[Publib] Experient or not for ALA Anaheim?

[Scott Bonner]

Thanks again to everyone who offered advice.

I just finished the process, and thought I'd share what I discovered.  I
checked airline prices with Travelocity, with United.com, with Southwest's
website, and with some other Travelocity-like site (I forget which one).  I
checked hotel prices/availability with the ALA hotel registration website,
and double-checked lack of room availability on a couple hotel websites.  I
then called Experient to compare.

Experient found a hotel closer to the convention (Doubletree, on the same
block, $129 a night) at the same rate as the nearest hotel I found on my
own, 3 blocks away.  They also found air flights with American Airlines (a
bargain airline, as I recall, but I like bargains) at comparable prices to
the offerings at United (cheaper than Southwest), but with much better
flight times -- non-stop both ways, at better times of day for me, as
opposed to the long flights with layovers I found at United and Southwest.
Experient does charge a 22 dollar fee for setting up the flight, but it
still proved a better pain-of-flight to cost ratio.

So, for my specific conditions (from St. Louis, want closest hotel,
balancing inconvenience of flight with flight cost), Experient proved to be
worthwhile... not by a long margin, but by enough of a margin to satisfy me.

Hope that helps, and thanks again!

-- Scott
 

> >---- Scott Bonner <sbonner at real.more.net> wrote:
> >
> >=============
> >Greetings.
> >
> >
> >
> >I'm a new librarian attending ALA Annual Conference for the first time.
> >Tomorrow, I reserve hotel and flight from St. Louis to Anaheim.  The ALA
> >website says Experient is the official travel service and offers
> discounts.
> >I do not have the experience to know if Experient is really going to save
> >money or not -- if it charges fees, if it limits me to expensive flights,
> >and so forth.  I do plan to stay in one of the conference hotels,
> assuming a
> >room is still available, but I want a cheap flight.
> >
> >
> >
> >What is your experience?  Shall I go with the official service company,
> or
> >cobble it together myself directly with the hotel and with one of the
> >airline booking companies like Expedia?
> >
> >
> >
> >Thanks for all help!
> >
> >
> >
> >Scott Bonner
> >
> >Adult Services Librarian
> >
> >Richmond Heights Memorial Library
> >
> >8001 Dale Avenue
> >
> >Richmond Heights, MO 63117
> >
> >Phone: (314)-645-6202
> >
> >Fax: (314)-781-3434
> >
> >sbonner at real.more.net
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
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