Fun with the Orbitz $200 package discount

[DandyDon]

We mention this discount code 200entertain on the Cozumel forum frequently, but it works for anywhere in Mexico, Hawaii, or the Caribbean - to an extent covering Central America, subject to the properties offered. It will take $200 off of an air & hotel Vacation package with a minimum of 7 nights there. :dance3: Also applicable to air & car packages I'm told, but you may need to call Orbitz to accomplish that; I don't see the option? If you're on the west coast of North American flying overnight, then you have to allow 8 travel days of course. Just insert the code at the bottom of the page.

​

I like starting with Sidestep.com/Kayak.com then connecting to an Orbitz offer tho, and I'll illustrate one of the reasons below * but mostly I just like to compare there first, then proceed.

Here is another trick: compare shared room prices to private room costs! Sometimes it cheaper to book private rooms as the $200 discount is per room, or cheap enough that we loved it when we booked our next trip - more room, no snoring competition, etc. Couples may not like that approach so much, but I'll come back to that....

They do try to suggest extra cost options, but I doubt that those are ever good buys. Like on Coz, they try to sell you round-trip transfer at twice the price you'll pay there for the same van & return taxi without having to keep up with vouchers or find the agent.

Here is plane and 2 people to a room for $449 each including taxes for a week, only $35 more than buying the plane ticket alone. Notice I unchecked the ground transfers...

​

Or plane and private rooms for $497...

​

There are actually 4 cheaper hotel choices that yield air, hotel and taxes for less than a plane ticket! :shocked2:

What about the couple who really just wants one room? Could he book the Vacation package, she just the flight, and be okay still sharing? Why not? I think some even book air & hotel with discount for one, air & car for the other, $200 off on each package, then share the room. I cannot speak from experiences on that, but maybe some others will below?

Now when I tried to book two different packages, ticket and private room each for two travelers, I opened Sidestep.com on Firefox and Chrome both to make sure I could walk them thru, step by step, securing the same for both. It failed! I got down to the page to buy one one, but the other was no longer available! Presumably I had committed to the last seat in inventory at the cheap price, but I didn't just forge ahead. I called Orbitz at the number given there; hey, they beg you to call if you try to leave.

It took a few minutes but the agent got them both booked for me, she doing all the work. On later review I saw that she got plane seat selections wrong, but no biggie - I always check over those closely and often, as those airlines will change those! After all of that, I got two emails with our travel documents plus another with an apology for troubles and a $30 voucher to use next time! Sweet.

But wait! There's more...!

Today, I went to book our Chicken Itza hotel for the same trip. We're going to leave our gear and most of our luggage in the cheap Coz rooms one night while we stay over at the ruins for an early start. I wanted to book that thru Orbtiz and use the voucher, but there was a hitch. Orbitz was not the cheapest on the hotel I wanted...

​

* Hehe, this is one of the reasons I start at Sidestep so I can be sure I'm getting the best deal. But I booked thru Orbitz anyway for $102 including taxes...

1: Then requested the $30 voucher refund;

2: Plus the $8 price matching guarantee;

3: And the $50 voucher I should get for finding the cheaper price and having to request the adjustment.​

So I guess that room that sells direct with the hotel for $110 plus tax or on Sidestep for $80-88 plus tax is going to cost me around $14, maybe less with tax adjustments. :cool2:

Well, they're not paying me to travel like they did in 1988 and the Triple Mileage bonanza (I took a year off and traveled!), but I love some of the deals...!

 

[mongodives]

When you pinch a nickel do penny's come out?

Thanks for sharing the steps you took to get the deal.

 

[DandyDon]

When you pinch a nickel do penny's come out?

:lol:​

I am dangerous at times, but this $200 discount has been around for years. I have paid over $500 for air plus $80/night for hotels too many times at the same location.

Paying too much on air because of airline cookies on my computer.

Now the airlines track you by browser and add-ons and more!

Not trying the packages after a few bad experiences with overprice packages.​

Getting better here, but everyone needs to know about this...!

They didn't make it easy to get it all tho. Their site promised a reply within 72 hours. It was only 2 hours, but not the reply I wanted...

We received your Orbitz Low Price Guarantee claim. Unfortunately, we are unable to approve your claim for the following reason:

We are unable to validate the lower price you found. Please send us a screen shot in JPG format where you found lower rates for the same hotel with same room type and dates.

Was that a bluff, based on the likelihood that I wouldn't know how to do a screen shot? Fooled them...!

It's rather easy to see the lower prices at this link Booking.com: Mayaland Hotel & Bungalows, Chichen Itza (Yucatan), Mexico - 12 Guest reviews. Book your hotel now!
But I will send two screen shots attached, the top one showing the site, the second one showing the lower price - which I circled in red for you.

I really hope you do not incur additional challenges seeing it this time.

​

Wait! Better idea...

Here it is again attached, smaller resolution but in one piece - with the lower rate circled in red.

I really hope you are able to see that this time..

​

Thank you for submitting your claim for our Orbitz Low Price Guarantee claim.

We have processed your claim and a refund in the amount of $7.78 will be credited back to your credit card in 3-5 days. In addition, you will receive a $50 discount on a future prepaid hotel or package booking in a separate e-mail in approximately one week.

