Have you seen those advertisements in which banks compete for the privilege of loaning money to an ordinary consumer?
It's quite a departure from the traditional "don't call us, we'll call you" routine. These banks appear to be underbidding each other, with your business and satisfaction the ultimate goals.
The same concept is coming to a travel provider near you.
Web sites are springing up that allow you to enter your intended travel plans, click "enter" and wait for the emails to arrive.
In theory, these emails will be bona fide offers from well-established companies. They will offer the lowest possible price for a legitimate trip. You will be able to see which company is offering the lowest prices to your chosen destination without shopping for hours on end.
It's sometimes called a "reverse auction," but remember that Priceline fits that description because you put up a maximum price and someone tries to match it. This newer version does not necessarily require you to bid. You simply state what you want to do and others submit bids to you.
Another important difference: most of the newer reverse auctions do not obligate you to buy anything. If you don't like the offers, you simply ignore them.
What sounds good on paper doesn't always work out that way. But travelers are beginning to try this approach, with money-saving results.
Click "next" to the right and we'll show you some Web sites where it's already happening.
