Bargain Quest

This is the second post in a series on Priceline…

If you’re considering using Priceline, the best online resources for learning more about it and making good bids are Biddingfortravel.com and Betterbidding.com. I’m trying to provide an introduction to the subject, but there is a huge wealth of information on those two sites that I can’t even touch on.

-Both offer message boards where members post winning or failed bids, grouped by state.
-There are also compilations of what hotels have been won in each bidding area in that state, to give you an idea of what could come up at each star level.
-Some hotel reviews are contributed, but it’s definitely not the best place for the up-to-date inside scoop (try Tripadvisor instead).

There are some differences between them:

Biddingfortravel is the larger of the two, as far as I can tell. This is good because it means more information is added that can help you with your research.

Betterbidding is still worth checking because some data doesn’t overlap and it has several other useful features:

*It includes a Hotwire side. Based on the amenities shown in your Hotwire search results, you can look at betterbidding to see if that “mystery” hotel has been identified. I’m usually interested in the 2.5 star options, and never find any matches, so this hasn’t been much assistance.
*It offers Priceline maps for some big cities. I love this feature. The locations of possible Priceline hotels are pinpointed on a map, which is helpful for a quick-glance view of where you could end up winning a hotel relative to where you want to be. Clicking on the pinpoint allows you to look up recent wins for a hotel, traveler reviews, or the hotel website.
*It’s a little more laid-back. This is a very un-quantifiable characteristic, but my advice is don’t post on the Biddingfortravel board unless you know exactly what you’re doing. The moderators can get a little grouchy when you don’t follow the directions. Betterbidding seems a little more newbie-friendly. Again, this is just based on my own observation.

Read the general information at the beginning of each site to orient and educate yourself, then have fun exploring!

Finally, if you are helped by the information on either, consider supporting the website by clicking through an affiliate link listed on the bidding site when making Priceline bids or other travel purchases. Look for topics entitled “Support” for more details on how to do it.

I still have several more Priceline posts to write (bidding strategy, who should use it), but I’ll be mixing them in with other subjects for the benefit of folks not as intrigued with the intricacies of Priceline as I!