televisions... this is an example of an airline that DOES try to differentiate themselves based upon service. I'd even be willing to pay a little more for that service as it makes my flight more enjoyable. If more airlines would come up with ways to make themselves different, they wouldn't have to compete soley on price.

However, most of them are not that innovative, and i suppose that if JetBlue continues with its current success, the next 'major' move by most airlines will be to install tv sets in their own seats, merely copying the next guy instead of trying to come up with their own ideas to make them different. Then the cycle will just continue, as they once again will "all be the same".

PS- although all of the above is not PRICELINE's fault (or concern), i think they could help their own cause and keep complaints like the one above by an "irresponsible Priceline <airline> user" to a minimum if an airline bid was for the net ticket price and didn't have all the taxes, fees, miscellaneous charges added on afterwards

Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases

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