Looking to use priceline to hawaii from nyc

[funhouse8]

What would be the worst case sceniaro if I name my own price though priceline to hawaii this summer. The fares are crazy. This is their rules.

For flights you bid on, Priceline does not guarantee a non-stop flight, but it does promise a maximum of one-stop each way. All layovers capped at 3 hours. Flights may depart anywhere between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., however, the site guarantees that your trip will end no later than 12:30 a.m. the following morning. Says spokesperson Ek, "You can instruct us to broaden our search and theoretically increase your chances of getting a ticket by adding a redeye option that could get you to your destination by the following morning. But the default is no redeyes."

We are bidding on 6 tickets so it would be a great savings to us. Any advice is appreciated. I know I should have booked way back when but it wasn't possible so please no lectures. thanks.

 

[lauti]

You would likely get the last flight of the day/night to Hawaii likely with a long layover and the first flight out in the morning back from Hawaii. This could cut I to your vacation.

 

[woodkins]

Have you been checking Hawaiian Airlines out of JFK to HON? they have nonstop flights and have been posting GREAT rates lately....so good that it was literally cheaper for me to fly to Honolulu than to Orlando!!

 

[funhouse8]

You would likely get the last flight of the day/night to Hawaii likely with a long layover and the first flight out in the morning back from Hawaii. This could cut I to your vacation.

They say that the layover can't be more then 3 hours. Do you know if they stick to this? I would do three hours to save $1,000 dollars.

 

[funhouse8]

Have you been checking Hawaiian Airlines out of JFK to HON? they have nonstop flights and have been posting GREAT rates lately....so good that it was literally cheaper for me to fly to Honolulu than to Orlando!!

I have been checking them but we are going the week of july 4th so no discounts offered here. Both my daughters have school jobs and we had to take this week.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Be sure you read all the rules before doing a name your own price bid for airline tickets on Priceline. You can make no changes, nor can you cancel the tickets. Usually you don't get frequent flyer miles for these tickets either.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

They say that the layover can't be more then 3 hours. Do you know if they stick to this? I would do three hours to save $1,000 dollars.

My understanding is that they will not book you on a flight that violates their rules. But this can also mean a layover as short as 26 minutes.

In addition, there may not be any flights available to you unless you are willing to fly on a redeye on your return.

Finally, in addition to reading the rules, I would suggest using one of the booking engines like Kayak to scope out the worst possible flight that meets those rules. Assume that this will be the flight you get (if anything).

If your family can live with a 40 minute connection in San Francisco and an arival in Honolulu after 10PM and return leaving Honolulu after 8pm with a 1 hour connection in Los Angeles at 6AM the next morning arriving home mid-afternoon, then go fo it!

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[sam_gordon]

I've *HEARD* (so take that with a grain of salt) you might be able to find cheaper flights by doing TWO reservations. One into LAX, and another from LAX to Hawaii. I think that's supposed to be splitting airlines. If you do that though, you need to make sure you have enough time to collect luggage, then reclear security.

Just a thought.

 

[seashoreCM]

I've *HEARD* (so take that with a grain of salt) you might be able to find cheaper flights by doing TWO reservations. One into LAX, and another from LAX to Hawaii. I think that's supposed to be splitting airlines. If you do that though, you need to make sure you have enough time to collect luggage, then reclear security. t.

I think that this is not a good idea unless you allow an overnight (or more) in the "connecting" city.

A delay of the first flight causing you to miss the second flight might result in your forfeiting the entire second itinerary. Or at least you would be have to pay the change fee (probably over $150.00) plus any fare increase needed to arrive at a currently available fare for immediate departure, and rebook the flight you missed.

 

[funhouse8]

I've *HEARD* (so take that with a grain of salt) you might be able to find cheaper flights by doing TWO reservations. One into LAX, and another from LAX to Hawaii. I think that's supposed to be splitting airlines. If you do that though, you need to make sure you have enough time to collect luggage, then reclear security.

Just a thought.

I've done every possible airport from nyc to hnl. thinking we can drive or fly. It isn't any cheaper. the flights from those airport we fly are in the 8oo - 900 range add that on with our R/T and there is also the risk of missing our connection

SuzanneSLO- I think I am OK with this in order to save money. We are all grown-ups and they said that they will send you on the same airline so hopefully the connecting plane is close. priceline also said that they will let you know if it is a red-eye and you have to approve it but my sister lived in Ca. so the red eye works for us.

Thanks everyone for the Great advice. I plan on giving it one more week (as per the travel sites on when to grab the best airfare.) Then we go for it.

lost*in*cyberspace & seashoreCM Great advice, Thanks

 

[Lewisc]

What would be the worst case sceniaro if I name my own price though priceline to hawaii this summer. The fares are crazy. This is their rules.



