Page 32 - Sphere No.7 (Oct 2002)

E - C O M M E R C E
space, as feared, and was instead prompt-
ly delivered to my door the morning
after booking. (Priceline also offers an
option of e-ticketing, where available.)
Although its sophisticated computer
programme is about as safe as Fort Knox,
concerns over making direct purchases
through the Priceline website can be
overcome by phoning a dedicated call
centre to provide your details, including
credit card information.
Due to a typically late check-in for
departure from Hong Kong, aboard an
unusually full flight, I was upgraded to
business class on the trip to Bangkok –
which just goes to show that Priceline
seats are as good as any.
So Priceline passed with flying
colours for me, just as many others are
discovering.
In fact, my peak-season deal to
Bangkok was somewhat ordinary. One
happy customer contacted Priceline to
report that in June she had secured two
tickets to Bangkok on Finnair for only
HK$1,000 each. Not only that, she
stayed at a five-star hotel for just HK$480
per night.
But even high-season routes can
yield serious savings. Alfred Tsoi,Yahoo!
Hong Kong's general manager, acquired
two return tickets aboard United Airlines
to Tokyo for the World Cup final for a
total of HK$4,710. His travel agency had
quoted HK$4,000 each, virtually twice
the price. “I couldn't believe it,” he
recalls. “I knew tickets would be hard to
get and I figured I’d have to pay a high
price to get them.”
Anther satisfied customer, business-
Thai Airways and HK$2,353 with Gulf
Air (which is famously cheaper due to a
10am departure from Bangkok, requir-
ing an early rise).
In the circumstances, an initial offer
of HK$1,300 (approximately US$166)
with Priceline was ambitious – and not
surprisingly rejected. You can name
your own price, but it won’t necessarily
be accepted.
For obvious reasons, not least frivo-
lous time-wasters potentially increasing
their offers by HK$1 at a time, offers
have to be raised by a minimum sum of
HK$150. Within a few minutes, I had
made an offer which was accepted at a
total of HK$1,846. But I had no idea of
the flight times or the airline. Priceline
reckons it usually acquires direct flights
for regional routes, but I couldn’t be
100% sure of that either.
Did I wish to confirm?Yes; and with-
in minutes I learned that my booking
had been confirmed, with flight details
instantly revealed. I had feared my jour-
ney might be aboard an ancient aircraft
via a string of out-of-the-way landing
strips, so in the circumstances the itiner-
ary was comfortingly unremarkable. I
was booked direct both ways aboard
Thai, departing Hong Kong at 3.30pm
(good) and returning from Bangkok
three days later at 3.20pm (even better –
enough time for a final round of golf in
the morning).
SATISFIED CUSTOMER
Despite my relatively inflexible and
rather peak-time travel requirements I
had saved HK$714, which was more than
a 25% discount. It was worth about 3,700
baht in Bangkok and so, with newfound
confidence in the Priceline system, I pro-
ceeded to book a hotel room.
I was able to specify the star rating of
the hotel I required (two-star) and was
also given the option of choosing a spe-
cific area within Bangkok. Again, I
started ludicrously low (HK$200) and
again my offer was rejected (Priceline
only partners with international-brand
hotels). But at HK$350 I hit the jack-
pot, with an upgrade to a room on the
top floor of a three-star boutique hotel
that turned out to be comfortable,
friendly and conveniently located.
With the saving of around HK$700
on my air ticket, the room effectively
cost me only HK$236 for three nights.
Better still, all I had to do was make a
printout of the booking, which I then
presented to hotel reception on arrival.
And they were expecting me.
The air-ticket never drifted in cyber-
SPHERE
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