# You've really got to watch those rental car rates



## dougp26364 (Mar 15, 2013)

As if most TUGGER's didn't already know, you must watch rental car rates to get the best deal. 

Originally we had a car rented on Maui for a total bill of around $400, then a few weeks before we're scheduled to arrive, the rate started to drop, first down to $280, then down to $200 and finally down to $180 total and we moved up from a compact to a mid-size and finally to a full size car. 

I checked tonight and rates had jumped to $230 before taxes and fee's. It just pays to keep an eye on those rates if you want to get close to the best deal as they can and do change frequently.


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## #1 Cowboys Fan (Mar 16, 2013)

I agree.

A couple of years ago, a friend had secured his rental car weeks in advance.

I played around, seeing if I could see something lower, for MANY days-----unsuccessfully.

Finally, just an hour before he was headed to the airport to fly to Florida, I called him to tell him the rate had dropped $150----so he rebooked.

I check OFTEN, and so far it has paid off each time.

Pat


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## amanda14 (Mar 16, 2013)

It probably is a Florida thing, but anytime we have traveled there (which is often) I always book as far out as I can and seem to get the best deals that way.


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## nightnurse613 (Mar 16, 2013)

I've been checking rates lately and noticed that prices in the Phoenix area have dropped too - unfortunately the drop has been from $80 per day to $50 a day!! I'm not sure what is driving these rates (Spring training, presently) but I only use rental cars for convenience so I'll have to be greatly inconvenienced before I pay those rates!! Last year I paid less than $20 a day for a couple of trips I took!  As the OP says, I'll keep checking although I remember one time, last year, I had a reservation that they tried not to honor because there was a severe shortage of rental cars at the time. I think the rental car companies are not buying as much new inventory and they are keeping their cars longer (hmm, sounds like me)!!


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## BevL (Mar 16, 2013)

amanda14 said:


> It probably is a Florida thing, but anytime we have traveled there (which is often) I always book as far out as I can and seem to get the best deals that way.



I hope that's not true.  I am looking at car rates of about $1200 for two weeks for the size of vehicle I need for our Florida trip next Feb/Mar.  Guess I'd better at least pull the trigger and then start checking.


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## SmithOp (Mar 16, 2013)

nightnurse613 said:


> I've been checking rates lately and noticed that prices in the Phoenix area have dropped too - unfortunately the drop has been from $80 per day to $50 a day!! I'm not sure what is driving these rates (Spring training, presently) but I only use rental cars for convenience so I'll have to be greatly inconvenienced before I pay those rates!! Last year I paid less than $20 a day for a couple of trips I took!  As the OP says, I'll keep checking although I remember one time, last year, I had a reservation that they tried not to honor because there was a severe shortage of rental cars at the time. I think the rental car companies are not buying as much new inventory and they are keeping their cars longer (hmm, sounds like me)!!



You don't want to rent a car at PHX, they have a lot of taxes and fees added to pay for all the airport construction.  It's cheaper to get a cab and rent off site.

There was a deal on Hertz a few months ago to rent one way and drop off the car in PHX, they were moving the fleet there for the winter/spring demand.


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## derb (Mar 16, 2013)

*E & O*

There used to be a beer company called E & O...Their slogan was
Early and Often.
Works for checking out car rental rates.
For the first time I reserved an off airport, enterprise next to the Palms
rather than a/p  located cars.  Diff for 2 weeks was almost 300.  Lets see
how it works out.


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## Ken555 (Mar 16, 2013)

Don't forget Costco and Priceline for car rentals. If I need two drivers I always go with Costco (though the second driver is no longer included at no cost on all rentals from them - read the fine print) and Priceline is great on occasion for very low rates.


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## Jimster (Mar 16, 2013)

*rates*

Why dont you let autoslash.com watch the rates?  They do a great job.  I just rented for 3 days in DC for at total of $31-even the Alamo rep at the counter couldnt believe it.  It had been $45 and two days before i left they found a $15 discount.  They check your reservation everyday for reductions.


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## Ken555 (Mar 16, 2013)

Jimster said:


> Why dont you let autoslash.com watch the rates?  They do a great job.  I just rented for 3 days in DC for at total of $31-even the Alamo rep at the counter couldnt believe it.  It had been $45 and two days before i left they found a $15 discount.  They check your reservation everyday for reductions.



