Flights and Rental Car Questions

[suzanne]

I will check out autoslash. We do need 2nd driver, so don't want to have to pay extra for that.

Suzanne

 

[Luanne]

I will check out autoslash. We do need 2nd driver, so don't want to have to pay extra for that.

Suzanne

I didn't read the original post carefully enough, so the original response was not correct.

 

[Luanne]

UPDATE: I found flights I needed today on Hawaiian Airlines for $690.00, round trip multi city. I could not find anything on their website about baggage fees if spending time on 2 different Islands. Will be on Oahu for 4 days/3 nights before flite to KOA on big Island for 2 weeks. Does anyone know if I will have to pay 2nd baggage fee for checked bag for the flite to KOA or is it covered in my original baggage fee from Las Vegas to Oahu? Return flite will only be one charge as I just have 2 hour layover in Oahu. All flites are on Hawaiian Airlines.

I'm still working on rental car. Thanks everyone for your help. At least my flites, hotel and condo are now booked and I can relax.

Suzanne

If there is a 3 day interruption in your flight it will be treated as two separate flights, you'll have to pay the luggage fees twice. If not, I would be very, very surprised. You can always contact Hawaiian Airlines directly for a correct answer.

https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/contact-us

 

[Rjbeach2003]

Just one question. Why the desire for SUV. You can't drive anywhere on Big Island where you need SUV. Rental contracts prohibit certain roads, all off road driving, no matter what type of vehicle used.

 

[Luanne]

Just one question. Why the desire for SUV. You can't drive anywhere on Big Island where you need SUV. Rental contracts prohibit certain roads, all off road driving, no matter what type of vehicle used.

Dh and I rented an SUV for just the two of us this year, and will rent one again next year. We both drive SUVs at home, so maybe we're just more comfortable with them. We find they usually have more cargo space, and I like that they are a bit higher up than a sedan. If the sedan was a LOT cheaper I'd go with that, but recently an intermediate SUV has been left. Also don't assume the SUV will have AWD.

 

[LisaRex]

Just one question. Why the desire for SUV. You can't drive anywhere on Big Island where you need SUV. Rental contracts prohibit certain roads, all off road driving, no matter what type of vehicle used.

I'm with Luanne. I always rent SUVs when I travel to places where I expect to do a lot of driving. SUVs are more comfortable than sedans because you're up higher and the front windows are more expansive, which also helps with reading signs and seeing landmarks in unfamiliar places. But SUVs are the best for people who suffer from motion sickness, because it's essential to be able to look out the front, especially for the poor back seat passengers. (2 out of 4 of us suffer from motion sickness.)

 

[TXTortoise]

Car Rentals... as noted above we just saw significant rate reductions for next February. I usually book Hertz with a corporate discount, but use AutoSlash to track the decreases, then go back and rebook it myself. A couple of times AutoSlash would flag a reduction, but for a larger car (which I don't want on Maui), so always check the rerate.

Just an aside, but with Hertz, I've often had to do a cancel/new reservation, vs modifying the existing one to get the latest low rate.

Anyway, seeing $150/week of Hertz Toyota Corolla for Jan/Feb, two weeks went from $540 to $440, with taxes, in the last month.

 

[itchyfeet]

Unless your flights are on the same reservation (same day), you will pay an additional baggage fee.

 

[suzanne]

I called and checked with Hawaiian Air and I will have to pay the additional bag fee for the inter-island flight. As for wanting an SUV. We are all used to SUV's at home and are comfortable with them. Plus with the 3 of us we need the extra cargo space for all of our photo gear, luggage and a cooler for water and snacks while out exploring the Island. I have Costco reserved and have Autoslash and Kayak watching for cheaper rates. Also watching cheap Hawaiian car rentals.

Suzanne

 

[MULTIZ321]

I will check out autoslash. We do need 2nd driver, so don't want to have to pay extra for that.

Suzanne

Hi Suzanne,

You probably saw this other recent thread on Tug about How Does Auto Slash Work?
If not, check it out. You will learn among other things that it is possible to rent a car through Auto Slash that will include a second driver for free.
The thread also included very helpful postings by a representative from Auto Slash.

