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Orbitz shows costlier hotel options to Mac users

online.wsj.com

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Re: Orbitz shows costlier hotel options to Mac users

#91

Post by rmc »

mratzloff wrote: post #71

It wouldn't surprise me. I've suspected for years that they do differential pricing, but I got confirmation a few days ago. I just bought tickets to Las Vegas on Friday. I got through the checkout process (choosing a flight and a hotel) and then they said there was a "problem" and kicked me back to the beginning of the process. I went through it again, choosing the exact same flights (with the same number of seats av…

Flight price change all the time. This "go back to the start and its a different price" happens often. As a point of data, I've had it happen, but the flights have been cheaper.

Re: Orbitz shows costlier hotel options to Mac users

#92

Post by rmc »

raverbashing wrote: post #89
mitchty wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, but user agent switching won't get around someone testing for browser features and ignoring the agent string.

please explain how would you go about detecting linux/windows/mac without agent string (with the exception of detecting Safari/Konqueror/IE) Screen size? Fonts?

It's much harder, but possible. You could look at browser features in JS and compare them to what's known for browsers to do and guess the browser. Some browsers are highly likely to be certain ODs.

It's highly highly likely that they are just looking at user agent strings.

Re: Orbitz shows costlier hotel options to Mac users

#93

Post by aklofas »

Kelliot wrote: post #4

Good business model. Exploiting the higher disposable income / lower intelligence of mac users for profit is awesome =)

I completely disagree with you. An average mac developer who frequents this site is just as intelligent as other developers who frequent this site :)

Re: Orbitz shows costlier hotel options to Mac users

#94

Post by willvarfar »

mratzloff wrote: post #71

It wouldn't surprise me. I've suspected for years that they do differential pricing, but I got confirmation a few days ago. I just bought tickets to Las Vegas on Friday. I got through the checkout process (choosing a flight and a hotel) and then they said there was a "problem" and kicked me back to the beginning of the process. I went through it again, choosing the exact same flights (with the same number of seats av…

This can happen if someone else buys that cheap seat before you complete your booking.

I've often tried to coordinate buying tickets with others online and we can all be chatting on the phone as we're all looking at our own computer screens and we all read off different prices.

Well, flight pricing is never simple any which way anyway.

Re: Orbitz shows costlier hotel options to Mac users

#95

Post by starship »

suprgeek wrote: post #90

It is important to read the article carefully: WRONG - Mac users see higher prices for same hotels than Windows users RIGHT - Mac users are sometimes also shown hotels that are costlier than their windows users "...so the online travel agency is starting to show them different, and sometimes costlier, travel options than Windows visitors see."

Regardless, it never ceases to amaze me how controversial pricing discrimination is. Especially since most people have taken Econ 101: pricing discrimination eliminates dead-weight loss, which should be a good thing right? Nope, instant controversy.

Re: Orbitz shows costlier hotel options to Mac users

#97

Post by thefever »

starship wrote: post #95
suprgeek wrote: post #90

It is important to read the article carefully: WRONG - Mac users see higher prices for same hotels than Windows users RIGHT - Mac users are sometimes also shown hotels that are costlier than their windows users "...so the online travel agency is starting to show them different, and sometimes costlier, travel options than Windows visitors see."

Regardless, it never ceases to amaze me how controversial pricing discrimination is. Especially since most people have taken Econ 101: pricing discrimination eliminates dead-weight loss, which should be a good thing right? Nope, instant controversy.

Pricing discrimination is controversial because it shifts most of the surplus away from consumers. A lot of people come out of econ 101 thinking any more efficient solution is inherently better, but efficiency is only one factor to consider.

Re: Orbitz shows costlier hotel options to Mac users

#98

Post by TeMPOraL »

thwarted wrote: post #55
eridius wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be helpful if that is, in fact, what you want. Owning a Mac is correlated with having more disposable income available, but that doesn't necessarily mean you want to get a costlier hotel room. I would hope they use other data points too, not just using a Mac, to decide whether the user would be amenable to pricier offers.

Owning a Mac is correlated with having more disposable income available Or, owning a Mac may be positively correlated with having less disposable income, since the higher price of a Mac took more of your disposable income to purchase.

Income by definition is a flow of money, and buying a Mac is a one-time purchase with high barier of entry (hence need for higher income).

Re: Orbitz shows costlier hotel options to Mac users

#99

Post by gjm11 »

starship wrote: post #95
suprgeek wrote: post #90

It is important to read the article carefully: WRONG - Mac users see higher prices for same hotels than Windows users RIGHT - Mac users are sometimes also shown hotels that are costlier than their windows users "...so the online travel agency is starting to show them different, and sometimes costlier, travel options than Windows visitors see."

Regardless, it never ceases to amaze me how controversial pricing discrimination is. Especially since most people have taken Econ 101: pricing discrimination eliminates dead-weight loss, which should be a good thing right? Nope, instant controversy.

> most people have taken Econ 101

Er. Um. No, most people have not taken Econ 101. Most graduates have not taken Econ 101. Most graduates in quantitative disciplines have not taken Econ 101.

Most people with economics degrees have taken Econ 101. A modest number of other people have. Some more have learned the basic concepts by means other than taking Econ 101. These are probably not the people complaining about price discrimination.

In any case, being surprised when people are upset because they think they're getting inferior treatment and saying "oh, but they should think of the gain in overall economic efficiency" seems like a sign of, well, not having taken Psych 101.

Re: Orbitz shows costlier hotel options to Mac users

#100

Post by michaelt »

raverbashing wrote: post #89
mitchty wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, but user agent switching won't get around someone testing for browser features and ignoring the agent string.

please explain how would you go about detecting linux/windows/mac without agent string (with the exception of detecting Safari/Konqueror/IE) Screen size? Fonts?

You know how web developers are constantly bitching about incompatibilities between web browsers and javascript engines?

That's how.

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