Priceline's value is no different than the value provided by Airbnb. They make the vast majority of their money being a middleman for hotels, not flights, and in turn have made it much easier for people to package everything together and get a better deal though the partnerships their partners already have with each other.

Additionally, comparing hotel pricing does put major pressure on prices, as most travelers know that they want to stay in the most reasonably priced hotel with a certain number of stars.