 Poster: A snowHead
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I was today years old when I found out that for some hotels booking.com offer different prices depending on whether you book via a pc or mobile.
Prices at several hotels were 10% cheaper when booked on my mobile compared to my laptop
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yeah they offer certain types of discounts, not sure what the logic of that is though.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The test I've just done prices are the same. Are they both set up in the same currency?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@holidayloverxx, yes - same details and everything, but the discount wasn't offered on every hotel that was available for the dates I wanted, though was probably on the majority?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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They offer a ‘mobile’ (ie phone ) discount on some properties so the prices can be different depending on what device you use to browse. We once saved about £30 for a cottage we rented for a couple of nights as I priced it on my iPad and my wife found the same on her phone at the lower price.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you have a Halifax card, you can also get cashback for Booking.com bookings BUT you need to activate AND follow link given in the details through of the cashback to make sure it registers.
Was a particular platform better or were they better for some on one and better for others in other?
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@NickyJ, the discount was for the app and mobile browser. So phone better than pc
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| Ray Zorro wrote: |
| @NickyJ, the discount was for the app and mobile browser. So phone better than pc |
Oh thats good to hear, as thats what I used to make sure I got the cashback tracked properly
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I think it's because you've logged on with a different IP address, and they think you're a new customer. Try clearing your booking.com cookies.
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Also contact hotel directly. 90% of time direct booking is cheaper than using booking.com
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| joffy69 wrote: |
| I think it's because you've logged on with a different IP address, and they think you're a new customer. Try clearing your booking.com cookies. |
No - it specifically said "mobile only price".
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| 2waterford wrote: |
| Also contact hotel directly. 90% of time direct booking is cheaper than using booking.com |
Agree - it pays to try all options - hence I found that using a mobile was cheaper than a laptop.
And sometimes you get a better deal with an online travel platform.
For example one place today had a no refund cancellation policy on their own website, whereas on booking.com there was an option to cancel for a full refund up to 2 nights before.
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I've never quite understood why, but this is an option that the property can choose to activate, one of so so many 'you'll get more bookings if you charge less or pay higher commissions' things that booking.com send out to us every few days, it seems.
For us, I cannot imagine a situation where this one could possibly be to our benefit, but I assume there must be some operators for whom it might be.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Ray Zorro, it is a mobile price. Hotels.com and Expedia have been doin this for ages.
I always thought that it was because a mobile user would be more spontaneous and just book if the price was right.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| GlasgowCyclops wrote: |
@Ray Zorro, it is a mobile price. Hotels.com and Expedia have been doin this for ages.
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Yes - but I wasn't aware until yesterday and so I was flagging it up so that others might know too. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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As said, the hotel can decide if they offer a special mobile price or not. Booking.com tries to constantly push the hotel (or apartment) owners to put up discounts, be that a mobile price, an early bird discount, a limited time only offer etc. They do that just to generate more volume steering managers to sink prices in order to generate more commissions for themselves - that’s about 16 % of the price of the stay, at least for us small time renters, don’t know if bigger hotels have a negotiated price.
The owner can also choose to offer a discounted rate for “no refund in case of cancellation”. That’s 10 % by default if my memory serves me correct. And in case there is a free cancellation policy included in the standard rate, the owner gets to specify the cutoff between 1-30 days before check in.
But what I don’t really understand is how their dynamic pricing model works on top of these owner-initiated discounts. It’s some kind of an algorithm that must take into account demand, maybe browsing history etc. In that case Booking.com pays the owner the price the owner has set but charges the customer the price they advertise. Okay, if they want to temporarily reduce their commission to, say 8 % and cover the discount from there, fine, but I’ve seen my house offered at 20 % off, making that individual deal net negative for Booking. Maybe it’s just about creating more volume so they temporarily accept a “bad” deal for the sake of both customers and landlords/hotels coming back to their platform.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Ray Zorro wrote: |
| 2waterford wrote: |
| Also contact hotel directly. 90% of time direct booking is cheaper than using booking.com |
Agree - it pays to try all options - hence I found that using a mobile was cheaper than a laptop.
And sometimes you get a better deal with an online travel platform.
