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Social media/uber-couponing hybrid Groupon brought affordable spontaneity to the masses; travel-booking giant Expedia has made it simple for travelers to plan out every last detail of their vacation. What will happen when the two team up? We'll find out later this month, with the U.S./Canada launch of Groupon Getaways (we wish we could give you the exact launch date but Groupon is keeping that information hush-hush right now).
We spoke to Groupon representative Mike Clothier to find out exactly how Getaways will work. Here's what we learned: Each new getaway will be available for booking for a limited window, with a typical discount of about 50 percent off the prices of competing travel sites. Fortunately, the redemption dates are flexible, so you have some time to figure when you want to take your vacation.
Groupon, the first site of its kind, triggered a host of similar sites, including LivingSocial, which also launched a travel arm in November 2010 called LivingSocial Escapes.
With so much competition, Groupon Getaways might seem like a tough sell, but what makes the new offering exciting is the reach of the brands associated with it. Expedia, for example, has more than 135,000 hotel partners, all of whom will have the opportunity to share deals with Groupon's 50 million customers. And where LivingSocial Escapes and other sites like TripAlertz mainly offer hotel deals, Groupon Getaways aims to run the gamut, in many cases pairing airlines, cruise lines, car rental companies, tour operators, and excursion companies with those hotels for comprehensive vacation packages.
To get on the list for Groupon Getaways' launch later this month, sign up at groupon.com/getaways.Do you think Groupon Getaways is poised to become the next big thing in travel booking?
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from the experiences i had with orbitz, hotwire, priceline, and expedia. If you book a ticket or hotel from them. Sometimes you will be ok, most of the time hotels tend to put u in not up to par rooms, and saved the good rooms for their loyal customers and people who book directly from them.
whenever I see a price offered on those sites, I just book directly from the hotel's website, or just call them directly for the same price. 99% of the time they offer you the same deal.
with airlines, sites like what i mentioned above, can cancel you at anytime without trying their best to notified you. leaving many travelers stranded at the airport. so if you are going to book through them, make sure you check the status of your ticket 2 weeks before your trip every single day.
I am pretty sure groupons and living social will be the same way along with many blackout dates and restrictions.
you want the best deal? do your research then contact the source directly, most of them will honor the price of your research.
Posted By frank on June 7, 2011, 5:19 PM
I have experienced just the opposite, Frank. I have used every one of the booking engines you mention and have received excellent service. In fact, I remember staying at a nice Marriott Courtyard I won at auction at Priceline when I relocated to the West Coast and asked the General Manager if he could extend our stay at the same rate due to the delay in our housing in the new area. He gave me his best shot, but we far higher than PCLN. I simply went online and booked it via PCLN myself. Many if not most of their arrangements are with corporate headquarters and cannot be matched at the desk.
Hotwire had saved my bacon a couple of times with car rentals at JFK and a hotel during Mardi Gras. The car rental was half of anything available at the time and the five-star hotel was priced the same as a 2-star property at the airport because they didn't boost rates for the carnival due to their corporate policy. They got more of my biz from that trip onward for NOT scalping me.
I have travelled in business and for personal reasons for about 50 years now and even though I feel confident I can obtain very good deals on my own, I would never assume I can do the legwork to match the travel search engines.
I don't know where you get your information from, but I have never even heard of someone being cancelled due to booking with any of these sites. Moreover, Orbitz IS the legacy carriers.
Finally, perhaps the reason I routinely get excellent rooms even when using PCLN is that I treat everyone with respect. It's amazing how far a little courtesy goes. I don't handout cash for favors, just a little kindness.
Posted By Hal on December 10, 2011, 12:11 AM
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Posted By lootrumumBoug on February 2, 2012, 10:14 AM