We are bidding on 6 tickets so it would be a great savings to us. Any advice is appreciated. I know I should have booked way back when but it wasn't possible so please no lectures. thanks.

The internet "help" sites report airfare deals on PL name your own price are rare. Your expectation of great savings isn't realistic. Expecting any savings may not be realistic.

Hotels offer great savings in exchange for offering pre-paid non-refundable rates. Airlines offer pre-paid non-refundable fares direct to the public.No reason to offer additional savings in exchange for opaque purchases.

Use a site like Hipmunk.com to research airfare. It does a better job then Kayak Try searching for 1 or 2 tickets. You may need to split your family if you want the best possible fares.

 

[Lewisc]

It isn't any cheaper. the flights from those airport we fly are in the 8oo - 900 range add that on with our R/T and there is also the risk of missing our connection

I don't know your exact dates. I'm seeing fares of $1100-1200 around the time you're going. Holiday week. People booking with short notice might be willing to pay full fare. I didn't notice you were booking a holiday week when I posted. Buy a lottery ticket. You have a better chance of winning then you have of "winning" 6 PL tickets for less then 800-900 fares you've found. Does price matter a lot? Look for 1 or 2 tickets and book. You'll may wind up on different flights but you might save a few dollars.

Assume your trip was to WDW. Your plan "B" from NYC might be to drive. What is your plan "B" if PL doesn't work. Move your dates? Try to switch your vacation from Hawaii to WDW? Can you book DVC at WDW for this July? Pay whatever it costs $$$ for last minute airfare?

Don't make your own connection unless you're staying overnight at the connecting city.

 

[NotUrsula]

They say that the layover can't be more then 3 hours. Do you know if they stick to this? I would do three hours to save $1,000 dollars.

Yes, they do (well, in terms of flight SCHEDULE -- delays are off the table). However, realize that because of the length of an east coast to Hawaii flight, the domestic time guarantee doesn't apply: it counts as as international flight because you have to cross an ocean. You might have better luck bidding for Lihue if you are headed to Kauai.

Anytime you use PL for flights, you have to factor in 2 extra days of vacation time to get there and come back, because as someone else pointed out, for resort destinations almost all of the seats they get are those that leave the resort destination first thing in the morning and arrive there late at night. This normally also adds up to two hotel nights that you won't use much of, so factor that into your savings projection.

Once in a great while you get lucky and get more favorable flight times, but you really shouldn't count on it.

 

[funhouse8]

Well I'm happy to say I was able to get AA flights out on june 28 and returning on july 5th great hours, 1 stop long enough layovers for $1,191. I know this is a lot but compared to what I was getting I am very happy. I will be in Hawaii for the forth of July. WhooHoo.

 

[Lewisc]

Well I'm happy to say I was able to get AA flights out on june 28 and returning on july 5th great hours, 1 stop long enough layovers for $1,191. I know this is a lot but compared to what I was getting I am very happy. I will be in Hawaii for the forth of July. WhooHoo.

Did you book with AA or did you use PL

 

[MAH4546]

Usually you don't get frequent flyer miles for these tickets either.

That's absolutely not true with regards to domestic airlines. Any American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, etc. ticket booked on Priceline (or anywhere else sans some consolidator fares to Latin America) earns miles.

 

[funhouse8]

Did you book with AA or did you use PL

AA, I called them and got a flight for 200 dollars cheaper then they had listed on the internet.
I tried Priceline for a few days and I have to say it was very stressful and now that I have the flights I want I am so glad they never accepted my offers. :

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

That's absolutely not true with regards to domestic airlines. Any American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, etc. ticket booked on Priceline (or anywhere else sans some consolidator fares to Latin America) earns miles.

http://www.priceline.com/InformationCenter/html/faq.htm

Tickets issued through priceline.com are not eligible for Frequent Flyer miles, or upgrades.

 

[Lewisc]

AA, I called them and got a flight for 200 dollars cheaper then they had listed on the internet.
I tried Priceline for a few days and I have to say it was very stressful and now that I have the flights I want I am so glad they never accepted my offers. :

http://www.priceline.com/InformationCenter/html/faq.htm

Tickets issued through priceline.com are not eligible for Frequent Flyer miles, or upgrades.

People can book specific flights on PLs site. No different then booking on expedia, travelocity etc. Flights so booked should earn miles.

People can also bid. Pl says those tickets aren't eligible for miles. Those flights are booked on a special fare code. You don't get miles if your flight is booked on the code (I don't know the letter) used to indicate a reward flight. People "bidding" have to assume their flight won't earn miles. It's certainly possible one or more airlines might give miles. You can't plan on being booked on an airline you have a use for miles let alone being on a carrier which offers miles.