For example one place today had a no refund cancellation policy on their own website, whereas on booking.com there was an option to cancel for a full refund up to 2 nights before. |
Booking.com is a handy search engine. Always look to book direct, especially if the accommodation operator has a master booking calendar that manages booking channels. Often the direct price will be cheaper and the terms may be better.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Ravensburger wrote: |
As said, the hotel can decide if they offer a special mobile price or not. Booking.com tries to constantly push the hotel (or apartment) owners to put up discounts, be that a mobile price, an early bird discount, a limited time only offer etc. They do that just to generate more volume steering managers to sink prices in order to generate more commissions for themselves - that’s about 16 % of the price of the stay, at least for us small time renters, don’t know if bigger hotels have a negotiated price.
The owner can also choose to offer a discounted rate for “no refund in case of cancellation”. That’s 10 % by default if my memory serves me correct. And in case there is a free cancellation policy included in the standard rate, the owner gets to specify the cutoff between 1-30 days before check in.
But what I don’t really understand is how their dynamic pricing model works on top of these owner-initiated discounts. It’s some kind of an algorithm that must take into account demand, maybe browsing history etc. In that case Booking.com pays the owner the price the owner has set but charges the customer the price they advertise. Okay, if they want to temporarily reduce their commission to, say 8 % and cover the discount from there, fine, but I’ve seen my house offered at 20 % off, making that individual deal net negative for Booking. Maybe it’s just about creating more volume so they temporarily accept a “bad” deal for the sake of both customers and landlords/hotels coming back to their platform. |
Interesting perspective from a property owner!
I had suspected that they would get the owner to take the hit when discounts were offered, but to hear that they would offer properties at a loss to them is an eye-opener! 
Further to the discount regime, if you have a registered account and have been booking them for a while, you can gain 'genius' status (flattery will get everywhere!) which gets you discounts or 'free' upgrades, a kind of loyalty incentive, I suppose.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I've often thought to not go booking.com and go direct. However, in about 90% of the times I bothered to look it was cheaper on Booking rather than direct. I've even phoned a few and said, I know you have to pay a fee but I wondered what your actual rate is. Turned out it was more expensive direct, and with no flexibility. So I went to booking.com.
I also used to use hotels.com a lot but their stupid new rewards scheme means I don't use them anymore. I'm not the only loyal customer to ditch them.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Ray Zorro, I list my own apartment on booking dot com, mainly for out of season short breaks. I have the facility to set up all sorts of discounts including a mobile rate ( as apparently people often book last minute on the way) , a 'genius rate' for frequent BC users, and different rates for different countries should I wish to do so. Mine should be the same for everyone across the board.
@stantonI hate the massive commission, and have no option but to add it onto my prices (I am allowed to do that in France), but would prefer not to use them at all. Book direct folks, there are far fewer scammers than genuine owners renting out accommodation.
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@Ray Zorro, how do they know you're mobile?
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I've had a little look, and I think it's something like this "Responsive Pricing Card Design Using HTML and CSS". I think they're offering you a "mobile" price on the basis that it will be easier to overcharge you.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Hells Bells, are you sure that Booking doesn't just pocket any difference you've offered on "mobile rate"?
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The more I think about this the more I think it's an accounting fraud.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| joffy69 wrote: |
| @Ray Zorro, how do they know you're "mobile"? |
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| joffy69 wrote: |
| joffy69 wrote: |
| @Ray Zorro, how do they know you're "mobile"? |
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That is not my field of interest/expertise - I have no idea? But somehow they do...