Your reservation also is covered by Orbitz Price Assurance. If another Orbitz customer books your same prepaid hotel room for less, we’ll send you a check for the difference automatically.

We appreciate your taking the time to keep us informed of lower rates so we can make sure our rates are the best!

I have no idea why they gave me $7.78 instead of $8+taxes, but I'll let them keep the 12c and the tax on the $8. :silly:

 

[DandyDon]

Wow?! So would this be unfairly taking advantage of Orbitz, to hold them to the rules they wrote and advertise - again?!

In my shopping Sidestep for a hotel, this one looks ok for the dates, location, and price...

But when I check the prices, dang - with all of their bragging about lowest prices guarantee, Orbitz lost again! Well, I don't know how they think they can brag like that safely, but they do - and they ain't...

Looking more closely at the linked offers...

Orbitz page and close up on price @ $102/night


Hotels.com page and close up on price @ $68/night
​

So, according to their rules...

1: I can book the hotel thru Orbitz

2: Use the $50 price guarantee rebate certificate from last time

3: Request a refund in the rate differences

4: And receive another $50 price guarantee rebate certificate​

I feel like I'd taking advantage of their bragging & guarantees as it's really pretty easy to look around and find hotels where they are not always the cheapest, but - is this any worse than buying items on sale at a store even tho the store is advertising at-loss prices?

Eh, looks like the would keep the taxes on the rate differences.

 

[Chugwhump]

Don;
You are amazing.
I do not travel much because there is great diving where I live, the recession has me pulled back, and I spend a lot of time with my family when I can, but I always enjoy your "mining" posts from an educational standpoint.
Thanks for putting in the effort and posting here.
Chug
Wants to go to Mexico, Bonaire, the Virgin Islands, or something else fun next year.

 

[DandyDon]

Don;
You are amazing.

That sounds bad. :shocked2:

I do not travel much because there is great diving where I live, the recession has me pulled back, and I spend a lot of time with my family when I can, but I always enjoy your "mining" posts from an educational standpoint.
Thanks for putting in the effort and posting here.
Chug
Wants to go to Mexico, Bonaire, the Virgin Islands, or something else fun next year.

Yeah, when I used to go to Key Largo, I learned that many of the local divers don't experience other dive destinations as it's too easy to dive at home. Since I live here, I have two take at least two planes to almost any dive destination anyway, so for about the same money as a Florida trip have dived many different places and been glad I did on most. I'm trying to economize too, of course.

Using the $200 discount is great. I still feel funny about stalking repeated $50 coupons, but an interesting discovery.

 

[DiverG]

That sounds bad. :shocked2:

Yeah, when I used to go to Key Largo, I learned that many of the local divers don't experience other dive destinations as it's too easy to dive at home. Since I live here, I have two take at least two planes to almost any dive destination anyway, so for about the same money as a Florida trip have dived many different places and been glad I did on most. I'm trying to economize too, of course.

Using the $200 discount is great. I still feel funny about stalking repeated $50 coupons, but an interesting discovery.

Don, if you keep this up Orbitz is going to ban you from using their services.

Also as you mentioned, the $200 discount is per room. So if you are traveling with a group of people and you need several rooms you will get the $200 off per rooom even though it is a single reservation.

 

[DandyDon]

Don, if you keep this up Orbitz is going to ban you from using their services.

Also as you mentioned, the $200 discount is per room. So if you are traveling with a group of people and you need several rooms you will get the $200 off per rooom even though it is a single reservation.

They could. They probly have a fine print to do so.

I think that you need to book each room & discount on a separate reservation, as I tried in my original post - having to call the 800 number for help. The help agent was great.

 

[DiverG]

They could. They probly have a fine print to do so.

I think that you need to book each room & discount on a separate reservation, as I tried in my original post - having to call the 800 number for help. The help agent was great.

I really don't know. All I have ever done as far as mutltiple rooms is plug in the numbers. For example, I justed plugged in 4 people 2 rooms and went through the process just like in the past. I got to the point of filling in the required personal information before I stopped. So I am assuming I would have been able to finish the bookin process. I wonder if you had talk to an agent because you only had 2 people and wanted 2 rooms?

A couple more things when booking with Orbitz. When you credit card is sharged it will have to seperate charges. One for the airfare, and one for the hotel portion. Your $200 discount is coming from the hotel only. The airfare portion of your bill exactly matches the current rate (day of booking). If I remember correctly my rate for the Villablanca superior room with the discount came out around $37/per day.

 

[DandyDon]

A couple more things when booking with Orbitz. When you credit card is sharged it will have to seperate charges. One for the airfare, and one for the hotel portion. Your $200 discount is coming from the hotel only. The airfare portion of your bill exactly matches the current rate (day of booking). If I remember correctly my rate for the Villablanca superior room with the discount came out around $37/per day.

Yeah, that was mentioned on the confirmation email and I see the two charges on my credit card. Got to wonder how it would look if the discount was greater than the hotel charge? It's possible you know.

The Chichen Itza hotel charge hasn't come thru yet and the two credits can take a week, so still watching all that.