# Rental cars



## dannybaker

Prices in Hawaii are insane currently for a rental car. We’re going to Ko Olina in May and prices are four times higher then normal.


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## triangulum33

I noticed they are high in Maui the next few weeks as well.


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## Mr. Vker

We go to Maui for two weeks end of month. For the full two week rental (Hertz-they were cheapest) it was $1500 for the minivan. Two, one week rentals-we have to swap mid trip but its aa minivan whole time, the total is $750 for the two weeks. Half the cost. Since we booked this prices exploded. I can't explain it. Outrageous.


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## dkittoe56

dannybaker said:


> Prices in Hawaii are insane currently for a rental car. We’re going to Ko Olina in May and prices are four times higher then normal.


We are travelling to Maui in a couple weeks but used a Costco Travel Packaged Resort for the first time which included the rental car. When we researched the cost of weekly resort fees we got the rental car for half of what we would usually pay. Might be the best way to go right now. We have used Costco Travel extensively for our rental rates and they have always been the best priced, that's even with us using our corporate discounts sometimes. Check them out. 

"Swing Hard Look For It Later"


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## triangulum33

We have used Uber the last couple trips.  I find it much cheaper, easier, faster and less stress.
There is so much to do in Kaanapali, we find the car was kind of a waste.   Plus, we tend to have a couple beverages at the pool or out at dinner, so it takes that whole thing out of the equation.
The times we want to take a trip upcountry or across the island, there is rental car service that will drop off and pick up a car at the resort.


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## dannybaker

We are going for three weeks and usually have one Costco run and a few target stops. We usually hang at the resort most of our trip also and we are seriously considering Uber or Lyft. I believe it’s around $45. Maybe rent the car for one day and get all our shopping done. we Currently have a car rental secured via Costco Travel. 
Price Details
$1,269.21
Total Rental Price for 21 days


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## triangulum33

@dannybaker I'd encourage you to check out Lyft/Uber.  To and from the airport is easy - pick you up right by baggage, no worrying about rentals.  Likewise drop off at resort lobby.  Easy peasy.
We've never had an issue waiting for a car - there seem to be plenty of drivers.


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## amyhwang

They are high!  I’m looking at double what I normally pay.


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## zentraveler

We rented a Hertz intermediate car for an entire month in Maui mid-January to mid-February for ~$1000. Our mid-February to mid-March one (Hertz again and even Auto Slasher was the same price) on Kauai is going to be ~$1450. Was surprised Kauai is so pricey now.


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## Sandy VDH

Charging more per rental to recoop some of there loses.  They are undoubtable renting less vehicles right now.


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## NTP66

Sandy VDH said:


> Charging more per rental to recoop some of there loses.  They are undoubtable renting less vehicles right now.


I feel as though this can be said for the airline industry, as well. Just booked our flights and car rental for July - granted, it's over July 4th - but it's as though nothing has changed with both. And I'll still pay it, because Maui.


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## gdrj

Not sure if it has happened in Hawaii, but I know on mainland rental car companies did sell off a lot of their inventory causing a shortage of vehicles in some areas or during peak times.


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## Czahara1

We are using Turo to rent a car on Maui in April.  Turo is like Uber for rental cars.  Private owners rent their vehicles.  Our cost is $303 for 8 days for the vehicle we chose.  Our money goes to support a local resident, and pick up and drop off at the airport is more convenient than the rental agencies.


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## rickandcindy23

Try autorentals.com.  Our daughter got $476 for Maui 11 days, full-sized car.  It was through a company called Wisecars, found through that website.  Only the big names through them.  $12 cancel fee was very reasonable, if rates fall by the time they arrive here and pick up their car.  

I tend to refresh the rates often to see if anything else shows up that is lower in price.  Costco's rates were crazy high for them.  We got our car for six weeks from Costco for $1,350 but booked it months ago.


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## Luanne

Right now, through Autoslash you can get a full size car on Maui for one week starting at $387.  This is for April.


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## NTP66

My full size rental through Budget over July 4 is $320.


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## bobpark56

dannybaker said:


> Prices in Hawaii are insane currently for a rental car. We’re going to Ko Olina in May and prices are four times higher then normal.


It's not just Hawaii. I've been looking in the Costa del Sol, Spain, and most everything has been at least twice as costly as in past years. Finally found 2 well-reviewed vendors that were reasonable, though...433 euros for 37 days (class C cars).
As for Hawaii, we have 2 bookings on Maui for 30 days in May at reasonable prices (will be cancelling one). One is for $706, the other is for $744 (Hyundai Elantras or equivalent). Part of the secret is to book off-airport, but you need to get there before 5 pm. The other part of the secret is to book early. Going through Costco helps with this.


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## bailey

Wisecars has terrible reviews on YELP!


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## controller1

bobpark56 said:


> As for Hawaii, we have 2 bookings on Maui for 30 days in May at reasonable prices (will be cancelling one). One is for $706, the other is for $744 (Hyundai Elantras or equivalent). Part of the secret is to book off-airport, but you need to get there before 5 pm. The other part of the secret is to book early. Going through Costco helps with this.



So what is the procedure if your flight is delayed and you are unable to get there before 5:00 pm?


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## 1Kflyerguy

controller1 said:


> So what is the procedure if your flight is delayed and you are unable to get there before 5:00 pm?



Probably Uber or a last minute rental from an airport location...


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## dannybaker

We have decided to skip renting a car for our three weeks in Honolulu. We spend the majority of our time at the resort. They have a car rental place on site which we can rent for a day or two. In the end the car rental company losses, we normally rent for our entire stay.


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## artringwald

Just got a premium car for 8 days on Maui in August for free... plus 52,320 Chase Reserve points.


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## luv_maui

artringwald said:


> Just got a premium car for 8 days on Maui in August for free... plus 52,320 Chase Reserve points.


Yes and no.  No (Don’t you have to still pay the taxes?) cash cost but alternative travel bookings thru Chase travel has a travel credit value of $784.80 or $523.20 cash.  The question becomes what would an 8 day car rental cost in Cash?  But car rental rates are sky high.  We used some hertz points to book a week in SC for “free” but it was still about $100 in taxes still due.


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## artringwald

luv_maui said:


> Yes and no.  No (Don’t you have to still pay the taxes?) cash cost but alternative travel bookings thru Chase travel has a travel credit value of $784.80 or $523.20 cash.  The question becomes what would an 8 day car rental cost in Cash?  But car rental rates are sky high.  We used some hertz points to book a week in SC for “free” but it was still about $100 in taxes still due.


Fortunately, the 52,320 points covers all the taxes and fees. I could get cars for less through other rental companies, but at one time or another, we've had problems with all the companies we've tried except Alamo. A premium Alamo car through Discount Hawaii Car Rental would have cost $785.


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## Brianhillmaui

We live on Maui. I guess the companies have been selling off their excess inventory. Funny to think a year ago, there were rental cars parked all over the place....in fields, side of the road. It was ridiculous!!


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## MommaBear

dkittoe56 said:


> We are travelling to Maui in a couple weeks but used a Costco Travel Packaged Resort for the first time which included the rental car. When we researched the cost of weekly resort fees we got the rental car for half of what we would usually pay. Might be the best way to go right now. We have used Costco Travel extensively for our rental rates and they have always been the best priced, that's even with us using our corporate discounts sometimes. Check them out.
> 
> "Swing Hard Look For It Later"


We booked through Costco 6 weeks ago, they are 2-3 times the price now then when we booked


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## fernow

What is going on?  We rented 3 weeks ago for an April trip and paid $645 for a Full Size, which I thought was pricey at the time.  Went back to same website, same car, same discount codes,   $1,504 !!!  Hope they even have the car we rented when we get there.  Like the Seinfeld episode:  "I know what a reservation is, sir."   "I don't think you do..."


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## 1Kflyerguy

My guess is that when covid shut everything down the rental companies sold off a lot of cars, or more accurately their lenders took the cars back and sold them off..    Now that travel is resuming there is a lot less available cars so the rentals prices go up.

The last few trips i have booked the rental car prices are way above what I used to pay.


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## dannybaker

We will be at Ko olina for four weeks and we always rent a car and that is about to change. They want $1890 for four weeks. We go to Hawaii annually and usually pay around $230 weekly.


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## CalGalTraveler

Has anyone used Payless on the Big Island? Would you recommend them? They seem to be coming up $200 less than the big companies.


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## easyrider

I am still looking for a car rental in Hawaii and my niece asked if I checked Turo yet. Never heard of Turo. I checked it out and found cars for between $20 and $50 a day. Turo is described as the air b&d of car rentals. The best price I can find with the regular places is about $70 - $80 a day for a compact. 

Has anyone used Turo and have an experience to share ?

Bill


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## Henry M.

I haven't actually used Turo, but know someone with a car in the system. Like you say, it is like Airbnb for cars. It sounds to me like you have to find a renter with lots of positive reviews and few or no negative reviews. Otherwise, you're taking a chance. There is a lot less quality control on the cars, and if a particular car somehow breaks down, you will have to do a lot more work to get alternative transportation.

