What's the benefit?

[kelkel2]

What's the benefit to booking your hotel through an airline? We have a hotel reserved but we are always keeping our eyes our for a good deal, although I don't think we will get one in downtown Miami in January.

I thought about looking at hotels through Delta who is our flight provider for this trip, but the prices are not cheaper. Am I missing something? I thought there was a benefit to booking both air and hotel from the same place?

[6rugrats]

Do you earn FF points on DL if you book a hotel through them? Other than that, which might not be a benefit depending on the price, I don't know why you would do this.

 

Unless I am trying to earn points with a hotel program, I am a big Priceline "name your own price" for hotels, especially for just a one or two night stay.

[Azulann]

You can find a good deal when you book a VACATION package (air+ hotel) at an airline web site.

 

For my precruise stay ,which is not a vacation package, I booked air using Delta credit card. Got double miles. Then I went to skymiles and booked hotel. I got 4 miles for every dollar I spent booking through Delta site.

 

I do not use priceline etc because when I cruise I want to have my air and hotel arranged asap. Then I move on to excursions. But that is just me. :)

 

Also I have only cruised in Europe until this year when I booked a cruise leaving from a US port.

[greatam]

Do you earn FF points on DL if you book a hotel through them? Other than that, which might not be a benefit depending on the price, I don't know why you would do this.

 

Unless I am trying to earn points with a hotel program, I am a big Priceline "name your own price" for hotels, especially for just a one or two night stay.

 

I can't even see booking a hotel through an airline to get FF points. I, too, am a BIG Priceline "name your own price" hotel fan. Sometimes Hotwire too. Use my AA credit card. The best of both worlds-FF points and usually fantastic hotels for VERY cheap prices. One of my best deals yet-Venetian 2 bed suite in early December-$120 per night all in. THAT was a deal-those rooms start about $500 per night.

[srpilo]

After using Priceline for the last ten years, I can't imagine booking a hotel through an airline and paying the Rack Rate for a room

 

 

Srpilo

[FlyerTalker]

Have never gotten a bad experience with a PL hotel, and often get great deals. One semi-gotcha with Hotwire once (no elevator in a 3 star hotel), but otherwise I'm a believer.

 

Airlines are selling hotels, car rentals and the rest for one reason. MONEY. They get a cut from the supplier. Why do you think the agent asks at the end of a call "Do you need a hotel or car rental at XYZ?"

 

There is an illusion that you will always get a better deal with a "package" and another that you are "protected" with a package. Both are false, with the latter being really wrong. Sometimes a package can be a deal, but you need to know your pricing of the components up front. Icelandair packages are deals, because they also own the hotels themselves. Others...caveat emptor.

[Fattony]

-Once I got a better price booking through American Airlines than I could get elsewhere. It's just one option to check out. Always better? No, of course not. Worth a look? Sure. Just like I got a better price on a flight once, and on a hotel once, using Expedia. Could likely get a better price through Hotwire or Priceline, but then you don't know the name/exact location of the hotel in advance. In the case of a hotel near BUR, Priceline could have put us some distance from the airport.

-I used the airline once in order to extend the life of my ff miles. Only gained a few miles, but it counted as activity.

[Azulann]

flyertalker,

 

"There is an illusion that you will always get a better deal with a "package" and another that you are "protected" with a package. Both are false, with the latter being really wrong. Sometimes a package can be a deal, but you need to know your pricing of the components up front. Icelandair packages are deals, because they also own the hotels themselves. Others...caveat emptor."

 

i agree with your statement that a package does not protect you.

But it can be a better deal. Of course one needs to run the cost of each component for the actual cost.

 

My reference was for a land vacation package. Been using this method for annual trip to Mexico for over 15 years. In the early years when there were alot of charters, you could figure out acoomodations on your own. But now there are less options for air only at a price better than a full package.

 

My cruise with the "choice air option" was not cheaper for me. I booked my flights on my own.

[Twickenham]

-Once I got a better price booking through American Airlines than I could get elsewhere.

 

I love AA.com for hotel deals. I have never, however, actually booked thru their website. Rather, I use them to obtain LNF lower rate matches with Marriott - if you find a lower rate than listed on their website, they'll match the rate plus give you 25% off. That's how I stayed for $80 on Friday night at a Marriott that would normally have cost me $159.

[megr1125]

I love AA.com for hotel deals. I have never, however, actually booked thru their website. Rather, I use them to obtain LNF lower rate matches with Marriott - if you find a lower rate than listed on their website, they'll match the rate plus give you 25% off. That's how I stayed for $80 on Friday night at a Marriott that would normally have cost me $159.

