Bidding on Priceline

We are planning a week in NYC in June. When bidding for a room on Priceline, would it be better to bid on one now or wait until closer to June?

Why is June still considered ';high season';?

Can a person get a better rate than the rack rate if you phone directly to the hotel?

Bidding on Priceline

www.biddingfortravel.com

www.betterbidding.com

Try those two websites for more information on Priceline.

There is no magic formula for Priceline. I have gotten rooms three months ahead and been shut out for months on end.

Read the FAQs on those sites. I would book something you can cancel.

Bidding on Priceline

Probably closer to June for a few reasons. First being there may not be much available right now. Priceline is a repository for hotels to dump their unsold rooms. It%26#39;s probably too far out for some places to do it. But you can always test the priceline waters if you like. Just make sure you understand the bidding process and don%26#39;t overbid.

I recommend posting your budget and travel dates on the New York board at betterbidding.com. They will help you formulate a priceline bidding strategy and can also review other lodging deals out there. (The other bidding site, biddingfortravel has been left unmoderated for a couple months, so not as helpful.)

Another reason to book something now you can cancel without penalty before bidding on priceline is that priceline is permanent. They immediately charge your credit card and it is non-refundable. (Same with hotwire). So it sometimes makes sense to wait a little closer to your trip to make sure you don%26#39;t have to cancel for some reason.