I met some girls at the beach in Maui that used one of these individual car rental places. They had an issue with a Jeep they rented. The owner was very apologetic and came to get the Jeep to get it repaired. Meanwhile, they were without transportation until the owner fixed the problem, where there was severe vibration driving down the road. I think it all worked out in the end.

Just remember you are now dealing with individuals renting their own vehicles. I bet most of the time things work out fine. The issues arise when the car has a problem. There can also be issues of cleanliness and differing expectations on how well taken care of the car is. If you are comfortable with this, you can likely save a bit of money. If you want more certainty, then a commercial rental place might be in order.

I use AirBnB and I am comfortable picking a place with lots of good reviews. I would not stay in one with few reviews, or one that has more than a percent or two of bad reviews. I might be willing to give Turo a try, but will go in with my eyes wide open. I'll likely make a Hertz reservation on the side, just in case. I get good corporate rates with them.


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## eyedude

easyrider said:


> I am still looking for a car rental in Hawaii and my niece asked if I checked Turo yet. Never heard of Turo. I checked it out and found cars for between $20 and $50 a day. Turo is described as the air b&d of car rentals. The best price I can find with the regular places is about $70 - $80 a day for a compact.
> 
> Has anyone used Turo and have an experience to share ?
> 
> Bill


I have used Turo a few times without problems.  I plan to use Turo when we go in September.  When we went to Maui in December it took forever to rent our car through a traditional rental agency.  Unfortunately, in December I did not see many options with Turo. The owner of the car I am renting has already been in contact with me and will meet me curbside to deliver the car and keys. On other occasions, the owner will put the car in the parking lot and we just walk across the street with our luggage...super convenient.


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## Ken555

Turo is a great option. I just tried to get a price quote and created an account, validated my email, and then it wants a photo of me and a copy of my drivers license...all before showing me the total all-in cost. Seems quite invasive for a quote.


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## MrockStar

I guess $ 200 more because of my flight change coming in early doesn't seem quite as bad now.


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## easyrider

Ken555 said:


> Turo is a great option. I just tried to get a price quote and created an account, validated my email, and then it wants a photo of me and a copy of my drivers license...all before showing me the total all-in cost. Seems quite invasive for a quote.



Yup, that was as far as I got. I have a Turo account but after reading other experiences I think I going to follow through. I like having a car where ever we go even if I don't use it every day. 

Bill


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## easyrider

eyedude said:


> I have used Turo a few times without problems.  I plan to use Turo when we go in September.  When we went to Maui in December it took forever to rent our car through a traditional rental agency.  Unfortunately, in December I did not see many options with Turo. The owner of the car I am renting has already been in contact with me and will meet me curbside to deliver the car and keys. On other occasions, the owner will put the car in the parking lot and we just walk across the street with our luggage...super convenient.



Some of the cars I am seeing on Turo are very nice. Almost too nice. Others are very old but drivable. How did you decide on a car ? It looks like trips counted and reviews are about it from what I am seeing. I haven't been to the insurance costs. What do you think about the insurance ? From reading Turo's page it looks like the only option that covers everything is probably the right one.

Bill


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## Ken555

easyrider said:


> Some of the cars I am seeing on Turo are very nice. Almost too nice. Others are very old but drivable. How did you decide on a car ? It looks like trips counted and reviews are about it from what I am seeing. I haven't been to the insurance costs. What do you think about the insurance ? From reading Turo's page it looks like the only option that covers everything is probably the right one.
> 
> Bill



FWIW, I was looking at options for Maui and it seems there are many Nissan's in the ~$30-34/day range. I would expect, though would call to verify, that AMEX insurance covers this rental since it's a true car rental service. If so, I wouldn't buy their insurance and only use AMEX.


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## Dean

Ken555 said:


> FWIW, I was looking at options for Maui and it seems there are many Nissan's in the ~$30-34/day range. I would expect, though would call to verify, that AMEX insurance covers this rental since it's a true car rental service. If so, I wouldn't buy their insurance and only use AMEX.


In looking around it appears that many CC and car insurance preclude such peer to peer rentals so check to be certain.  Also a point on CC insurance, in order for it apply in every case I'm aware of, you have to decline all optional insurance.  You can't stack it on top of paid coverage to the car rental company.  Here's what's listed for CSR under "what's not covered".  

Leases and mini leases; including hourly rentals and car share services


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## Ken555

Update: the price was too good to ignore (about half that of any other option), so I went ahead and registered at Turo and booked (and prepaid) for a rental for early next year in Maui. I can cancel for full refund up to the day prior of rental.

I’m also intending to call AMEX re coverage but did find this encouraging page from last year:









						Are Turo car rentals covered by credit card insurance? - The Points Guy
					

When you rent a car through the carsharing service Turo, here's what you should know about collision damage insurance that may be offered through your card.




					thepointsguy.com
				






> But, to confirm I called Amex’s Premium Car Rental Protection enrollment line and asked the agent whether Turo rentals would be covered. He hadn’t heard of Turo before, so I explained the service to him. He then took a few minutes to look through exclusions and then asked me what state I live in and whether Turo offers insurance plans for car rentals. When I said Turo offers three insurance plans on most rentals, the agent concluded that he didn’t see a reason why a rental through Turo wouldn’t be covered.
> 
> Although the agent I spoke with concluded that Turo rentals would be covered, I’d recommend calling for yourself – perhaps multiple times to ensure you get a consistent response – before assuming Amex’s Premium Car Rental Protection will cover your Turo car rental.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Ken555

Dean said:


> In looking around it appears that many CC and car insurance preclude such peer to peer rentals so check to be certain. Also a point on CC insurance, in order for it apply in every case I'm aware of, you have to decline all optional insurance. You can't stack it on top of paid coverage to the car rental company. Here's what's listed for CSR under "what's not covered".
> 
> Leases and mini leases; including hourly rentals and car share services



Yes, but the AMEX Premium car rental insurance option is a different product. See my post above for more details. I’ll post an update after I speak with AMEX, tho not sure if I’ll get to that in the next few days...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Dean

Ken555 said:


> Yes, but the AMEX Premium car rental insurance option is a different product. See my post above for more details. I’ll post an update after I speak with AMEX, tho not sure if I’ll get to that in the next few days...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


True but unless I saw it in writing that it was specifically covered I'd assume it didn't. I wouldn't be comfortable trusting verbal representations.  In addition their sample agreement makes it pretty clear that the coverage only applies to a Rental Company and defines that in such a way as to exclude peer to peer rentals as I read it.  I'd only consider this if it was still enough cheaper to more than make up for buying the insurance.


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## Ken555

Dean said:


> True but unless I saw it in writing that it was specifically covered I'd assume it didn't. I wouldn't be comfortable trusting verbal representations.  In addition their sample agreement makes it pretty clear that the coverage only applies to a Rental Company and defines that in such a way as to exclude peer to peer rentals as I read it.  I'd only consider this if it was still enough cheaper to more than make up for buying the insurance.



When there's an issue like this, I always ask the vendor to send me an email with the details for confirmation and future reference. I just did this a few days ago with Virgin Voyages as they are offering a 10% discount if paid in full 180 days prior to sailing, and while they previously had a policy that the 10% discount must be paid within two hours of booking they've updated it so permit anyone to obtain the discount as long as they meet the 180 days but this is a recent change so some of their reps are confused (yet when they inquire with their team they returned to say it is more flexible now)...and I received an email that says as much. 

In this instance, the difference is many hundreds of dollars. Currently Maui is ~$450-600 per week PREPAID from the various car rental agencies, and this rental from Turo was $467 for two weeks all in. If AMEX doesn't cover it, I'll consider adding Turo's insurance and, of course, I intend to keep checking rates since I expect them to change but given the uncertainty of availability with the expected car shortage I thought it best to have a reservation. In fact, this my second reservation since I already have another... in any case, I just tried calling AMEX and this office is closed so will inquire sometime soon.


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## emeryjre

Why Hertz landed in bankruptcy court when its rivals didn't (cnbc.com)

A little background into the current situation with Hertz.  There are stories in the travel industry about an upcoming car rental "Arrmagedon"


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## Dean

Ken555 said:


> When there's an issue like this, I always ask the vendor to send me an email with the details for confirmation and future reference. I just did this a few days ago with Virgin Voyages as they are offering a 10% discount if paid in full 180 days prior to sailing, and while they previously had a policy that the 10% discount must be paid within two hours of booking they've updated it so permit anyone to obtain the discount as long as they meet the 180 days but this is a recent change so some of their reps are confused (yet when they inquire with their team they returned to say it is more flexible now)...and I received an email that says as much.
> 
> In this instance, the difference is many hundreds of dollars. Currently Maui is ~$450-600 per week PREPAID from the various car rental agencies, and this rental from Turo was $467 for two weeks all in. If AMEX doesn't cover it, I'll consider adding Turo's insurance and, of course, I intend to keep checking rates since I expect them to change but given the uncertainty of availability with the expected car shortage I thought it best to have a reservation. In fact, this my second reservation since I already have another... in any case, I just tried calling AMEX and this office is closed so will inquire sometime soon.


