When the auction closed, e-mail notices were automatically sent to the high bidder for each item. Within an hour a number of the items were already being claimed. First to go? Package number 11, a two-night weekend stay for two in a deluxe room at Le Meridien at Beverly Hills for $401. Participants created their own usernames. Some chose to use their name or part of their name; others got creative. Among the more interesting names were “BetterIdea,” “Flyer” and “Hopeful.” At one point, “globetrottinggourmet” got into a bidding war with someone going by the name of “Sandwich” (Sandwich won).

If you participated and didn’t win, don’t lose heart: Winners are given the option to decline on their winning item which instantly sends a new high-bid notification to the next highest bidder. Winning bidders have to act fast, too. If winning bidders don’t reply to the notice within 72 hours, they forfeit the item and it then goes on to the next highest bidder.

And don’t forget, all bids received online were automatically entered into a random drawing for two round-trip World Traveller Plus tickets from any U.S. gateway to London, compliments of British Airways. The winner of that drawing will be announced here and in next Tuesday’s e-mail newsletter, Business Traveler-e.