Opaque Pricing

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JBloggs

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[tr]Opaque Pricing
Thought you might be interested in knowing what this term means and how it is used.
Perhaps BandB.com will go this route soon since they seem to be more hotel-ish all the time with the offers I have had lately in mailings.
click here for article
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I have looked at both the P rice l ine and Ho twi re and have yet to find a price I could not get by using the direct websites (checked mostly for airlines) in the area I am wanting to travel. Why people subject themselves to possibly being stuck with the worst place just to say they 'got the best deal', guess that phrase is subjective! I would not say that getting the fleabag motel was worth the bargain shopping.
 
I have looked at both the P rice l ine and Ho twi re and have yet to find a price I could not get by using the direct websites (checked mostly for airlines) in the area I am wanting to travel. Why people subject themselves to possibly being stuck with the worst place just to say they 'got the best deal', guess that phrase is subjective! I would not say that getting the fleabag motel was worth the bargain shopping..
Actually I used this type of service 4 years ago to find accommodations in Orlando. I was skeptical, concerned, but I also knew it would only be 2 nights of my life. I can do anything for 2 nights, unless it was really creepy. Places don't want bad reviews, neither the sites nor the hotel. I was pleased with the accommodations and the price. I may try it for nights I have no bookings. Summer tends to fill up one night at a time, maybe this would be a way to get a few more stays in.
 
We used this the only time, when I seriously could not locate a B&B near DUKE (very last minute) when DH went to a one day class in NC. He was not even going to stay the night, he got there at midnight as it was, so I did a pr ic eline bid and got the mystery hotel near the class. Oddly enough it was the same place they were holding the class and giving discounts to attendees, the rooms were discounted to $140 and he stayed there for $68. So there ya go! Worked in that situation, aye.
It was typical, pay for wi fi pay for every little thing, this is how they made up for it. He only needed a pillow, but the wif i for the conference was a big issue as it was for I.T. and ALL of them needed it, required it. So they attended and all left asap.
 
We used this the only time, when I seriously could not locate a B&B near DUKE (very last minute) when DH went to a one day class in NC. He was not even going to stay the night, he got there at midnight as it was, so I did a pr ic eline bid and got the mystery hotel near the class. Oddly enough it was the same place they were holding the class and giving discounts to attendees, the rooms were discounted to $140 and he stayed there for $68. So there ya go! Worked in that situation, aye.
It was typical, pay for wi fi pay for every little thing, this is how they made up for it. He only needed a pillow, but the wif i for the conference was a big issue as it was for I.T. and ALL of them needed it, required it. So they attended and all left asap..
I have used one of these sites only once. Never again. Several years ago, when traveling with my daughter's soccer team, one of the mothers insisted we use it because she was convinced we would save a ton of money. (I can't remember which one site, honestly.) She was very vocal about it, and we all finally gave in just to get her to shut up. The entire trip was handled this way, plane, rental car and hotel.
The plane trip was actually two plane trips, because the group was divided between two airlines with differing flight times. When we arrived in San Diego, the rental car company (NOT one of the big ones) had decided that they were losing money on our discounted rate, and had given our vehicles to someone who was willing to pay more, which I was told when I called upon arrival and requested the shuttle to come pick us up. Since it was 9pm, and they had no more cars available, they closed and went home. So, 18 eleven-year-olds, five adults, two flights, zero cars over Thanksgiving weekend. (Good luck, folks!) Luckily, a couple of frequent fliers among us were able to use their status and points to get us cars from the big companies.
On to the hotel. . . which was literally on the freeway. The din never ceased all night long, and no one slept. The bugs, at least, kept us occupied. Discovered the next morning that folks walking in off the street were paying a third less than we were on our "discounted" rooms. Sweet.
Never again. I'll make my own plans, and know to whom I sending my money, thank you very much. (BTW, the insistent mother did not travel with us, and was invited -- politely, of course -- to keep her mouth shut in the future.)
 
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