I would want to be certain but in the absence of something specifically stating it's covered in the legal documentation I think one has to assume it's not covered and I'm not sure even a written message or email that it is would be sufficient if later they chose not to cover an incident.  Also, I didn't think the AMEX plan covered liability which is likely the bigger issue.  If applicable one might want to check on their umbrella policy to see if it covers the liability in this situation since they require a minimum auto liability covered to be primary.  I wouldn't be totally averse but I'd want it to save me money including the Premier Plan insurance compared to a rental car without added insurance.  Let us know what else you find out.

It also looks like the Premier plan isn't available if the vehicle value is over $25K so getting a high end option might add additional risk.


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## easyrider

I officially reserved a car from Turo. A 2014 Chevy Sonic for $25 a day. The premium insurance is about $22 a day. Total for this Turo car is under $50 a day with full coverage that includes loss of use. For now I'm good with this. The lesser Turo insurance has a deductible and doesn't cover everything and costs about $11 a day. 

It looks like the premium insurance covers everything with no deductible. I was going to use our Amex card to cover the car and just decline the Turo insurance. Additionally, I could have just used my auto insurance. 

My usual Avis car is at $150 a day and I would be using my insurance to cover the car. The best rate I see is Hertz at $130 a day. 

Bill


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## Dean

Partly out of curiosity and partly for future planning I decided to query USAA about both the car insurance and umbrella liability coverage.  Verbally both departments said it'd be covered but the Umbrella liability department was more convincing talking about it becoming more common for people to rent out their houses at times and leave a vehicle to be used at the same time.  In the absence of written documentation I still don't think I'd be comfortable but thought I'd pass along the additional information.


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## Ken555

I booked another car from Budget today for Maui at a discount, though I haven't had time to investigate Turo yet. Now I have four bookings... For those considering Maui, if you pickup at JHM it will be less than OGG, and I was able to drop off at OGG at the same price. I've never taken an uber/taxi/shuttle from OGG to WKORV but I figure it's ~$65 per person. For my dates renting from OGG now starts at ~$1250 via Costco.


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## easyrider

Ken555 said:


> I booked another car from Budget today for Maui at a discount, though I haven't had time to investigate Turo yet. Now I have four bookings... For those considering Maui, if you pickup at JHM it will be less than OGG, and I was able to drop off at OGG at the same price. I've never taken an uber/taxi/shuttle from OGG to WKORV but I figure it's ~$65 per person. For my dates renting from OGG now starts at ~$1250 via Costco.



Kihei rent-a-car is renting cars on Turo. I saw a 2015 Nisan Sentra for $25 a day. With the best Turo insurance it would be about $47 a day all in. I will be checking the other rental agencies as the year drags on but we will likely keep our Turo rental.

Bill









						Take a trip in Kihei Rent a Car’s Nissan Sentra
					

Explore the highways and byways of Kihei in Kihei Rent a Car’s Nissan Sentra on Turo, where you can book the perfect car for your next adventure, courtesy of local hosts.




					turo.com


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## controller1

Ken555 said:


> I booked another car from Budget today for Maui at a discount, though I haven't had time to investigate Turo yet. Now I have four bookings... For those considering Maui, if you pickup at JHM it will be less than OGG, and I was able to drop off at OGG at the same price. I've never taken an uber/taxi/shuttle from OGG to WKORV but I figure it's ~$65 per person. For my dates renting from OGG now starts at ~$1250 via Costco.



So do you have four bookings for the same dates? If so, don't you think you may be part of the reason prices are high? With four bookings of which only one will be used you have artificially increased the demand and thus the price. When multiplied by others doing the same . . .


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## Ken555

controller1 said:


> So do you have four bookings for the same dates? If so, don't you think you may be part of the reason prices are high? With four bookings of which only one will be used you have artificially increased the demand and thus the price. When multiplied by others doing the same . . .



They're not identical bookings. And, really, thanks for trying to blame me for making the already high rates high. Nice try!


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## controller1

Ken555 said:


> They're not identical bookings. And, really, thanks for trying to blame me for making the already high rates high. Nice try!



Wasn't trying to blame you or anyone. I don't really care but I find it somewhat ironic you are posting in a thread that is primarily complaints of the high prices of rental cars.

It is pretty simple supply and demand. When the supply is fixed and the demand is artificially high then the result will be higher prices because of the demand. And even though they are "not identical bookings" you have reserved four cars and will only be renting one of them.


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## Ken555

controller1 said:


> Wasn't trying to blame you or anyone. I don't really care but I find it somewhat ironic you are posting in a thread that is primarily complaints of the high prices of rental cars.



Yet you felt compelled to suggest that I was partly to blame for the high prices.



> It is pretty simple supply and demand. When the supply is fixed and the demand is artificially high then the result will be higher prices because of the demand. And even though they are "not identical bookings" you have reserved four cars and will only be renting one of them.



I understand supply and demand. The demand was high BEFORE I booked at all - that's mostly the reason why I contributed to this thread at all. And you've got it wrong again, but that's because I didn't post details. I reserved four cars total from various sources, but none are exact duplicate date ranges, etc. You also didn't ask, but i have no intention of keeping these reservations for more than a short time, perhaps a few days or a week, before I cancel most of them. Give a guy a little credit, eh?


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## Ken555

Also, FWIW, two of the rentals I booked are for the same trip. One from JHM for a week, then another later on from JHM to OGG - anticipating in that scenario I won't need a car the entire trip. That scenario would actually HELP supply... you're welcome.


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## bobpark56

I had 2 bookings for our May Maui visit, and it's a good thing I did. The off-airport Hertz location for one my bookings has decided to close 2 hours earlier than when I booked, making it impossible for me to get there before they closed. Hertz never bothered to notify me, and now that I have learned about the closing, they are refusing to honor my booking...or to transfer it to another rental location. It's a good thing I have a back-up booking.


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## KS2beach

dannybaker said:


> Prices in Hawaii are insane currently for a rental car. We’re going to Ko Olina in May and prices are four times higher then normal.


We are going 1st week in June to Maui- I booked months ago for $295 for a week- I see now are wanting $800-- Crazy!


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## easyrider

Ken555 said:


> Yet you felt compelled to suggest that I was partly to blame for the high prices.



Indeed Ken. We all know it was YOU !!!!   

Bill


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## mayamart

Just did some research and found either "no cars available" or $1100 (for a compact) for 5 days in April 17-22 on Big Island


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## lynne

some insight on the situation









						‘Carmageddon’ Crashes Into Big Island, as Rental Industry Swallowed by Mass Demand | Big Island Now
					

Anyone on the hunt for a rental car in Hawai´i is in for a disappointing month. At least.




					bigislandnow.com


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## mayamart

Have a trip planned in 2 weeks to Big Island. Found every rental site "out of inventory,' with the exception of one or two--which were quoting $1100-1400 for a mid-size for 5 days! I called the Chamber of Commerce and she told me to try a local travel discount company, HawaiiDiscount.

I was able to get a voucher for $313 (plus tax/airport fees at counter) for a rental car thru Alamo! HawaiiDiscount has inside agreements with the car rental companies at KOA & HNL airports and I have been assured that the voucher will be honored. I plan to call Alamo today, to double check...


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## lynne

mayamart said:


> Have a trip planned in 2 weeks to Big Island. Found every rental site "out of inventory,' with the exception of one or two--which were quoting $1100-1400 for a mid-size for 5 days! I called the Chamber of Commerce and she told me to try a local travel discount company, HawaiiDiscount.
> 
> I was able to get a voucher for $313 (plus tax/airport fees at counter) for a rental car thru Alamo! HawaiiDiscount has inside agreements with the car rental companies at KOA & HNL airports and I have been assured that the voucher will be honored. I plan to call Alamo today, to double check...


Even after securing reservations, some car companies are canceling the reservation.   Before COVID, there were many times KOA rental agencies were oversold, leaving many to taxi and Uber around even though they had a reservation.   At KOA last week there were no cars in the lots--you will simply queue up waiting for ones to be returned.


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## cerralee

I have a three week trip planned for mid April that includes one week at Ko OLina and two weeks in Waikiki. Usually we borrow my daughters car as she walks to work and we stay close enough to car share. She lost her jobs (she had three) during COVID and decided to use the setback to go back to School and obtain her teaching certification.  Now she is assigned to a school that requires daily travel and thus no car sharing.  I am at the point where I am considering canceling as one of the reasons for the trip was to help her out with our grandson so she can get her work load under control. She has a tiny apartment and it’s already claustrophobic. Adding two adults to the mix just isn’t the answer. Car rental is $700-$800 per week. We really weren’t expecting that.  I’m getting stressed trying to figure it out.


----------



## bogey21

lynne said:


> Even after securing reservations, some car companies are canceling the reservation.



And how  do you think they will choose which reservations cancel?  I'll bet it is the ones for $295 rather than the ones for $1,000...

George


----------



## Kapolei

cerralee said:


> I have a three week trip planned for mid April that includes one week at Ko OLina and two weeks in Waikiki. Usually we borrow my daughters car as she walks to work and we stay close enough to car share. She lost her jobs (she had three) during COVID and decided to use the setback to go back to School and obtain her teaching certification.  Now she is assigned to a school that requires daily travel and thus no car sharing.  I am at the point where I am considering canceling as one of the reasons for the trip was to help her out with our grandson so she can get her work load under control. She has a tiny apartment and it’s already claustrophobic. Adding two adults to the mix just isn’t the answer. Car rental is $700-$800 per week. We really weren’t expecting that.  I’m getting stressed trying to figure it out.



