When to bid? Weeks or months out?

[mpcaruth]

Does anyone know if it is better to book though Priceline or Hotwire months in advanced? Or are the really good deals out there in the final weeks?

 

It would make sense to me that the best deals occur within 6 weeks of checkin, but I wanted to know what others have experienced.

[keishashadow]

typically, i find good deals on priceline/hotwire/lastminutetravel approx 6 months out. If I don't book then, slightly better ones tend to crop up 4 - 5 weeks prior for most trips i've watched. I'm finding nothing 3 or 4 star under $200 for FLL in mid January:( but assume the market is different as to it being high season there.

[Lou33]

It depends on where you are going and when. For example, in NYC, it is typical that good deals on priceline don't come up until 3-5 days before your stay. For FLL and most other cities I seem to get good deals about 3-5 weeks before. I think that is a good time to bid.

 

I don't see an advantage of booking through priceline or hotwire several months in advance. The problem is that once your bid is accepted, it is non-refundable. You don't want to get locked in because you might find a better deal later, or you might need to cancel your trip. I have found that the best strategy is to get a good backup hotel at a decent price that you can cancel, then bid later.

 

On sites like biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com you can see the timeframes and bids that are working for other people. I feel that it is a must to read and understand the information on these sites before you bid. It has certainly helped me in the past.

[mpcaruth]

I too am looking at January in Fort Lauderdale area. It seems all 3* and higher beach locations are over $170. Not the bargain I was hoping for. In January 2011, I got the Westin Diplomat for $89 by booking about 6 weeks out.

[Lou33]

mpcaruth,

 

January may be a difficult time. It also depends on the day. On biddingfortravel, I see that several people got the 4* Hyatt Pier 66 for about $90 last January, but they waited until one week before when they bid.

 

January may be a busy time. So the hotel managers don't have an incentive to offer cut-rate rooms through priceline six months in advance, when they know they will probably sell all or most rooms at full price later.

[eandj]

I too am looking at January in Fort Lauderdale area. It seems all 3* and higher beach locations are over $170. Not the bargain I was hoping for. In January 2011, I got the Westin Diplomat for $89 by booking about 6 weeks out.

 

The rates have been creeping up and staying pretty high the last couple winters. Finding Sat. nights really discounted in winter months is rare nowadays. Just too many cruisers pre/ post for that night. Sundays is easier.

 

Westin Diplomat in Hollywood on Hotwire is a great place to look if staying more than one night. Otherwise you eat up pretty much of the savings on the cab fare there and back.

[Putterdude]

I really like to have our accommodation booked within 6 months of the cruise and have always been happy with doing so on either Hotwire or bidding on Priceline. However, with the improving economy rates are moving up, for instance this January we got the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood Beach for $107 and for January 2013 I had trouble coming up with a 4* in FLL for under $125.

[aarep]

It depends on where you are going and when. For example, in NYC, it is typical that good deals on priceline don't come up until 3-5 days before your stay. For FLL and most other cities I seem to get good deals about 3-5 weeks before. I think that is a good time to bid.

 

I don't see an advantage of booking through priceline or hotwire several months in advance. The problem is that once your bid is accepted, it is non-refundable. You don't want to get locked in because you might find a better deal later, or you might need to cancel your trip. I have found that the best strategy is to get a good backup hotel at a decent price that you can cancel, then bid later.

 

On sites like biddingfortravel.com and betterbidding.com you can see the timeframes and bids that are working for other people. I feel that it is a must to read and understand the information on these sites before you bid. It has certainly helped me in the past.

I agree 100%. I would never book priceline more than 3 or 4 weeks in advance even though we usually book our cruises about 4 to 6 months out.