Travelocity and Priceline offer great options for finding deals on flights, hotels, and more. This article compares their features and helps you decide which is best for your travel needs.
In the world of online travel, finding the best deals can make a significant difference in vacation planning. Travelocity and Priceline stand out as two major players in the industry, offering a wide range of options for hotels, flights, and rental cars. These platforms have revolutionized the way people book their trips, providing convenience and potential savings to travelers worldwide.
This comparison delves into the strengths and weaknesses of Travelocity and Priceline. It examines their pricing strategies, booking experiences, and loyalty programs. The article also explores unique features like Travelocity promo codes and Priceline VIP benefits. By the end, readers will have a clear understanding of which platform might better suit their travel needs and budget.
Overview of Travelocity and Priceline
Company Backgrounds
Travelocity and Priceline are two prominent players in the online travel industry, each with its own unique history and approach to serving travelers.
Travelocity, founded in 1995, emerged as a joint venture between Worldview Systems Corporation and Sabre Corporation. It quickly established itself as a pioneer in web-based travel services, becoming the first website to allow consumers to purchase travel tickets without human assistance. The company gained significant popularity following a partnership with AOL in 1999. Throughout its history, Travelocity has undergone several ownership changes, including a merger with Preview Travel in 2000 and its eventual acquisition by Expedia Group in 2015.
Priceline, on the other hand, was founded in 1997 with a revolutionary concept: allowing customers to name their own price for travel services. Starting as a lean startup in Connecticut, Priceline rapidly grew and went public in 1999. The company’s innovative approach to pricing attracted attention from major airlines, hotels, and car rental companies, who saw an opportunity to fill unused inventory. Over the years, Priceline has evolved its business model and expanded its offerings to become a comprehensive travel booking platform.
Key Features
Both Travelocity and Priceline offer a wide range of travel products, including flights, hotels, rental cars, and vacation packages. However, they each have distinctive features that set them apart in the competitive online travel market.
Travelocity is known for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive travel options. It offers booking services for flights, hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars, cruises, and activities. One of Travelocity’s standout features is its “Price Match Guarantee,” which promises to refund the difference if a customer finds a lower price elsewhere. The platform also has a strong focus on travel inspiration, featuring a section with interesting articles and themed travel ideas, such as “Luxury” or “Romantic” getaways.
Priceline, while offering similar booking options, has several unique features that cater to flexible travelers seeking great deals. Its “Express Deals” option provides significant savings on hotels, revealing only the location and star rating until after booking. The platform’s signature “Name Your Own Price” feature allows users to bid on hotel rooms and rental cars, potentially securing even lower rates. Priceline also offers a user-friendly cruise search option, ideal for travelers with specific preferences in their cruise experience.
Both platforms have adapted to the mobile era, with Priceline introducing its mobile app in 2009. They have also expanded their offerings to include alternative accommodations, such as private homes and apartments, catering to the changing preferences of modern travelers.
In terms of rewards and loyalty programs, Travelocity relaunched its “Travel for Good” program in 2015, offering grants for volunteer travel. Priceline, as part of the larger Booking Holdings company, leverages advanced data science to provide personalized recommendations to its users.
While both platforms offer competitive pricing and a wide range of options, they cater to slightly different traveler preferences. Travelocity may appeal more to those seeking travel inspiration and a comprehensive booking experience, while Priceline might be preferred by deal-seekers willing to be flexible with their travel plans for potential savings.
Pricing Comparison
In the world of online travel booking, Travelocity and Priceline are two major players owned by larger parent companies. Travelocity is part of the Expedia Group, while Priceline belongs to Booking Holdings. This ownership structure has an impact on how these platforms operate and set their prices.
Hotel Rates
When it comes to hotel rates, both Travelocity and Priceline generally offer similar pricing structures. This is because hotels themselves set the rates for their rooms across all online travel agencies (OTAs). For example, if a hotel decides to charge $119 per night for a standard room, they communicate this price to all OTAs, including Travelocity and Priceline.
However, there are some factors that can influence the final price:
Commissions: OTAs typically receive a commission of around 30% from hotels for each booking. This commission structure sometimes allows hotels to adjust their rates slightly.
Competitive pricing: Hotels regularly check rates of similar establishments in their area and price range to stay competitive.
Special rates: Both platforms offer various discounts such as CAA/AAA rates, corporate discounts, government/military rates, senior rates, and specific large company rates.
Rewards programs: Hotels often provide better rates and perks to members of their loyalty programs. These can include immediate discounts, free upgrades, early check-ins, late check-outs, and restaurant discounts.
It’s worth noting that booking directly with a hotel can sometimes result in better rates and more flexibility. Hotels may offer special “manager’s rates” (usually 10-20% off) or other exclusive deals to direct bookers.
Flight Prices
When it comes to flight prices, Travelocity and Priceline generally access the same Global Distribution System (GDS) as other flight management businesses. This means that flight prices are often similar across these platforms. However, there can be slight variations due to:
Partnerships: Some OTAs may have special agreements with certain airlines, leading to occasional exclusive deals.