Don’t stress.  Take the bus.


----------



## zentraveler

Kapolei said:


> Don’t stress.  Take the bus.



I can second TheBus in Waikiki. I love having a car when I travel and rent them everywhere except Waikiki. Inexpensive, runs on schedule, has a route system more reliable and workable than San Francisco and with a short learning curve is really quite fabulous. I get a car service from HNL (TheBus is not so thrilled with luggage) and then just get around without a car easily: TheBus.

For Ko Olina you probably will want a car, or go loaded with what you want for groceries and check beforehand about what is open  for restaurants and delivery.  Several resorts are walkable, but nothing much in terms of grocery.


----------



## legalfee

We're not going until November. Hopefully this mess will be ended by then. If not we'll use cabs and UBER.


----------



## tborr123

bobpark56 said:


> It's not just Hawaii. I've been looking in the Costa del Sol, Spain, and most everything has been at least twice as costly as in past years. Finally found 2 well-reviewed vendors that were reasonable, though...433 euros for 37 days (class C cars).
> As for Hawaii, we have 2 bookings on Maui for 30 days in May at reasonable prices (will be cancelling one). One is for $706, the other is for $744 (Hyundai Elantras or equivalent). Part of the secret is to book off-airport, but you need to get there before 5 pm. The other part of the secret is to book early. Going through Costco helps with this.



Looked for a car in Salt Lake City for this week, and the same outrageous price of about $175 a day. Then searched Hawaii for May 1 and the price dropped to about $75 a day.


----------



## SmithOp

I still have my corp Hertz code, I searched without it for Hawaii BI in Sep, $109 a day for mid size. Put in the corp code and it dropped like a rock to $28 a day. Costco Enterprise came in at $58 a day. Guess I know which one to go with for this years’s trip.


----------



## cerralee

zentraveler said:


> I can second TheBus in Waikiki. I love having a car when I travel and rent them everywhere except Waikiki. Inexpensive, runs on schedule, has a route system more reliable and workable than San Francisco and with a short learning curve is really quite fabulous. I get a car service from HNL (TheBus is not so thrilled with luggage) and then just get around without a car easily: TheBus.
> 
> For Ko Olina you probably will want a car, or go loaded with what you want for groceries and check beforehand about what is open  for restaurants and delivery.  Several resorts are walkable, but nothing much in terms of grocery.





zentraveler said:


> I can second TheBus in Waikiki. I love having a car when I travel and rent them everywhere except Waikiki. Inexpensive, runs on schedule, has a route system more reliable and workable than San Francisco and with a short learning curve is really quite fabulous. I get a car service from HNL (TheBus is not so thrilled with luggage) and then just get around without a car easily: TheBus.
> 
> For Ko Olina you probably will want a car, or go loaded with what you want for groceries and check beforehand about what is open  for restaurants and delivery.  Several resorts are walkable, but nothing much in terms of grocery.


The bus for Waikiki is probably what we are doing for Waikiki. Our grandson stays with us and getting him to Kaimuki for school in the morning will be our biggest challenge but he knows the bus schedules and will help us out. Hubby and I can take turns getting up in the morning or just drop him off the night before at my daughters.

She (daughter) is checking with one of her friends who sells used cars about the possibility of renting one of his cars for the week when we are at Ko Olina. I haven’t had time to research all the what if’s that could be tied into this scenario and if it works out fine...if not we will still have her transporting us around to pick us up at the airport and do a food run before we are “isolated” (poor, poor pitiful us) at Ko Olina for a few days.


----------



## zentraveler

cerralee said:


> The bus for Waikiki is probably what we are doing for Waikiki.



There is a senior price for TheBus if you are "of a certain age" (Medicare age or disabled). All I had to do was bring a copy of my medicare card (I made a copy and had it laminated so I could just easily show it to the driver)  and and pay $1.00 - and you get a transfer so it ended up being _round trip_ for $1 to go places. (I live in San Francisco; _nothing_ costs $1.00 )

They have since raised the price to $1.25 which is kind of a pain, but still beyond cheap. There is also an annual or weekly senior pass which I looked into getting for the ease of not paying every time, but the place where one gets them not conveniently located and not worth the headache unless you are staying for a while or visit frequently in a year.


----------



## ann824

We made reservations through autoslash/Priceline/hertz for April 20 - 29. I have tried to find a decent backup without luck. I’m really nervous about getting there and not having a car.


----------



## VacationForever

We are going to Ko Olina in Oahu for 2 weeks starting middle of April.  We had originally booked a full size SUV for about $950 for the 2 weeks.  United changed flights and I went ahead and rebooked it for a different pick-up time.  The charge went up to $1400.  I grumbled as United's change of flight cost an additional $450 in car rental.  It went up to almost $2000 and now it is no longer available.  Also, my COVID test is scheduled for 71 hours before the flight so I really hope United doesn't mess with our flights again.


----------



## mayamart

cerralee said:


> I have a three week trip planned for mid April that includes one week at Ko OLina and two weeks in Waikiki. Usually we borrow my daughters car as she walks to work and we stay close enough to car share. She lost her jobs (she had three) during COVID and decided to use the setback to go back to School and obtain her teaching certification.  Now she is assigned to a school that requires daily travel and thus no car sharing.  I am at the point where I am considering canceling as one of the reasons for the trip was to help her out with our grandson so she can get her work load under control. She has a tiny apartment and it’s already claustrophobic. Adding two adults to the mix just isn’t the answer. Car rental is $700-$800 per week. We really weren’t expecting that.  I’m getting stressed trying to figure it out.


I highly suggest calling HawaiiDiscount.com. Friendly, local business. Great rates on rental cars. Once I got my voucher with the reservation #, called and confirmed with Alamo and they said I do have a reserved car.


----------



## mayamart

VacationForever said:


> We are going to Ko Olina in Oahu for 2 weeks starting middle of April.  We had originally booked a full size SUV for about $950 for the 2 weeks.  United changed flights and I went ahead and rebooked it for a different pick-up time.  The charge went up to $1400.  I grumbled as United's change of flight cost an additional $450 in car rental.  It went up to almost $2000 and now it is no longer available.  Also, my COVID test is scheduled for 71 hours before the flight so I really hope United doesn't mess with our flights again.


Call HawaiiDiscount--they can get much less expensive reservations!


----------



## mayamart

ann824 said:


> We made reservations through autoslash/Priceline/hertz for April 20 - 29. I have tried to find a decent backup without luck. I’m really nervous about getting there and not having a car.


Call HawaiiDiscount--they can get much less expensive reservations!


----------



## VacationForever

mayamart said:


> Call HawaiiDiscount--they can get much less expensive reservations!


I checked their online quotes yesterday.  Full size SUV for the same period was $3.5k. Ouch.


----------



## rickandcindy23

artringwald said:


> Just got a premium car for 8 days on Maui in August for free... plus 52,320 Chase Reserve points.


Art, those points are not free.  Those points would be worth $784.80, if you used them for groceries or any other travel.  I say groceries because that is how we have been using our Chase points.  52,320 X 1.5 = $784.80 in value.  We also use the points for Home Depot.  We make a purchase through Home Depot, go to the portal before our payment is due, choose Home Depot purchases and grocery purchases from the list, and we get a real cash credit to our future statement.  It's great for us.  We even get gift cards for Amazon and Disney at our grocery store and get 100% back for those.  It's been good, since travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards hasn't worked well for us.


----------



## cerralee

VacationForever said:


> I checked their online quotes yesterday.  Full size SUV for the same period was $3.5k. Ouch.


I checked for a compact car for eight days $3.6 k. Yikes and double Yikes!


----------



## artringwald

rickandcindy23 said:


> Art, those points are not free.  Those points would be worth $784.80, if you used them for groceries or any other travel.  I say groceries because that is how we have been using our Chase points.  52,320 X 1.5 = $784.80 in value.  We also use the points for Home Depot.  We make a purchase through Home Depot, go to the portal before our payment is due, choose Home Depot purchases and grocery purchases from the list, and we get a real cash credit to our future statement.  It's great for us.  We even get gift cards for Amazon and Disney at our grocery store and get 100% back for those.  It's been good, since travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards hasn't worked well for us.


Actually, I didn't say the points were free, I said the car was free... plus 52,320 Chase Reserve points. I know that booking travel with points makes them worth 1.5x. I didn't know you could use them toward groceries. Is that just a temporary benefit because of the pandemic? As other threads have discussed, car rental rates right now are crazy. If the rates for Maui go down before our trip in August, I'll cancel and rebook. The confirm makes clear what the points are worth. It included this:

Payable today: $784.80
Base Price: Included
 Taxes & Fees: Included
52,320 PTS redeemed: -$784.80
Total due today: 52,320 PTS and $0.00


----------



## ann824

Does anyone have any thoughts on the best time of day to get a rental car in Maui. We are scheduled on the later DFW flight that arrives about 4:30. I’m trying to decide if getting there earlier in the day would be better.