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| Ray Zorro wrote: |
| joffy69 wrote: |
| joffy69 wrote: |
| @Ray Zorro, how do they know you're "mobile"? |
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That is not my field of interest/expertise - I have no idea? But somehow they do... |
The browser or app you use knows what it is installed on, hence presents a screen design which is more appropriate for a mobile screen vs a 28 inch monitor. These designs can sometimes be very different and I have found functionality missing and sometimes had to force chrome to run the desktop site.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
| I also used to use hotels.com a lot but their stupid new rewards scheme means I don't use them anymore. I'm not the only loyal customer to ditch them |
Indeed. They've gone from offering one free night for every 10 nights booked to giving you £1.50 or £2.00 in rewards on a £75 or £80 booking. So on bookings of that sort of value, you now need to book 50 or 60 nights to get a free stay...  Absolutely rubbish compared to the old scheme. Like @GlasgowCyclops, I'm not inclined to use Hotels.com any more.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| joffy69 wrote: |
| @Hells Bells, are you sure that Booking doesn't just pocket any difference you've offered on "mobile rate"? |
They encourage you to offer mobile rates at a discount of 10% or more off your standard rate. Commission is 15%, but as I say, I only offer one rate, no discounts other than for stays of 7 nights or more.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I have started using Trivago as a starting point as the offers and prices vary on occasions massively between places and/or terms like free cancellation.
Like one or two other posters I have found that hotels themselves are often charging more than a consolidator - for reasons I can never understand - but some sometimes offer a benefit for direct booking eg a free drink or breakfast.
Which reminds me - I have a holiday to plan and book.....and it is raining
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The hotels I usually book all offer better prices booked directly with them. Some contracts with consilidators may state you can't do this though. @countryman, I also have a holiday to book, it isn't raining, but it is cold.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@NickyJ, it's being told the size of your screen. The mobile button is hidden on all sizes of screen above a certain width. Which is a roundabout way of saying what you've said. I'm curious as to how it can be legal to offer a different price depending on whether your screen size is lower than x.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The mobile only price is clearly advertised on BC, when you are using a mobile device, there's nothing hidden about it. Accommodation providers allegedly show higher in searches, have a badge (!) next to their property listing, and the original rate has a strikethrough to show they are receiving a discount. You have to use the app though, not the mobile browser.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| countryman wrote: |
I have started using Trivago as a starting point as the offers and prices vary on occasions massively between places and/or terms like free cancellation.
Like one or two other posters I have found that hotels themselves are often charging more than a consolidator - for reasons I can never understand - but some sometimes offer a benefit for direct booking eg a free drink or breakfast.
Which reminds me - I have a holiday to plan and book.....and it is raining |
I use Trivago alongside TripAdvisor as they can throw up some different price comparisons. Like others on here, I'm mightily pee'd off with hotels.com after the massive OneKey devaluation, but it can still be useful when there's a 15/20% cashback day on TCB or Quidco.
My own experience is that booking direct - especially with chain hotels - is almost always more expensive once cashback is taken into account. Case in point is our NY week where for 6 of us, our hotel in L2A is about £1000 cheaper going through hotels.com than booking on the hotel's website. Even without the cashback it's still a bit cheaper. Plus I can pay on my own currency, on my Amex to get even more cashback.
It's baffling. When these consolidator sites are taking their own cut, why would the hotels not be pricing better on their own websites? No skin off my nose though, it's not like I'm going through some bed scraping website like Zenhotels, never yet had a problem with a booking through hotels.com
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| luigi wrote: |
Further to the discount regime, if you have a registered account and have been booking them for a while, you can gain 'genius' status (flattery will get everywhere!) which gets you discounts or 'free' upgrades, a kind of loyalty incentive, I suppose. |
The Genius scheme also relies on the accommodation provider signing up to same programme.
We had a guest turn up once, demanding various ridiculous free extras….when we pointed out that we weren’t part of the scheme, he complained. And gave us a damning review 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I think it's useful to be wary of such intermediaries.
The idea of a technical arms race against the people I'm paying for a booking service doesn't sit well with me.
They should be open and honest, even if the law doesn't demand it of them.
I've also heard some dire tales of trying to get support from these intermediary sites.
In recent times I've always been able to do at least as well from a hotel website, including chain-hotel sites where you have to "join" in order to get the "members' rate". I don't get spammed by them, but it seems simpler to just deal with the hotel direct.
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You cannot delete the most important Booking dot com Cookies ... They are automatically reinstalled and ALSO you cannot cancel an account with them... Even if you think you have cancelled they hold the account open..
Dont use the Booking dot com App
They know your Digital "Fingerprint" if your using Apple or Google devices ..even if you have multiple accounts, login names ..
https://brax.me/geo/
Use OpenSource OS like Linux with a Brave Browser to protect your privacy & security..
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FAQ