Nice. I hadn't seen this site before, and I may try it for an upcoming reservation.


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## mjm1 (Mar 16, 2013)

Jimster said:


> Why dont you let autoslash.com watch the rates?  They do a great job.  I just rented for 3 days in DC for at total of $31-even the Alamo rep at the counter couldnt believe it.  It had been $45 and two days before i left they found a $15 discount.  They check your reservation everyday for reductions.



Thanks for the tip Jimster.  I usually check often myself, but will give this site a try.


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## Jimster (Mar 16, 2013)

*autoslash*

FYI if your search comes back "No Cars Available"  just send them an email and tell them what you want.  Some locations hide their inventory from them but they will work around that if y ou just tell them what you want.


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## Ken555 (Mar 16, 2013)

Jimster said:


> FYI if your search comes back "No Cars Available"  just send them an email and tell them what you want.  Some locations hide their inventory from them but they will work around that if y ou just tell them what you want.



I tried a reservation for an upcoming trip to Maui and they only had one vendor available. It seems a few of the larger companies (Alamo, Hertz) no longer let them reserve on behalf of customers. I found an alternative at a lower rate, and then checked Costco and Costco had the same/similar rate for on-airport locations (as opposed to autoslash) so I just rebooked at Costco (with second driver free, etc). I'll try again for future reservations, but it seems it may not be as comprehensive any longer due to the recent restrictions.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Mar 17, 2013)

Ken555 said:


> I tried a reservation for an upcoming trip to Maui and they only had one vendor available. It seems a few of the larger companies (Alamo, Hertz) no longer let them reserve on behalf of customers. I found an alternative at a lower rate, and then checked Costco and Costco had the same/similar rate for on-airport locations (as opposed to autoslash) so I just rebooked at Costco (with second driver free, etc). I'll try again for future reservations, but it seems it may not be as comprehensive any longer due to the recent restrictions.



I noted the same situation for an upcoming trip to Maui.  I tried a Priceline bid, and got accepted (at Budget) on a mid-size SUV for 65% of the rate being quoted by Costco or Kayak (Kayak's best and Costco's best were almost identical), 75% of the rate offered by autoslash, and about 60% of what Hotwire was offering.  

****

Just goes to show you can never be sure you've got a few things figured out.  This is the first time in more than fifteen years of using PL and HW where I can recall HW being more expensive than the best offerings at car rental sites, and then having PL come in with a great deal.  Until now invariably when HW is higher than the car agency sites themselves, that has infallibly signaled that these is no surplus inventory.  In those cases, PL bidding has, until this time, been futile.


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## Ken555 (Mar 17, 2013)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> I noted the same situation for an upcoming trip to Maui.  I tried a Priceline bid, and got accepted (at Budget) on a mid-size SUV for 65% of the rate being quoted by Costco or Kayak (Kayak's best and Costco's best were almost identical), 75% of the rate offered by autoslash, and about 60% of what Hotwire was offering.
> 
> ****
> 
> Just goes to show you can never be sure you've got a few things figured out.  This is the first time in more than fifteen years of using PL and HW where I can recall HW being more expensive than the best offerings at car rental sites, and then having PL come in with a great deal.  Until now invariably when HW is higher than the car agency sites themselves, that has infallibly signaled that these is no surplus inventory.  In those cases, PL bidding has, until this time, been futile.



Nice. I also intend to try PL again for my upcoming reservations (at least those where I don't need two drivers).


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## Tia (Mar 17, 2013)

How far ahead are you all looking? Need a car rental end of July in Portland Maine


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## TheLatbrats (Mar 17, 2013)

We were in Kauai in mid January.  After checking with all the usual sites for a discount on a car I found Hawaii Discount Rental Car.  Contacted them and received a $300 rate lower than any of the others.  The going rate at that time was $700+ for a week. HDRC had us down to rent from Alamo right at the airport.  When we went in I told the clerk that I was surprised that we were getting the auto from them.  With a friendly smile and pleasant conversation we drove away in a Ford Flex for a total price of $286 for the week .  As my mother taught me.....You will get a lot farther in life serving honey instead of vinegar.