----------



## NTP66

Are none of you actually Googling for discount codes? I've been using the same BCD code for a decade at Budget, and the discount has _always _come in lower than damn near everyone else, including Costco, which is always touted as the go-to here. I just checked, and for our dates (7/3-7/11), our full-size rental is $320 after taxes. It's $1088 before the discount, for reference. Even their public Friends and Family code drops it a little, to $952.


----------



## Ken555

NTP66 said:


> Are none of you actually Googling for discount codes? I've been using the same BCD code for a decade at Budget, and the discount has _always _come in lower than damn near everyone else, including Costco, which is always touted as the go-to here. I just checked, and for our dates (7/3-7/11), our full-size rental is $320 after taxes. It's $1088 before the discount, for reference. Even their public Friends and Family code drops it a little, to $952.



Just be clear on the risks.









						Unauthorized Users of Corporate Codes: Is This Company Cracking Down? - The Gate
					

Unauthorized users of corporate codes: is this company cracking down — and if so, for how long has this policy been in effect? The...




					thegate.boardingarea.com


----------



## NTP66

Everyone has their own risk tolerance. This one’s very low on mine, especially since I’ve had zero issues with it with over a dozen rentals.


----------



## valbo97

Trying person to person rental on Kauai. Has anyone done this and what was the result?? Prius for a month is $1025?
Person has a website for another business and seems legit. ANybody else try this?
Bob W?


----------



## ann824

We used autoslash and got 4 days on Maui for $293.  Arrived yesterday and got the car at Hertz with no wait. There were a lot of cars available.  We made it through the airport in about 10 minutes. My husband went directly to car rental while I got the luggage.


----------



## mayamart

Posting again... we were able to get an Alamo mid-size rental for almost $70 per day through HawaiiDiscount.com, for Kailua-Kona. Cheapy cheap! It was seamless to use the voucher and we were issued a Ford Fusion, within 15 mins. Easy peasy.


----------



## simpsontruckdriver

The shortage of rental cars will continue for at least a year.

TS


----------



## CalGalTraveler

You could always rent a UHaul   









						Hawaii tourists are renting U-Haul vans instead of rental cars due to a massive shortage sending prices up to $700 a day
					

Two to three years ago, rental cars in Hawaii were going for about $50 a day. Now, some rentals are going for over $500 a day, an expert said.




					news.yahoo.com


----------



## Tamaradarann

CalGalTraveler said:


> You could always rent a UHaul
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hawaii tourists are renting U-Haul vans instead of rental cars due to a massive shortage sending prices up to $700 a day
> 
> 
> Two to three years ago, rental cars in Hawaii were going for about $50 a day. Now, some rentals are going for over $500 a day, an expert said.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> news.yahoo.com


I wonder with the high price of rental cars are the Uber, Hyft or Taxis going up in price for a ride since people will be using them more if they can't rent a car or the rent a car prices are so high that people decide to use their services rather than renting a car?


----------



## zentraveler

easyrider said:


> Kihei rent-a-car is renting cars on Turo. I saw a 2015 Nisan Sentra for $25 a day. With the best Turo insurance it would be about $47 a day all in. I will be checking the other rental agencies as the year drags on but we will likely keep our Turo rental.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Take a trip in Kihei Rent a Car’s Nissan Sentra
> 
> 
> Explore the highways and byways of Kihei in Kihei Rent a Car’s Nissan Sentra on Turo, where you can book the perfect car for your next adventure, courtesy of local hosts.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> turo.com



Does anyone have any experience renting through Turo?


----------



## Henry M.

Turo is for cars what Airbnb is for homes or apartments. You are renting a car from an individual who is making that car available through Turo. Some are great, some perhaps not very good. As with Airbnb, look at the ratings for each owner before deciding to go with them. Don't expect the same support that a car rental company would give you, like an easy replacement if the car breaks down. You will be dealing with individuals, not large companies.


----------



## zentraveler

Henry M. said:


> Turo is for cars what Airbnb is for homes or apartments. You are renting a car from an individual who is making that car available through Turo. Some are great, some perhaps not very good. As with Airbnb, look at the ratings for each owner before deciding to go with them. Don't expect the same support that a car rental company would give you, like an easy replacement if the car breaks down. You will be dealing with individuals, not large companies.



Thanks Henry. I do know what they are and how they work (our daughter was renting her car out in SF through Getaway). I just wondered if others had experience actually using them in Hawaii. 

Was able to get a Hertz car for 2 weeks late August (for the same price we paid for month in January), but way better than some of the recent horror stories. It will be after schools start in August, so that may explain availability. I also booked it picking up at the Hyatt near WKORV and returning to OGG and saved a LOT of money. Probably won'f fuss with Turo.


----------



## trev111t

zentraveler said:


> Thanks Henry. I do know what they are and how they work (our daughter was renting her car out in SF through Getaway). I just wondered if others had experience actually using them in Hawaii.
> 
> Was able to get a Hertz car for 2 weeks late August (for the same price we paid for month in January), but way better than some of the recent horror stories. It will be after schools start in August, so that may explain availability. I also booked it picking up at the Hyatt near WKORV and returning to OGG and saved a LOT of money. Probably won'f fuss with Turo.


I have had two successful Turo rentals in Hawaii. One trip in Feb 2020, we got a mustang convertible for just my wife and I (highly recommend the convertible). When we took the kids in April 2021, we booked a Ford expedition for the cargo/passenger capacity. Both trips were very easy. The host met us at HNL on arrival and departure so we avoided the usual line at the rental car counter.
I've also used Turo for trips in Florida and California with success. I gladly recommend Turo and would use the service again, but am not tied to it. I would still use traditional car rental companies if the price was better than Turo. Turo has an advantage since you know exactly what vehicle you are getting. 

Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk


----------



## zentraveler

trev111t said:


> I have had two successful Turo rentals in Hawaii. One trip in Feb 2020, we got a mustang convertible for just my wife and I (highly recommend the convertible). When we took the kids in April 2021, we booked a Ford expedition for the cargo/passenger capacity. Both trips were very easy. The host met us at HNL on arrival and departure so we avoided the usual line at the rental car counter.
> I've also used Turo for trips in Florida and California with success. I gladly recommend Turo and would use the service again, but am not tied to it. I would still use traditional car rental companies if the price was better than Turo. Turo has an advantage since you know exactly what vehicle you are getting.
> 
> Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk



Thanks for info; good to know. I was particularly interested in whether there was airport pick up or not although I am sure it varies. For this particular trip I don't think I would save much money, although I imagine Turo might be more reliable than the stories I am reading about people getting to rental car companies and finding that their reservation didn't mean much.


----------



## ann824

Just got back home Friday. The rental car situation is a lot more challenging on Kauai than it is on Maui. If you are arriving on Saturday or Sunday you need to be prepared for a long wait. We were some of the first off the plane and there was a long line. We have status with Hertz because of our titanium status with Marriott so my husband was able to bypass the line and get our car. Some people waited as long as 4 hours to get a car. We got cars through autoslash on both islands for around $50 a day.  There are people who have said if you reserve through a 3rd party you have to wait longer.  That was not the case with us. They do honor status.  It think it helps if you join the rewards program. I think most everyone is getting their car but some are having to wait for cars to be returned.  We did consider UHaul. They do have pickup trucks and vans you can rent for about 19.99 a day plus about 9 cents a mile.  My guess would be 12:00 to 5:00 would be the busiest.


----------



## zentraveler

ann824 said:


> Just got back home Friday. The rental car situation is a lot more challenging on Kauai than it is on Maui. If you are arriving on Saturday or Sunday you need to be prepared for a long wait. We were some of the first off the plane and there was a long line. We have status with Hertz because of our titanium status with Marriott so my husband was able to bypass the line and get our car. Some people waited as long as 4 hours to get a car. We got cars through autoslash on both islands for around $50 a day.  There are people who have said if you reserve through a 3rd party you have to wait longer.  That was not the case with us. They do honor status.  It think it helps if you join the rewards program. I think most everyone is getting their car but some are having to wait for cars to be returned.  We did consider UHaul. They do have pickup trucks and vans you can rent for about 19.99 a day plus about 9 cents a mile.  My guess would be 12:00 to 5:00 would be the busiest.



Going to Maui and have been the highest status (president's circle?) at Hertz for a very long time. Sadly am arriving Sunday mid-afternoon, but am getting around the OGG pick up by renting from the Hertz at the Hyatt near the Westin in Kaanapali and returning to OGG. Bit of a hassle, but the cost savings are phenomenal.


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte

Rental cars are so expensive that tourists in Hawaii are driving moving trucks
					

Rental cars have been in short supply in warm-weather destinations such as Hawaii, Arizona and Florida this year as more people have started to feel comfortable venturing out. Some travelers are turning to renting moving trucks.




					www.seattletimes.com


----------



## rickandcindy23

Sounds like a joke.  But it probably is true.


----------



## PamMo

Brilliant! Whoever came up with this idea was clever indeed. As the article states, when rental cars are going for $249/day, it's a great deal to rent a small moving van for $19.95/day plus $.89/mile.


