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Bidding on Priceline Flights

Quick overview

Here you'll learn BidOnTravel's bidding tips for getting the cheapest Priceline flights. These easy, step-by-step instructions show you how to make the most informed bid, and also give you bidding strategies that Priceline doesn't teach you.

And you get all these tips for getting the best prices on Priceline airfares for free.

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Complete bidding tips for Priceline Air:

1. Remember Priceline rules.
2. Choose the best dates for your travel.
3. Look for more than one airport.
4. Research airfares on other discount websites.
5. Check Hotwire.com's price.
6. Use these guidelines to determine your bid for Priceline flights.
7. Submit your "smart" bid—and one that increases your chances for making immediate rebids.
8. What to do if your bid is accepted, or if it isn't.
   

1. Remember Priceline rules.

• Remember this and you will almost always be a happy Priceline camper: Once you authorize Priceline to charge your credit card, your reservation is non-refundable and cannot be changed or transferred, even by paying a fee.
  
  
• You can rebid on the exact same flights only once every 24 hours.
  
  However, several of our bidding on Priceline flights tips are geared specifically to helping you rebid immediately, rather than waiting 24 hours. Rebidding right away allows you to make a lower, riskier first bid, and gives you more chances to get a bid accepted.

2. Choose the best dates for your travel.

• For lowest prices, travel off-peak days. For example, you may pay more to fly on Fridays or Sundays, particularly to or from popular vacation spots, such as Orlando and Las Vegas. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and sometimes Saturdays are generally cheaper.
  
  
• You'll also get lower fares on Priceline airlines if you include a Saturday night stay, (though this may not be necessary if flying to Orlando, Las Vegas, and Reno).
  
  
• If possible, have alternative travel dates ready.

3. Look for more than one airport.

• Most travelers have more than one airport they can fly from or to. For example, travelers to Daytona Beach often find fares are high because few airlines serve its airport. On the other hand, just over an hour away, many budget flights fly into Orlando airport.
  
  
• Even if your alternative airports do not offer budget flights, they definitely give you the advantage of an immediate rebid. Be sure to read Bidding Tip #7 to learn exactly how to enter your initial bid so that you do not lose a rebidding opportunity.

4. Research airfares on other discount websites.

An informed bid is your best strategy. Find out the going rates so that you can bid LESS on Priceline flights. Include any alternative dates and airports in your research.

• On the same day you intend to bid on Priceline.com, check at least one well-known online discount travel site that gives specific airlines, times, and fares, such as:
  
  Find Your Flight for Less at Travelocity!
  
  
• Base your research on nonstop or one-connection flights, as these are what Priceline offers when they're available.
  
  
• Make a note if many flights are listed for your dates and destination, or just a few. You'll use this information when determining your bid.

5. Check Hotwire.com's price.

Because Hotwire's prices and services are roughly equivalent to Priceline's, checking Hotwire helps you avoid overpaying when bidding on Priceline flights:

Like Priceline.com, Hotwire does not tell you the airline or departure times until after you have paid, uses well-known full-service airlines, and issues non-refundable and unchangeable tickets. Unlike Priceline.com, Hotwire displays your price, including taxes and fees, before you commit.

At times, you may find lower fares on Hotwire because it has different relationships with airlines. However, Priceline serves more destinations.

• Go to Hotwire.com and punch in your ideal dates and destination.
  
  
• If asked to approve options like alternate airports to lower your airfare, choose NO. (You can go back for alternative airports if your Priceline bids are rejected.)
  
  
• Note Hotwire's price, because when you are ready to bid on Priceline, you will want your total price on Priceline to be LOWER than Hotwire's.
  
  
• You are given a deadline for paying—usually within one or two hours. Write down the time you submitted your request. Getting your tickets on Hotwire may be an option you'd like to keep open in case your Priceline bids are not accepted.

6. Use these guidelines to determine your bid for Priceline flights.

• If the lowest fare you found on discount travel sites (other than Hotwire) was less than $380—OR you saw only a few flights available for your dates—bid 20% below this fare, or 15% below Hotwire.com's fare, whichever is less.
  
  
• If the best fare you found on sites like Expedia was more than $380—OR you saw many flights available for your dates—you can generally succeed with a greater discount, such as 30% or more off Expedia's price.
  
  
• Adjust your bid higher if you HAVE to travel on certain dates. Or, if you really MUST go.
  
  
• Make a lower, riskier bid if you are bidding weeks in advance, with plenty of time for rebids. You may get lucky and score an especially great Priceline airfare deal.
  
  
• For international travel, our recommended bidding discounts vary by country. Open this pop-up for details.
  
  
• NOTE: When placing your bid
  
  Priceline.com - no one deals like we do!
  
  You may be told that your low bid will likely fail. BidOnTravel believes that Priceline's recommendations are conservative, and that you can sometimes succeed with a well-thought-out, low bid.

7. Submit your "smart" bid—and one that increases your chances for making immediate rebids.

Here are BidOnTravel's best strategies for bidding on Priceline flights, as well as rebidding if necessary. Priceline does not teach these tips, so follow them carefully to maximize your savings.

• When you enter your departure and destination airports, Priceline usually suggests alternative airports you can include in your bid. However, don't include these. Enter just ONE departure airport and ONE destination airport at this time.
  
  Priceline.com - no one deals like we do!
  
  

  This is a smart bid because it lets you immediately make one or more additional bids if your first bid is rejected. If you wish, you can increase the amount of your follow-up bids.

  When you rebid, Priceline automatically includes both your first choice airport and your second choice, so you may depart from your first choice.

• You can also use alternative dates for making immediate rebids.
  
  
• In some cases, you can accept non-jet or "red eye" (night) flights for an immediate rebid. "Red eyes" also help you get cheaper Vegas or trans-continental flights.
  
  
• After you submit your bid, Priceline adds taxes and fees. If Priceline's total is higher than you expected, you can adjust your bid as many times as you like before authorizing your payment.
  
  (Remember that once you authorize your credit card to be charged, your bid becomes unchangeable, non-transferable, and non-refundable.)
  
  
• NOTE: Be sure to write down and save your transaction number.
  

8. What to do if your bid is accepted, or if it isn't.

• Print out your itinerary and receipt and take them with you to the airport.
  
  
• Be sure to reconfirm flight times prior to traveling.
  
  
• For other tips on making your flight go smoothly, visit our Air Travel Check List. If you'd like to fly at a different time of day, check our Flying Standby tips.

Still have questions about bidding on Priceline flights? Please read our airfare FAQ.