MIA to SIN "Can I use name your own price?"

[chrissypetu]

I would like to use "name your own price" for a trip from Miami to Singapore. I don't know if I can, given that the standard conditions which state that you will arrive at your destination sometime on the next travel day. The regular flights I see tend to arrive two days later. Does anyone have experience bidding for long flights? The bids I have tried have only given me ridiculous counter offers. I was only given the option to rebid once and I used the opportunity to add two connections. If I am fine with two connections and my flight most likely cannot arrive the next travel day, does anyone have a strategy for me?

(I have lots of hotel bidding/re-bidding experience, but have never successfully purchased a flight on priceline with the name your own price option)

[yellowdog]

Please follow-up your Hotwire Orlando thread with whatever you ended up doing for that stay... then bump this thread and we'll have a look at the above.

Yellowdog.

[chrissypetu]

Updated that thread. Will use your link for sure if I can use priceline. Your thoughts would be really appreciated.

[thereuare]

What are your dates of travel? What bids have you already tried which were rejected?

What is the 'traditional' booking rate for this fare (broken down between base fare and taxes/fees)

How much would you need to save n order to make an 'opaque' purcahse worthwhile?

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.

[chrissypetu]

Two adults traveling Sept 11-26. We want to go for two weeks Fri to Sat around Sept. Our dates are pretty flexible. We only tried super low bids just to see if it would let us bid. ($400 base)

The traditional rate is around $1,350 With the base price around $1,050 plus $300 or so in taxes and fees.

We want to pay as little as possible and are still trying to figure out the cheapest way to do this. At first it seems like Priceline bidding won't be a possibilty because their rules limit the possible flights. The total travel time is going to be a huge factor in our decision. I have to understand what could happen with priceline bidding. That way I can decide how much cheaper I would need it to be in order for it to be worth getting the worse possible scenario.

[thereuare]

Start with this link for Priceline International Connection Times

[chrissypetu]

There are average connection times and then longest times but it's "*Data updated 7/1/2005" !! A little outdated, don't you think?

What would your bidding strategy be? Is it better to try to get fllights last minute on priceline? It seems like the only people I know that have been successful at getting flights through bidding have been for last minute flights.

[thereuare]

"*Data updated 7/1/2005" !! A little outdated, don't you think?

No, if the "rules" of this aspect of PRICELINE haven't changed since then, why would it be updated? It states data updated at that time... not current as of...

The total travel time is going to be a huge factor in our decision.

Then i wouldn't use PRICELINE... or assume the worst case connections/layovers and then determine how much you would need to save to make that routing worthwhile? This way you assume the worst and hopefully won't be disappointed.