Booking fees: The platforms may charge different booking fees, which can affect the final price.
Package deals: Combining flights with hotels or car rentals can sometimes result in lower overall prices.
Package Deals
Both Travelocity and Priceline offer package deals that combine flights, hotels, and sometimes car rentals. These packages can often provide savings compared to booking each component separately. However, the actual savings can vary depending on:
Seasonal promotions: Both platforms run special promotions during peak travel seasons or off-peak times to attract customers.
Destination: Some destinations may have better package deals due to partnerships with local hotels or airlines.
Flexibility: Being flexible with travel dates or destinations can often lead to better package deals.
It’s important to note that while these platforms can be useful for comparing prices, they may not always offer the best deals. Expedia, which owns Travelocity, is known to be the largest re-seller among OTAs, buying and selling around 30% of the hotels listed. This can sometimes result in slightly higher prices compared to booking directly with hotels or airlines.
For the savvy traveler, using these platforms to research and compare prices can be beneficial. However, it’s often recommended to use this information to negotiate directly with hotels or consult with a travel agent who may have access to additional discounts or perks not available on OTAs.
In conclusion, while Travelocity and Priceline offer similar pricing structures due to their reliance on hotel-set rates and shared GDS access for flights, slight variations can occur due to rewards programs, package deals, and platform-specific promotions. Travelers should compare prices across multiple platforms and consider booking directly with hotels or airlines for potentially better rates and more flexibility.
Booking Experience
User Interface
Travelocity and Priceline offer distinct user experiences for travelers seeking to book their next adventure. Travelocity’s desktop homepage, while comprehensive, can appear cluttered compared to other travel sites. However, their mobile app provides a noticeably simpler interface, catering to the growing trend of mobile bookings. The platform features an ‘Inspiration’ section, offering interesting articles such as “Best Foodie Finds in Airports Around the World” and themed travel ideas like “Luxury” or “Romantic” getaways.
Priceline, on the other hand, presents a user-friendly interface that balances functionality with simplicity. The initial screen prompts users to sign in or create an account, followed by a hotels screen that, while information-rich, may seem busy to some users. The individual property pages on Priceline feature high-quality images, a summary, booking and room fees, reviews, policies, facilities, and important information.
Both platforms offer flexible date suggestions for popular destinations where accommodations are more than 50% reserved during selected dates. They also provide options to bundle flight, hotel, and car deals, simplifying the booking process for travelers.
Mobile Apps
Recognizing the shift towards mobile bookings, both Travelocity and Priceline have invested in developing robust mobile applications. These apps offer a streamlined booking experience, allowing users to search and book hotels, flights, and rental cars on the go.
Travelocity’s app showcases beautiful destinations with subtle word clouds describing each location. The bottom navigation allows users to browse hotels, flights, cars, or activities. Hotel profiles on the app are impressive, featuring large, high-quality images, reviews, maps, and comprehensive hotel information.
Priceline’s app offers a clean, modern design with a home screen displaying four main categories: hotels, cars, flights, and activities. The app includes unique features such as Express Deals and the option to name your own price for accommodations. Users can also access travel guides (available after booking a stay) and explore destinations for “trip-spiration.”
Both apps allow users to manage their entire itinerary in one place through features like Travelocity’s ‘My Trips’ section or Priceline’s profile customization options. They also offer loyalty programs, with Travelocity users able to earn Expedia+ points (2x points when booking through the mobile app) and Priceline offering its own rewards system.
Customer Support
Customer support is a crucial aspect of the booking experience, especially when travel plans change or issues arise. Travelocity offers multiple channels for customer assistance, including phone support, live chat, and email.
The Travelocity customer service phone number (888-872-8356) has a reported average hold time of up to 3 minutes, with the longest wait times on Mondays and shortest on Sundays. Customers should be prepared to provide their first and last name, phone number, or email for identification purposes.
For those who prefer written communication, Travelocity offers a live chat feature accessible through their Help Center page. Initially, users interact with a virtual assistant, but if the provided FAQ articles don’t resolve the issue, the bot connects them to a live agent. This service can handle rescheduling, cancellations, refund requests, complaints, and compliments.
Email support is available for general inquiries through an online form on the Help Center, while account-specific questions can be directed to [email protected]. For accessibility concerns, users can contact [email protected].
While specific details about Priceline’s customer support were not provided in the given information, it’s important to note that as a major player in the online travel industry, they likely offer similar support channels to assist customers with their bookings and travel-related inquiries.
Loyalty Programs and Rewards
Travelocity Rewards
Travelocity offers a rewards program through its partnership with Barclays Bank Delaware. This program is available to active Travelocity Rewards American Express® Cardmembers who maintain their accounts in good standing. To participate, cardholders must be consumers residing in the United States.