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## DavidnRobin

Anyone use Turo to rent a car?
Right now a 2-week Sept rental (Costco) is running at $1600.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## James G

I'm in Honolulu now.  I paid around $700 for 7 days for a Nissan Rouge through Enterprise with a USAA discount.  Booked a couple of months ago,  so it might be more now.  Haven't seen any uhaul trucks around so far.


----------



## trev111t

DavidnRobin said:


> Anyone use Turo to rent a car?
> Right now a 2-week Sept rental (Costco) is running at $1600.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I have had two successful Turo rentals in Hawaii. One trip in Feb 2020, we got a mustang convertible for just my wife and I (highly recommend the convertible). When we took the kids in April 2021, we booked a Ford expedition for the cargo/passenger capacity. Both trips were very easy. The host met us at HNL on arrival and departure so we avoided the usual line at the rental car counter.
I've also used Turo for trips in Florida and California with success. I gladly recommend Turo and would use the service again, but am not tied to it. I would still use traditional car rental companies if the price was better than Turo. Turo has an advantage since you know exactly what vehicle you are getting.

Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk


----------



## simpsontruckdriver

I looked at costs for a van/flatbed truck at Home Depot: $129/day unlimited miles. That is a regular cargo van, not a moving van. Or you could rent by the hour.


----------



## hintok

I arrived in Maui a couple of hours ago and picked up my Budget rental I booked months ago for $340/week through Costco. While waiting for my friend to arrive l asked them if I could extend the rental another week. They said yes and gave me the second week at the same rate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## alwysonvac

Heads up...Hertz Gold Standard Clean seal is total BS in Honolulu.

I normally use Enterprise in Hawaii but booked Hertz which I haven’t used in years. We used their Gold Counter service at HNL on Saturday. The first car they gave us had the seal but we could tell they didn’t do anything but slap the seal on the driver side door. Hubby went back and asked for another vehicle. The second car was still dirty inside and out with the stupid seal but it wasn’t as bad as the first.






						Hertz Gold Standard Clean
					






					www.hertz.com


----------



## rickandcindy23

Henry M. said:


> Turo is for cars what Airbnb is for homes or apartments. You are renting a car from an individual who is making that car available through Turo. Some are great, some perhaps not very good. As with Airbnb, look at the ratings for each owner before deciding to go with them. Don't expect the same support that a car rental company would give you, like an easy replacement if the car breaks down. You will be dealing with individuals, not large companies.


I am thinking of getting into this rental business.  I could buy some older Toyotas and rent them by the day.  It's not expensive to buy a 5 or 6 year old car.  We are 30 minutes from the airport.


----------



## rickandcindy23

alwysonvac said:


> Heads up...Hertz Gold Standard Clean seal is total BS in Honolulu.
> 
> I normally use Enterprise in Hawaii but booked Hertz which I haven’t used in years. We used their Gold Counter service at HNL on Saturday. The first car they gave us had the seal but we could tell they didn’t do anything but slap the seal on the driver side door. Hubby went back and asked for another vehicle. The second car was still dirty inside and out with the stupid seal but it wasn’t as bad as the first.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hertz Gold Standard Clean
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.hertz.com


That is terrible!  The cars on Maui are sometimes filthy.


----------



## zentraveler

Really surprised to hear it and certainly no fun to drive around in a dirty car. I have used Hertz for 30 years and and without any exception I can think of have always gotten clean, late model, low mileage cars (I somehow ended up in the President's Circle). 

We rented Hertz cars on Maui and Kauai and although they were both clean, nice cars the LIH one had something loose on the undercarriage I happened to notice although the car drove fine. (The shuttle was a pain at LIH, but that is another story.)  When I exchanged it I got a much nicer car and $100 certificate. 

But, as we know the rental business is a mess these days and no more so than in Hawaii. Thanks for head's up. I will be forewarned; will be picking one up in August.


----------



## lynne

rickandcindy23 said:


> I am thinking of getting into this rental business.  I could buy some older Toyotas and rent them by the day.  It's not expensive to buy a 5 or 6 year old car.  We are 30 minutes from the airport.











						New vehicle shortage driving up costs of used cars in Hawaii
					

Lane Auto Group in Aiea sells used vehicles and tells KHON2 there have been a lot of bidding wars at auctions for used cars, which means higher prices for the consumer. Owner John Lane says large c…




					www.khon2.com


----------



## VacationForever

We had a full size SUV, a Chevy Tahoe, for 2 weeks starting mid-april through Alamo with HNL pickup/dropoff and it was very clean.


----------



## TheTimeTraveler

rickandcindy23 said:


> I am thinking of getting into this rental business.  I could buy some older Toyotas and rent them by the day.  It's not expensive to buy a 5 or 6 year old car.  We are 30 minutes from the airport.




Isn't that what  "Rent-a-Wreck" does ?

Apparently they have 41 rental locations in the USA, and I think there is one on Maui.




.


----------



## Steve Fatula

Every day the prices go up too. Kauai prices are insane right now, at least for when we are going, even Turo. Can't find a reasonable rate anywhere.


----------



## Steve Fatula

Sadly costco discount for Kauai late August for 15 days is ~$1700.


----------



## wannagotoo

We were on the Big Island a few weeks ago and followed the rental rates down daily (no fee to rebook with Costco) until we paid $470 for a full size car for 8 days. It started out over $1,000.


----------



## Steve Fatula

wannagotoo said:


> We were on the Big Island a few weeks ago and followed the rental rates down daily (no fee to rebook with Costco) until we paid $470 for a full size car for 8 days. It started out over $1,000.



Yeah, that is likely going to be my strategy. The danger is they run out of cars. But if they don't, they should get cheaper as you said. Advance booking of anything is not always the cheapest way to go. If it turns out I am out of luck, then I'll do Uber or whomever,


----------



## DavidnRobin

Steve Fatula said:


> Sadly costco discount for Kauai late August for 15 days is ~$1700.



We canceled our 2-weeks WPORV in Sept - screw it - we will wait until 2023.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## DavidnRobin

Steve Fatula said:


> Yeah, that is likely going to be my strategy. The danger is they run out of cars. But if they don't, they should get cheaper as you said. Advance booking of anything is not always the cheapest way to go. If it turns out I am out of luck, then I'll do Uber or whomever,



I will be trying same for Maui - either get a reasonable rate - or used Turo or Uber,
We don’t really drive around that much anymore.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## hellokaren

DavidnRobin said:


> Anyone use Turo to rent a car?
> Right now a 2-week Sept rental (Costco) is running at $1600.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


We were just in Oahu, and there is limited supply because they shipped a lot of the cars off the island during the pandemic and have not re supplied yet. There is HUI, which is a car share system similar to Zipcar, but you should reserve early because there was no availability while we were there. We did use Turo and it was a lot less expensive, and we had a good experience using it. Turo is similar to Airbnb, but for cars.


----------



## Steve Fatula

Turo on Kauai is almost the same price, $100 difference, than my Hertz rate. It was not a few months back.


----------



## 1Kflyerguy

We are on the big island, and there were lots of cars sitting in the lot when we picked up with Hertz.  Yes the car was more expensive than normal, but at least they had them.    I can't imagine spending time on the Big Island without a car, its just too spread out.  So far none of the usual resort shuttles are running in Waikaloa.


----------



## simpsontruckdriver

Not for that reason, but I rented a U-Haul cargo van (2 people), approx $30/day + $0.20/mile which included collision insurance ($150 deductible or my personal car insurance with $500 deductible).

TS


----------



## klpca

We were on Oahu a couple of weeks ago and had no problem with our car - in fact we were upgraded to a 4wd Jeep Cherokee. The parking garage where the rentals are parked looked full. We arrived on a Sunday. No lines at the rental car counter either. I was really worried but it turned out to be fine. Cost for our week was about $450 which had been booked in March.


----------



## Thunder Up

You should try the rates Kapalua Airport, across the street from Nanea.  For our January 2022 trip, found a compact for for 17 days for about $740.   They wanted $1750 at OGG.  Booked the reservation today.   Day before flight back home, will go back and do a one way rental, drop the vehicle at Ogg for about $100.  Will do Uber to the resort for about $60. 

Will keep checking to see if ogg rates are reasonable.  Used Costco.

Happy Travels.


----------



## skimble

I have three weeks booked...  I landed a 2 bd Kona Coast Resort for the end of June.   It was a last-minute find.  
I Can NOT find a car to rent on the big island!.   What are my options at this point?


----------



## sjsharkie

Check this thread for alternatives:








						Rental cars are so expensive that tourists in Hawaii are driving moving trucks
					

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/rental-cars-are-so-expensive-that-tourists-in-hawaii-are-driving-moving-trucks/




					tugbbs.com


----------



## Rjbeach2003

I don't think there are many alternatives.  Some are renting thru Turo, with those owners jacking the price through the sky.  If you stay in Kailua-Kona for the most part you can probably get by walking and Uber or Lyfting.  

Keep checking through Costco, Discount Hawaii Car Rental DHCR.com, up to the day you leave.  If you see a car available, reserve it and keep looking.  Most experienced Hawaii visitors will reserve a car, sometimes two, as soon as they book their airline tickets.  I know we did back in January for a July trip.  When it gets closer to your arrival date some of those overbookings will be released and will come available.  