Have a great trip.

Richard

 

[brianfox]

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but Costco has a BIG advantage over non-Costco in that they include second driver free. Hawaii is one of those states that are typically excluded from having a spouse drive for free. Two years ago we thought we were saving $100 by renting Avis through a non-Costco website. We ended up having to pay $14 PER DAY to allow my wife to drive. Ended up costing us $100 more than Costco would have...

 

[Luanne]

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but Costco has a BIG advantage over non-Costco in that they include second driver free. Hawaii is one of those states that are typically excluded from having a spouse drive for free. Two years ago we thought we were saving $100 by renting Avis through a non-Costco website. We ended up having to pay $14 PER DAY to allow my wife to drive. Ended up costing us $100 more than Costco would have...

Yes, it's been mentioned numerous times. I think I brought it up on each post I made in this thread.

And the post just before yours links to another thread called "How does AutoSlash work" where a representative from AutoSlash explains how you can avoid the second driver fee.

 

[suzanne]

Just update on car rental. We actually got cheaper rate for same type car, a Rav 4 SUV thru RCI. They came in $312.98 cheaper than Costco. The downside was no 2nd driver for free, no cancellation and must be paid for at time of reservation. My friends who are traveling with me booked it today. $662.00 all taxes and fees included for 14 days. Car is thru Enterprise, we pick up and return to KOA Airport.
Suzanne

 

[Luanne]

Just update on car rental. We actually got cheaper rate for same type car, a Rav 4 SUV thru RCI. They came in $312.98 cheaper than Costco. The downside was no 2nd driver for free, no cancellation and must be paid for at time of reservation. My friends who are traveling with me booked it today. $662.00 all taxes and fees included for 14 days. Car is thru Enterprise, we pick up and return to KOA Airport.
Suzanne

I really hate those prepays with no cancellation.

 

[NTP66]

I've stuck with Budget for the past few trips to Maui because I seem to get the best rates with them most of the time; Costco was $15 cheaper last year, but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of joining them and then canceling membership later. Also, being able to walk into Budget (FastPass), grab my keys, and be out of the building in under 60 seconds is worth its weight in gold to me. I book my car rental crazy early, and will even pre-pay if needed. I check prices weekly, and if they drop or I find a new coupon code to use, I simply modify my reservation and receive a refund for the difference after the rental period has been completed. I've done this for years, using Budget for 99% of my rentals.

 

[suzanne]

I really hate those prepays with no cancellation.

Me too, but since condo and flights are booked and we know we need car for the 2 weeks, friends decided to take advantage of the rate.
Suzanne

 

[Luanne]

Me too, but since condo and flights are booked and we know we need car for the 2 weeks, friends decided to take advantage of the rate.
Suzanne

I hate them for two reasons. One, if anything happens that you can't go, you're stuck.

Second, if the rates go lower, you can't take advantage of it.

It does sound like you got a good rate. I just know the last time we were on Maui I checked Costco a couple of days before our trip and the price dropped.

With flights, even if they are paid for and can't be cancelled, if you do need to cancel you can usually get the credit back towards another flight. And I try not to book any housing that can't be cancelled as well.

The above is strictly my opinion and the way I try to book vacations.

 

[suzanne]

I hate them for two reasons. One, if anything happens that you can't go, you're stuck.

Second, if the rates go lower, you can't take advantage of it.

It does sound like you got a good rate. I just know the last time we were on Maui I checked Costco a couple of days before our trip and the price dropped.

With flights, even if they are paid for and can't be cancelled, if you do need to cancel you can usually get the credit back towards another flight. And I try not to book any housing that can't be cancelled as well.

The above is strictly my opinion and the way I try to book vacations.

Thanks for your input Luanne. There is 3 of us making the trip from 3 different States, so even if one of us has to cancel last minute the other 2 would not. Otherwise, I would agree with you on prepaying and no cancellation policies.

Suzanne