The Travelocity Rewards program allows members to earn points on their purchases. Cardholders earn 4 points per $1 spent on Travelocity.com and 2 points per $1 on all other transactions. Points are calculated based on net retail transaction activity, which includes purchases minus credits, returns, and adjustments. It’s important to note that certain transactions, such as balance transfers, cash advances, and finance charges, do not qualify for points.
Points earned through this program have a lifespan of 48 months from the date of issuance, provided the account remains active. Cardholders can redeem their points for various rewards, including statement credits toward Travelocity.com purchases. The redemption options start at a minimum of 5,000 points, which can be exchanged for a $50 statement credit on eligible Travelocity.com purchases over $50 made within the past 90 days.
For those planning bigger trips, 20,000 points can be redeemed for the cost of an airline ticket or Flight + Hotel Package purchased through Travelocity.com, up to a maximum credit of $400. To redeem points, members need to log in to their account at MyTravelocityRewards.com and navigate to the Rewards tab.
In addition to travel-related rewards, cardholders can also redeem their points for gift cards, gift certificates, and merchandise. These items are mailed to the U.S. street address on record with Barclaycard. It’s worth noting that gift cards and certificates cannot be mailed to P.O. Boxes, F.P.O., A.P.O., or international addresses. Expedited shipping is available for gift cards and certificates at an additional cost, but this option is not available for merchandise.
Priceline VIP
While specific details about Priceline’s loyalty program were not provided in the given information, it’s important to note that Priceline does offer a VIP program for its customers. As part of the larger Booking Holdings company, Priceline leverages advanced data science to provide personalized recommendations to its users.
Priceline’s approach to customer loyalty likely differs from Travelocity’s credit card-based program. Instead of a points-based system, Priceline may offer VIP status to frequent users or those who meet certain booking thresholds. This status could potentially provide benefits such as exclusive deals, priority customer service, or special perks on bookings.
It’s worth noting that while loyalty programs can offer valuable benefits, travelers should always compare prices and options across multiple platforms to ensure they’re getting the best deal. Both Travelocity and Priceline provide competitive pricing and a wide range of options, catering to different traveler preferences. Travelocity’s rewards program may appeal to those who frequently book through their platform and want to earn points for future travel, while Priceline’s VIP program might be more suitable for flexible travelers seeking personalized deals and recommendations.
Unique Features
Travelocity and Priceline, two major players in the online travel industry, offer distinctive features that set them apart from their competitors. These unique offerings cater to different types of travelers and provide added value to their customers.
Travelocity Price Match Promise
Travelocity stands out with its Price Match Promise, a feature designed to give travelers peace of mind when booking their trips. This guarantee ensures that customers get the best possible price for their travel arrangements. Here’s how it works:
Book a hotel, flight, or vacation package through Travelocity.
If a customer finds a lower price for the same itinerary on another website within 24 hours of booking, Travelocity will refund the difference.
The price match applies to identical travel arrangements, including the same hotel, room type, and dates.
This feature has an impact on customer confidence, as it encourages travelers to book through Travelocity without worrying about missing out on better deals elsewhere. It also demonstrates Travelocity’s commitment to competitive pricing and customer satisfaction.
To take advantage of the Price Match Promise, customers need to:
Contact Travelocity within 24 hours of booking
Provide evidence of the lower price found elsewhere
Ensure that the lower price is for an identical itinerary
It’s important to note that the Price Match Promise has some limitations. For example, it may not apply to certain types of promotional rates or package deals. Customers should carefully read the terms and conditions associated with this feature to fully understand its scope and applicability.
Priceline Express Deals
Priceline offers a unique feature called Express Deals, which caters to flexible travelers looking for significant savings on their accommodations. This feature provides a different approach to booking hotels compared to traditional methods. Here’s how Express Deals work:
Customers select their desired travel dates and location.
Priceline presents a list of heavily discounted hotel options.
The exact hotel name is not revealed until after booking, but key information is provided:
Star rating
General location (e.g., neighborhood or area within the city)
Amenities offered
Price and discount percentage
Express Deals can offer savings of up to 60% off regular hotel rates, making them an attractive option for budget-conscious travelers. The trade-off is that customers don’t know the specific hotel they’re booking until after the reservation is confirmed and paid for.
To make Express Deals more appealing, Priceline provides:
A satisfaction guarantee
Clear information about the hotel’s quality and amenities
The ability to filter results based on preferences like star rating or amenities
This feature has an impact on how some travelers approach their bookings. It appeals to those who prioritize savings over staying at a specific hotel and are comfortable with a bit of uncertainty in their travel plans.
Both Travelocity’s Price Match Promise and Priceline’s Express Deals offer unique advantages to travelers. The Price Match Promise provides assurance and potentially better prices for those who prefer knowing exactly where they’ll be staying. On the other hand, Express Deals cater to flexible travelers willing to trade certainty for significant savings.
These features highlight how online travel agencies are innovating to meet diverse customer needs and preferences. By offering these unique options, Travelocity and Priceline differentiate themselves in the competitive travel booking market, providing added value to their customers and potentially influencing traveler decision-making processes.