 

yes twickenham...i've scored a half dozen LNF Marriott rates using AA.com for comparison....does NOT always work...but for the ones that i found....i got awesome savings...for instance, in november, in orlando, the rate i got was close to 200 bucks...found a 95-ish rate on AA, and got the room for 70-something....so thanks...prior to that i'd only ever found ONE LNF rate...

[DanJ]

I think it's simply for convenience. Some people just want the one-stop shopping and don't shop around or use sites like Priceline. If the airline can capitalize on them, then go for it.

[kelkel2]

Thanks for the responses guys! I was thinking the same thing. Maybe you can get FF points for it? That would be nice and I wouldn't mind doing that, but not willing to pay more for it!

[ibcnusoon]

I get excellent vacation packages on US Airways to Las Vegas when I book air and hotel. The only time I did better and just booked airfare was when I used my Total Rewards points and got a room at Ceasars Hotel and Casino for free/just pay tax.

[greatam]

Thanks for the responses guys! I was thinking the same thing. Maybe you can get FF points for it? That would be nice and I wouldn't mind doing that, but not willing to pay more for it!

 

You have to check all components. Are you paying MORE for a hotel than you could get on the BIDDING part of Priceline or Hotwire? If so, your FF points are not worth anything.

 

And what are FF points going to do for you if you book a $200 per night hotel. 200 points??? Not enough to waste the time, IMHO.

 

Get an AIRLINE credit card, whichever airline you are trying to rack up miles on. Book your hotel with your airline credit card from wherever you find it the cheapest. Best of both worlds unless your hotel via the airline is giving like 4 miles or more per dollar spent. Then and ONLY then is it worth it to pay an equal dollar amount for a hotel that you could buy elsewhere with an airline credit card and STILL get the miles. Look into Starwood Amex-one of the best airline credit cards you can get (the only downside is Amex is not accepted a lot of places but the points are good on about 20 airlines).

[greatam]

I get excellent vacation packages on US Airways to Las Vegas when I book air and hotel. The only time I did better and just booked airfare was when I used my Total Rewards points and got a room at Ceasars Hotel and Casino for free/just pay tax.

 

You and Azulann are referring to completely DIFFERENT scenarios than just booking airfare and a one night pre cruise stay in a hotel offered by the airline.

 

Land vacations MAY offer you a better deal when you book 2-3 nights hotel PLUS air. But a one night pre cruise stay-you would have to show me. We do this stuff for a living-sending people and freight worldwide to trade shows. Last year we booked over 600 airline tickets and 3+ times as many hotel rooms.

 

There is also cheaper air if you book a 3-5 night package through someone like Pleasant Holidays, Gate 1 Travel or one of the other packagers for a wide variety of destinations. I have booked Gate 1 Travel packages for employees just to get the cheaper air. Have they stayed in the hotels? Absolutely not. The last time was the fall trade shows in Europe. Gate 1 had a hotel/air package from LAX to London for $789.00, including 5 nights hotel. The trade show we needed to attend was in Paris. So use the cheapo air, take the train to Paris (I actually had the 3 of them rent a car and drive), forget the hotels and return on the cheapo air.

 

Were those hotels cheaper? You bet. But the real discount was the price of the air, most likely subsidized by the hotels themselves or the travel bureau or government of the country flying into.

 

All kinds of ways to look at it but as a general rule and as someone pointed out, the MAIN reason airlines offer hotels and car rentals is to get a "piece of the pie". Are they true discounts?? RARELY. You can usually do much better booking your own air and then booking a hotel through Priceline BIDDING or Hotwire. AsiaRooms is another HUGE hotel discounter that offers hotel rooms world wide. Quikbook offers some SPECTACULAR deals for some VERY, VERY nice hotels in the USA. No need to book a hotel room with an airline reservation.

[Azulann]

Greatam,

You sound like you have a great job, moving people and stuff all over the world.

 

I apologize that I was indeed mixing apples and oranges.

Maybe some day I will use priceline or another bidding site...but I am not sure.

 

i love researching hotels for precruise. I am very picky about the location. I have only taken cruises in Europe until this Dec. In Europe I have stayed in locally owned hotels not US brands and always for at least three days. Picked the hotel we wanted in FLL for what we need in hotel and the location. Checked prices for at least one month. Got a senior special and the FF point by booking thru my sky miles mall on Delta.It took me right to the hotel web site. I am a happy camper.

[Zach1213]

I think it's simply for convenience. Some people just want the one-stop shopping and don't shop around or use sites like Priceline. If the airline can capitalize on them, then go for it.

I think it works twofold - one, as you mention, is ease; the other, that they convince people that it's cheaper, and lull them in to a false sense of security and hope they never do any research beyond taking their word that they are offering a better deal.