PriceGuardian basically promises Travelocity's U.S. customers that they will get a refund of $10 to $500 if another Travelocity customer books the "same" flight-hotel package at a lower rate.
Sounds good.
But, the emphasis here is on the word "same." To qualify for a check, the Travelocity vacation-package booker would have to travel on the same airline, on the precise flights -- departure and return -- occupying the same type of seat and purchasing the same fare class of ticket as the passenger who booked a cheaper vacation package.
And, that is just the flight portion of the qualifying challenge.
The Travelocity customer would also have to stay in the same hotel, book the same room type and checking in and out on the same days as that other bargain-hungry Travelocity consumer who booked a cheaper package.
If one customer books a queen bed and the other a king, or departs on an earlier flight or a day or two later, then no deal.
I mean, sheesh! (And, you can quote me on that.)
Check out the terms and conditions for yourself.
And, contrast Travelocity PriceGuardian with Orbitz Price Assurance, introduced in June 2008. The Orbitz program merely deals with the price differential on flights, so the odds of receiving an Orbitz check have to be a lot more in the Orbitz customer's favor than for the Travelocity vacation-package booker.
Granted, Travelocity sells huge numbers of vacation packages so I'm sure the online travel agency will be cutting a bunch of checks before the booking window closes on the promotion May 31.
So, feel free to comment, as always, if you feel differently (or agree), but it looks to me like believe the Travelocity PriceGuardian blitz is more marketing than substance.