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## baz48 (Mar 18, 2013)

TheLatbrats said:


> With a friendly smile and pleasant conversation we drove away in a Ford Flex for a total price of $286 for the week .  As my mother taught me.....You will get a lot farther in life serving honey instead of vinegar.



What type of car is a Ford Flex?  I'd love to rent one.


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## TheLatbrats (Mar 19, 2013)

baz48 said:


> What type of car is a Ford Flex?  I'd love to rent one.



It is a very comfortable SUV that seats seven.  It has the "hands free lift-gate."  You just put your foot under the rear bumper and the gate opens.  Real handy when you have your hands full.

For Kauai it was perfect. The roads do not all have smooth shoulders to drive off of to park.  This car is just high enough to not drag.

We feel in love with the Flex.  When we are in the markert for a new vehicle we just might be looking at this car.


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## Corky (Mar 20, 2013)

Planning a one week trip to San Francisco in June and need to rent a car.  Is it too early?  Should I rent at the hotel's kiosk or the airport?  It is my first time renting a car and am ignorant of the in's and out's.


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## Luanne (Mar 20, 2013)

Corky said:


> Planning a one week trip to San Francisco in June and need to rent a car.  Is it too early?  Should I rent at the hotel's kiosk or the airport?  It is my first time renting a car and am ignorant of the in's and out's.



Are you going to be in the city of San Francisco the entire time, or do you need the car to drive outside of the city?  Reason I ask is, there is really no reason to rent a car for use in San Francisco.  Parking is expensive and sometimes difficult to find.  If you are going to be staying in the city and want to take a day trip, it would be easier to rent a car just for the days you need it.  There are many locations in the city to rent, and most hotels can assist you with rentals.


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## baz48 (Mar 20, 2013)

Corky said:


> Planning a one week trip to San Francisco in June and need to rent a car.  Is it too early?  Should I rent at the hotel's kiosk or the airport?  It is my first time renting a car and am ignorant of the in's and out's.



It is DEFINITELY not to early to book a car.  I always book as soon as I know our dates, as long as you  book through a site that lets you cancel without penalty.  The last time we rented a car in SF we found it MUCH cheaper to pick up the car downtown than at the airport, but you have to keep checking to find the best rates.

Prices change all the time.  Through the Costco site, our premium car in Maui for 2 weeks next month was $355 2 days ago - this morning it is $780!!


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## Corky (Mar 21, 2013)

I'll be staying one night in San Franciso then heading east toward Yosemite so I definitely need a car. I can rent from the airport or the hotel once I arrive but then I'm at the mercy of on-the-spot charges.

If I book something ahead of time, what are the best companies to use?  Do you usually have unlimited mileage, and are two different people permitted to drive without extra fees?  What are the best questions to ask when renting?

Thanks for you help.


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## Tia (Mar 21, 2013)

Great tip on Autoslash! thanks booked this morning



Jimster said:


> FYI if your search comes back "No Cars Available"  just send them an email and tell them what you want.  Some locations hide their inventory from them but they will work around that if y ou just tell them what you want.


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## Luanne (Mar 21, 2013)

Corky said:


> I'll be staying one night in San Franciso then heading east toward Yosemite so I definitely need a car. I can rent from the airport or the hotel once I arrive but then I'm at the mercy of on-the-spot charges.
> 
> If I book something ahead of time, what are the best companies to use?  Do you usually have unlimited mileage, and are two different people permitted to drive without extra fees?  What are the best questions to ask when renting?
> 
> Thanks for you help.



The "best" companies to use are the ones that include everything you need, and have the lowest rates....for you.  I use Avis a lot, but that's because I usually get the best price using my corporate discount.  If you have a Costco account you can usually get a good price through them, and you can compare the prices for the various companies.


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## sfwilshire (Mar 21, 2013)

nightnurse613 said:


> I've been checking rates lately and noticed that prices in the Phoenix area have dropped too - unfortunately the drop has been from $80 per day to $50 a day!! I'm not sure what is driving these rates (Spring training, presently) but I only use rental cars for convenience so I'll have to be greatly inconvenienced before I pay those rates!! Last year I paid less than $20 a day for a couple of trips I took!  As the OP says, I'll keep checking although I remember one time, last year, I had a reservation that they tried not to honor because there was a severe shortage of rental cars at the time. I think the rental car companies are not buying as much new inventory and they are keeping their cars longer (hmm, sounds like me)!!