Don't cancel your trip, though you will have to figure out transportation from the airport.  KCR has a nice pool area and nice grounds.  It's right on the ocean, but not swimmable.  All lava rock.  There is, or used to be a sort of trolley that ran from the town out to Keauhou Shopping center.

Turo is kind of an Airbnb for cars.  I have never used it, but it is something you could check out.  Good luck


----------



## CalGalTraveler

Also try autoslash. We had a flight change so tried to extend our car for another 3 hours - we were told it would revert to market rate to modify our reservation i.e. another $1000 on top of our $550 rental for an extra 3 hours! 

Fortunately I remembered that I booked a second car at another provider that was expected to be returned 2 hours later. We will use that rental and it is about $80 cheaper for a standard SUV. It's crazy out there. Glad I booked the autos once we reserve air tickets.


----------



## DaveNV

Take what you can get, then try Autoslash.  It worked well for me, so far.

I booked a car with Alamo through Costco.com for the end of August, even though the rate was outrageous.  ($766 for an intermediate sedan for a week.)  I then set it up with Autoslash.  Later that same day I got an email from Autoslash telling me they found a cheaper rate:  $433 for the same car.  Quite a change!  The only difference was the lower rate was with Hertz instead of Alamo.  Trying to book directly on the Hertz site gave me similar numbers as Costco initially, so the Autoslash discount was a good one.  i booked the Autoslash quote, then registered the Hertz rental with Autoslash, and now, we wait.  I'm hoping rates drop to reasonable numbers before I need them.  but if not, I'll take the $433 price, if I have to.

Dave


----------



## Kildahl

I think I found several Segways on Kauai for July.


----------



## skimble

sjsharkie said:


> Check this thread for alternatives:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rental cars are so expensive that tourists in Hawaii are driving moving trucks
> 
> 
> https://www.seattletimes.com/business/rental-cars-are-so-expensive-that-tourists-in-hawaii-are-driving-moving-trucks/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> tugbbs.com


I read those.  Most of those people are referring to May.  This is June... it's not about high prices... it's about ZERO inventory.  Even if I was willing to pay $250/day, the vehicles are there.


DaveNV said:


> Take what you can get, then try Autoslash.  It worked well for me, so far.
> 
> I booked a car with Alamo through Costco.com for the end of August, even though the rate was outrageous.  ($766 for an intermediate sedan for a week.)  I then set it up with Autoslash.  Later that same day I got an email from Autoslash telling me they found a cheaper rate:  $433 for the same car.  Quite a change!  The only difference was the lower rate was with Hertz instead of Alamo.  Trying to book directly on the Hertz site gave me similar numbers as Costco initially, so the Autoslash discount was a good one.  i booked the Autoslash quote, then registered the Hertz rental with Autoslash, and now, we wait.  I'm hoping rates drop to reasonable numbers before I need them.  but if not, I'll take the $433 price, if I have to.
> 
> Dave


It's crazy... they have about 5 vehicles left, and they're starting at about $359/day.  :-(


----------



## skimble

Kildahl said:


> I think I found several Segways on Kauai for July.


I'm also looking at an electric bike or a moped.  I supposed public transportation or Uber if worse comes to worse.


----------



## skimble

The problem is the result of the semiconductor shortage.  I was told the car rental industry has not been getting new car shipments.  And, they purged during the pandemic.  So, there's a severe car shortage.


----------



## HGVC Lover

skimble said:


> The problem is the result of the semiconductor shortage.  I was told the car rental industry has not been getting new car shipments.  And, they purged during the pandemic.  So, there's a severe car shortage.



This is basically the crux of the problem plus most websites are showing no cars available for the summer on the Big Island....we reserved for a two month rental at KOA Hertz 6 months ago and feel fortunate to have made the reservation then.....now it would probably be nearly impossible for us to secure a car.....


----------



## echino

Three weeks? Just buy a car! Arrange for the car seller to pick you up at the airport.





__





						big island cars & trucks - craigslist
					

big island cars & trucks - craigslist



					honolulu.craigslist.org


----------



## VacationForever

skimble said:


> I'm also looking at an electric bike or a moped.  I supposed public transportation or Uber if worse comes to worse.


Both Uber and Lyft are in short supply as well.


----------



## CalGalTraveler

Expect that there will be some cars available at the last minute because travelers are double booking at two different companies in case of overbooking and will cancel or abandon the extra reservations once they have secured their auto.  I realize that last minute is no way to plan a vacation but if you can go a few days you could check back in for cancellations.


----------



## tompalm

Looks like you live in CA. You can ship a car for $1000 and than ship it back for $1000.  That was the cost last year, but that might be higher now.


----------



## skimble

tompalm said:


> Looks like you live in CA. You can ship a car for $1000 and than ship it back for $1000.  That was the cost last year, but that might be higher now.


That's interesting.  The costs of rentals almost make that a viable option.


----------



## billymach4

Insane. Even local domestic rentals are sky high!


----------



## BJRSanDiego

I have been doing some searching and on Sunday, the "cliff" (the date where there was virtually NO AVAILABILITY was August 1.  I did it tonight (3 nights later) and the cliff seems to have moved out a week.  Yikes.  I was checking on Costco.


----------



## HGVC Lover

CalGalTraveler said:


> Expect that there will be some cars available at the last minute because travelers are double booking at two different companies in case of overbooking and will cancel or abandon the extra reservations once they have secured their auto.  I realize that last minute is no way to plan a vacation but if you can go a few days you could check back in for cancellations.



Can you verify what you said or is this just speculation?


----------



## controller1

HGVC Lover said:


> Can you verify what you said or is this just speculation?



It's not speculation. Read Post #48


----------



## dioxide45

controller1 said:


> It's not speculation. Read Post #48


I know that people are double booking. We had a vew reservations booked for an upcoming trip, though for different days as we were unsure exactly when we could travel. Now that our plans are set, we cancelled the reservations for the dates that we didn't need. My question is, do I need backup reservations from other companies in the event the company we reserved through doesn't have cars.


----------



## CalGalTraveler

I had the same situation as @dioxide45. I just released several reservations for times that didn't work. Keep checking.


----------



## rickandcindy23

Maybe it would be good to use the "hire a local" service I used to see talked about on TUG.  Hire a local with a car and have them show you around.  Might be worth it.

We got $1,000 for two weeks on the Big Island at Hertz through Autorentals.com


----------



## controller1

I feel very fortunate. I reserved for September in Maui about eight months ago. I have 15 days for $740 for a full-size. I just priced it at the same location and it would now go for around $1,200.


----------



## CalGalTraveler

IMO...Although cars are less expensive on BI, I am more nervous about making sure we have a car there than on Maui. We could live without a car on Maui because there are public transit/Uber options but not on BI. I just checked Instacart for grocery delivery in case cars are overbooked. It works on Maui (Times Market but no Costco) but not on BI.


----------



## TheTimeTraveler

Double booking by customers for rental cars seems like the auto rental Companies are playing a game of musical chairs.  Has anyone here on TUG booked a car, shown up for it, and found zero cars available?   If so, how have you been compensated either financially or with a rental car from another competitor?  How does this work during these difficult times?

I'll be there staying for a few months and am actually thinking of having my friend from Hawaii buy a good used car for me to use while I am there, and unload it when I finally leave (I am thinking of a used Japanese or Korean vehicle).  With the current price of rentals I think it could be a worthwhile venture versus paying some Company $1,000 per week for the car and then turning it back in.  Of course I will have to live with what he selects, and hope it runs without any issues.

Thoughts and opinions are welcome......




.


----------



## Ken555

controller1 said:


> It's not speculation. Read Post #48



Let’s not forget #53


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## csodjd

I just sat down to reserve cars for an early July and another late July trip to Oahu. I found nothing available showing on Costco, Southwest, National, Avis, Hertz, Dollar, National and probably a couple others -- looking at a variety of locations, except some at $600/nt and up. However, EXPEDIA had a variety of cars available in the $150/nt range. I went ahead and booked a car for each trip. The first is Jun 29-Jul 8 (10 days), total cost $1766. The second is July 22-28 (6 days), total cost $1018. 

I'll keep checking especially as we get closer to look for those cancellations. I've not heard of AutoSlash, so I'm giving them a try also. 

I also looked at buying a car, with a price of under $6,000. There are some, to be sure, mostly high miles.


----------



## Thunder Up

I have had 2 instances in 2021 where there were no cars available on a confirmed reservation, a local rental and an off airport location in Fort Lauderdale.  Both reservations were with Costco.  Costco really came thru on the Fort Lauderdale rental, as I tried to pickup a car at the Fort Lauderdale airport (after the off airport location told me they no nothing available and did not know when they would have any thing available) and they were all sold out.  I called Costco both times to log the complaint and seek assistance in getting a vehicle.  After about 30 minutes on hold, they found me a car In Fort Lauderdale.  I called Costco‘s customer service number shown on the printed confirmation receipt.  The rental was about $250 more than my original reservation.  The Costco supervisor told me to submit a claim for the difference in car rental costs with documentation when the trip was completed.  I did that on both trips and I had the refunds processed and funds received within 2 weeks.  Costco rocks.


i hope you have similar good fortunes.


