Priceline

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Sep Wed 02, 2009 9:44 am

This isn't a trip to Disney but to Atlanta to visit my GF, and I just needed some opinions from others about what I should do. I just recently booked a flight on priceline, having not really read much on it (I know...stupid me). I was not having the best day. Well anyways, I got a round trip to Atlanta for 912am-430pm which sucks cus I hear ATL traffic sucks around that time, but it's manageable. The problem is the flight home, is from 6am-10am so that means on our last day, we would have to wake up at 3am, not the best option.

Now I know I made this mistake and I will pay the conseqeunces. I rather not deal with priceline anymore and will just eat the $ I spent on them (because I did the name your own price option and they are non-refundable) but does anyone know if I don't make my flights, Will there be some kind of surcharge or something because I missed my flights?) I never missed my flights before so I'm just curious.

I'm going to book my new flights via Southwest (which is what I always do) and book them to Orlando where my GF can pick and drop me off before we drive to Atlanta for about the same price ($180).

I'm just concerned with the surcharge for missed flights before I decide to do this. So any advice would be appreciated.

Post by **horizons1** » Sep Wed 02, 2009 12:03 pm

If you don't take the flights you just eat the cost. There is no extra charge. You have what we in the airline business call "use it or lose it" tickets, AKA "fly it or frame it"

Was Priceline used for the hotel too? I doubt that this would matter, but I know some online travel agencies tie your itinerary into your hotel booking so if you miss your flight they notify the hotel that you may not arrive on schedule. If you only booked airfare then don't sweat it.

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Sep Wed 02, 2009 2:48 pm

I only booked airfare. I'm staying at my girlfriend's house. I'm going to keep the first flight and just book a southwest flight from Orlando to Providence since I can get a flight for $80 one way. And I'm never going to use Priceline ever again.

I'm just going to work a few extra hours at my job to make up for the cost, thats all. Oh well

rknrlrcstr · Post by **rknrlrcstr** » Sep Wed 02, 2009 3:32 pm

I know that some airlines have a no-refund policy, but what they offer is a credit voucher for the amount you paid for the ticket (if unused) to be used toward future travel. I don't know if this policy extends through Priceline. You may want to check with Priceline's customer service as well as the airline's customer service as to your options there.

You may be out the money at the moment, but you may be able to use the credit later on.

I do agree with your assessment of Priceline. Although I have never used them, friends of mine have and they have never used them again. With the "name your price" option, you are getting scrap seats on off-peak flights and are basically at their mercy. Essentially you are getting what you pay for.

Best of luck in your journey.

agingerbugg · Post by **agingerbugg** » Sep Thu 03, 2009 7:54 am

I don't know about Priceline, but I had to cancel a flight with Travelocity a few months ago. I called customer support and the person on the other line was very helpful. I had non-refundable tickets, but I explained the situation and the operator said, "so you need to cancel for an unexpected medical emergency, right?" Of course I agreed, and there was a minimal fee, I think $30 or so, but the rest was refunded.

You can always try that. I don't know that Priceline will coach you as Travelocity coached me, but it can't hurt to try.

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Sep Thu 03, 2009 9:51 am

I've read a million complaints that Priceline won't refund their "name your own price" option for anything. Their customer service reps just read right from their scrripts.

Post by **Len90** » Sep Thu 03, 2009 4:40 pm

I probably could have warned you if you posted this earlier. I was debating about doing this for a hotel when we went to Toronoto. There is pretty much no control on what airline or what time you fly if it is for airfare and no control on what hotel you get. All you are guaranteed is that you will get some sort of airfare and some sort of hotel... that is all. You are best using your AAA card to get discounted hotels and to just book through a bargain airline like Southwest.
You can try and call up priceline and see where you get. You can always come up with some good excuse to see if there is a way out of it. I would advise googling to see if anybody has been able to get a refund and how they accomplished it.

Post by **horizons1** » Sep Thu 03, 2009 5:06 pm

You definitely want to cancel your trip with the airline if you want to try to retain any value. However, most airlines do not honor Priceline and other "bulk" fares for re-use. But you can ask.

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Sep Thu 03, 2009 5:45 pm

I've pretty much read EVERYWHERE that noone gets a refund from Priceline so I am going to take the first flight since I can defnitely manage to take it since its at 917am, my dad volunteered to drop me off, and I land at 430pm, which is around the time my girlfriend would get to Atlanta from Orlando anyway.

I am just going to skip the 2nd flight and lose my money for that flight.

Has anyone flown United Airways before? I'm pretty sure they have online checkin just like Southwest. Would I still be able to do it with Priceline?

swede375 · Post by **swede375** » Sep Fri 04, 2009 10:23 am

You will get nothing from Priceline. I am in a large battle with them that has now lasted 6 months over a flight to orlando for my disney trip in October. From my understanding I will just have to eat the cost. Also if you do not show up for your departing flight, your return flight will be automatically cancelled. The Airline itself will not take responsibility for anything if it is p urchased through Priceline.

The name your own price thing is a cool concept but the fact that they stranglehold you into whatever airline they want and times, is tough to handle for me.

Bottom line, always read the fine print

- I learned my lesson.

By the way. Have fun in Atlanta.

-Swede

viking245 · Post by **viking245** » Sep Fri 04, 2009 10:32 am

We went to Austin this summer and when i was trying to find the best $ for flights... I tried Alaska round trip, Continental rt and many others straight through the airlines' website. Just for the heck of it, I plugged the dates into Expedia and they had cheaper flights at the times I wanted. Upon further investigation, they had it with Alaska flying down and Continental flying back. I then went directly to the airlines and booked the one way trips respectively, for the same price as Expedia.

Airlines are more forgiving when you book through them than through one of the 'other' places. You pretty much pay the same and the airlines make more $. Whether that's good or not is another debate.

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Sep Fri 04, 2009 11:49 am

Thanks everyone for all the comments. I learned my lesson to never try anything new without reading the fine print beforehand..and for that, I will have to pay for the conseqeunces (which is only a loss of $90, when it could have been alot worse...from what I've read online from other people)