We are going to Phoenix Saturday. I kept checking the rental rates periodically and rebooked multiple times, usually through Costco. One day the rate for 8 days was $218 all in with Budget. I grabbed it, of course. After that the rates kept going up. I also have a $25 certificate toward the cost from completing two other Budget rentals. What a deal! 

Sheila


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## Jimster (Mar 22, 2013)

*autoslash*

I posted recently about using autoslash.com.  From some of the subsequent posts I get the feeling that while there was interest some people missed the point.  Assuming you book the car in advance, the point is not what rate you get at that time or how many companies they appear to deal with.  The point is that when they find a lower price they will rebook you at the lower price and they check the price every day.  To me it makes sense to let them do that.  If you find a lower rate, go ahead and book that too.  You are not going to get charged for no-show auto rentals.  In the end, if the price you found is better, then obviously take that one.  The point is judge the efficacy of autoslash at the time of pick up- not at time of booking.  Remember there is no charge for their service.


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## isisdave (Jun 5, 2013)

*Great Costco Budget Coupon*

Costco has some car rental coupons that might help if you're looking at a high rate for this summer. http://www.costcotravel.com/Rental-Cars 

I have a post about it in the Hawaii section.


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## andex (Jun 5, 2013)

Thanks for this site seems like a great tool!


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## Blues (Jun 5, 2013)

Costcotravel is indeed a great site.  But since their pricing is dependent on their suppliers, it varies at least as much as the others.

We're travelling to Chicago in July, and need a rental car for 9 days. When I started looking early in the year, the 9 day rental was around $800!  :ignore:   I've since booked and rebooked through Costco at least 2 dozen times to lock in lower rates.  I finally managed to get the car for around $200.  I just looked, and they're now back up to $600.

I can understand a bit of price movement due to supply and demand, but this seems excessive!  

-Bob


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## Jimster (Jun 5, 2013)

*chicago*

For Chicago, may i suggest Ace Rent a car.  They are off site with a shuttle but i have had luck with them.  They dont advertise but are in about 20 major cities.  Their prices are generally very good.


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## Blues (Jun 5, 2013)

Thanks Jimster.  Yep, I've been watching Costcotravel, Ace, and Advantage nearly daily.  But the trip is too close now, and they're all sky-high again, so what I've got is what I've got.  I believe I actually got the $200 deal from Advantage.  But Ace had been a winner except for that one day that Advantage low-balled it, I caught it, and the next day they jacked the prices back up to $600  What a game!  :hysterical:

-Bob


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## andex (Jun 5, 2013)

Tried autoslash for two up coming trips dec in Miami and Orlando in march only company that came up was sixth? They had a notice saying dollar/thrifty was blocking them from using their company!


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## Talent312 (Jun 5, 2013)

Aside from discount codes, sometimes it pays to skip airport rentals altogether.
You may find that an in-town lot is so much cheaper that it pays to take a taxi.
You may also be able to pick up a free shuttle to a hotel with a rental desk.

At the cheapest airport lots in Denver, a 1-week, standard-class car runs ~$440.
The same class car at a Quebec Street lot is $220-260 with the same discounts.
.


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## LisaRex (Jun 6, 2013)

Check national car rental websites for "Hot Deals," which are last-minute clearanced cars in various cities. You can save a bundle using the codes attached to these rentals. 

I've had good success with carrentalsavers.com. I saved my friend $500 off his 10 day SUV rate in California using this site. 

Don't forget Hotwire and Priceline, too.


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## Twinkstarr (Jun 6, 2013)

A few weeks before Easter I was checking to see if I could get a better rate than I had(booked Hertz via Delta when I made my airfare reservations). 

After looking at Costco and seeing Avis's pricing, I went to their site and put in DH's Wizard account info. Got a full size car for a week for under $330(including all fees/taxes) for Easter! Plus we could just walk to Avis and go right to the car. Which is great for a holiday week, and got to bypass the clueless waiting at the desk.


And yes I need a decent size car, DH is 6'4" and eldest DS is 6'2".


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