----------



## csodjd

Here's both a funny and informative twist. As stated earlier, only via Expedia was I able to find something, and that was from Economy Car Rental, and it was over $1600. Well, I went add that into my folder for the June trip and discovered that I had already reserved a car through National. I reserved it back on April 27, and the cost was/is $1013 for a Full Size. So, it's been about one month, most cars are gone and the one I found was $600 more expensive.

I learned my lesson and I just reserved cars for Oahu and Kona for October. I'm finding wildly variable rates, but with anything rented at the airport (HNL) being way more expensive. Far less to Uber to your lodging area and rent near there. For me that's Discovery Bay in Waikiki, where there is an Enterprise, or Hilton Hawaiian Village where there is a National.


----------



## Tucsonadventurer

triangulum33 said:


> @dannybaker I'd encourage you to check out Lyft/Uber.  To and from the airport is easy - pick you up right by baggage, no worrying about rentals.  Likewise drop off at resort lobby.  Easy peasy.
> We've never had an issue waiting for a car - there seem to be plenty of drivers.


My son was told minimum wait for Uber in June is 45 min . He has a 3 month old so that does not sound inviting.


----------



## Kapolei

I am considering listing my 3rd car through Turo because cheapest cars are $90.  I just haven’t done the research so I am a little reluctant.  I know a small business owner that jumped right in because he already had a business in place.

And there is Uber also I could also consider if I wasn’t working full time and busy with other things on the weekend.  Someone posted rides to the airport were getting over $100.  Rides from Koolina to the airport might be fun to do when I am retired.


----------



## echino

Kapolei said:


> I am considering listing my 3rd car through Turo



If you have a correct insurance coverage in place, then how about just offering your car directly to tuggers?


----------



## csodjd

Kapolei said:


> I am considering listing my 3rd car through Turo because cheapest cars are $90.  I just haven’t done the research so I am a little reluctant.  I know a small business owner that jumped right in because he already had a business in place.
> 
> And there is Uber also I could also consider if I wasn’t working full time and busy with other things on the weekend.  Someone posted rides to the airport were getting over $100.  Rides from Koolina to the airport might be fun to do when I am retired.


I recently purchased a Condo in Waikiki on Ala Moana. We're remodeling it now. We have secure parking. I'll be there June 29-July 8, and again July 22-28. I'd consider renting your car instead of renting from a rental car company if fairly priced.


----------



## easyrider

echino said:


> If you have a correct insurance coverage in place, then how about just offering your car directly to tuggers?



Having the Turo platform is probably better for both the car owner and car renter unless the car renter has a fleet of cars, imo. I never considered renting a car off the Turo site but we have one reserved for our Hawaii trip. I like the way everything was laid out on the Turo platform. Hopefully our experience is decent, lol.

Bill


----------



## Kapolei

echino said:


> If you have a correct insurance coverage in place, then how about just offering your car directly to tuggers?





easyrider said:


> Having the Turo platform is probably better for both the car owner and car renter unless the car renter has a fleet of cars, imo. I never considered renting a car off the Turo site but we have one reserved for our Hawaii trip. I like the way everything was laid out on the Turo platform. Hopefully our experience is decent, lol.
> 
> Bill


. 

Considering I am a homeowner, married, and have other assets, I think using a service like Turo would be the only way I would do it.  And I am not sure I want to jump into that yet.

I am not worried about the car.  It’s 2005 Accord maintained by neighborhood mechanic.  So it runs good.  But it is basically my beach car.  One thing I could do is sell it to someone here for an extended period and then later offer to buy it back.  But it would have to be worth the trouble.  And the buy back would be a gentleman’s agreement.


----------



## PerryKing

These crazy car rental prices is why on my last trip to Maui I learned to ride the *MAUI BUS *from and to  the Maui airport to the Kaanapali Beach ( Whalers Village).  Then I walked or took the free trolley back to The Hyatt Residence Club - Kaanapali Beach Resort.  I was determined to make it work,  I had to first find the bus stop on the Airport entrance road, etc.,  but the bus drivers were helpful, and after I got the hang of it I road the bi=us back and forth from the Whalers Village to the shopping are where the supermarket is back toward Lahaina and then several trips to Lahaina to go to shop, dine and attend the Cinema! 

Had to transfer two other twice busses,  once at the Queen Ka'ahumanu Center,  shopping center and again in Lahaina  (Wharf Cinema Center)  But I made it OK . Especial by going back to the airport early. 

As I senior I did the airport to Whalers village for a total of $2 or $3.  If you don't get a daily pass, then you have to pay each time you get on a deferment bus, even if it just for a transfer.  I think the bus system is operated by Roberts of Hawaii under contract with the county of Maui.    

There is one restriction or rule one needs to be aware of :  That's on the size bag you can carry on to the bus, but I was within the rule for the one  bag that I carried that was big enough to just fit in the typical overhead bin on the air plane, and also carried one backpack / or Briefcase type small bag also.

The rules are listed on the schedules and the Maui Bus web site(s)  Maui Bus       or    https://www.mauicounty.gov/609/Maui-Bus-Public-Transit-System
You can make it work if you really want to, which I did!


----------



## lynne

Traveling Responsibly in Hawai‘i During the Rental Car Shortage | Big Island Now
					

Please know HTA does not condone visitors renting moving trucks and vans for leisure purposes.




					bigislandnow.com


----------



## csodjd

lynne said:


> Traveling Responsibly in Hawai‘i During the Rental Car Shortage | Big Island Now
> 
> 
> Please know HTA does not condone visitors renting moving trucks and vans for leisure purposes.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> bigislandnow.com


I rented a small truck last month to pick up a table and chairs we bought. When I reserved it the cost was 69 cents/mile. When I got there to pick it up he quoted $1.49/mile. I pressed and he said, oh, yes, I see you got in before the price increase, and they gave me the 69 cent price. But it’s obvious they have jumped their prices as a result of the situation (to discourage, or take advantage, not sure). U-haul does say they offer a kama’aina rate. Not sure what that rate is but will find out next month.


----------



## lynne

csodjd said:


> I rented a small truck last month to pick up a table and chairs we bought. When I reserved it the cost was 69 cents/mile. When I got there to pick it up he quoted $1.49/mile. I pressed and he said, oh, yes, I see you got in before the price increase, and they gave me the 69 cent price. But it’s obvious they have jumped their prices as a result of the situation (to discourage, or take advantage, not sure). U-haul does say they offer a kama’aina rate. Not sure what that rate is but will find out next month.


Glad you were able to get your original rate.  A friend went to Ohau from Konar recently to shop for a dress for her daughter's upcoming wedding.  There was not a rental car to be found.  Thankfully friends who live on Oahu were able to pick her up and take her shopping.   It is tough on both residents as well as visitors as the article suggests.  We have three vehicles which takes the burden off when family and friends are visiting from the mainland.


----------



## csodjd

lynne said:


> Glad you were able to get your original rate.  A friend went to Ohau from Konar recently to shop for a dress for her daughter's upcoming wedding.  There was not a rental car to be found.  Thankfully friends who live on Oahu were able to pick her up and take her shopping.   It is tough on both residents as well as visitors as the article suggests.  We have three vehicles which takes the burden off when family and friends are visiting from the mainland.


Is all this leading to an increase in the price of used cars?


----------



## lynne

csodjd said:


> Is all this leading to an increase in the price of used cars?


It is already happening in Hawaii County - used vehicles are more expensive than usual - new vehicles which always had minimal brands and choices on the island are really hard to come by.   I am always asked if I want to sell my 2006 Subaru Baja (still has less than 100,000 miles)


----------



## Ty1on

easyrider said:


> Having the Turo platform is probably better for both the car owner and car renter unless the car renter has a fleet of cars, imo. I never considered renting a car off the Turo site but we have one reserved for our Hawaii trip. I like the way everything was laid out on the Turo platform. Hopefully our experience is decent, lol.
> 
> Bill



We got a car through Turo for half of next week, and are looking for one for the other half (Kailua-Kona).  My experience is that with the cars that list for a reasonable rate, you open the listing and there is an entirely different, much higher rate shown.


----------



## TheTimeTraveler

Ty1on said:


> We got a car through Turo for half of next week, and are looking for one for the other half (Kailua-Kona).  My experience is that with the cars that list for a reasonable rate, you open the listing and there is an entirely different, much higher rate shown.




I think they call that "Bait and Switch".



.


----------



## Ty1on

TheTimeTraveler said:


> I think they call that "Bait and Switch".
> 
> 
> 
> .


And it is rampant on Turo right now.


----------



## easyrider

Ty1on said:


> We got a car through Turo for half of next week, and are looking for one for the other half (Kailua-Kona).  My experience is that with the cars that list for a reasonable rate, you open the listing and there is an entirely different, much higher rate shown.



My Turo reservation was canceled by the host a while back. I am invited to pick another car but the price increased about 35%. It looks like this person has many cars on Turo. 

Yesterday I saw Brian's Tug Priceline link so I checked it out. I was able to reserve a car for about $55 a day all in through a regular car rental company but it has a no cancelation policy. I didn't rent it because its a winter trip and things might change. I thought the price was decent enough. 

Bill


----------



## triangulum33

easyrider said:


> Yesterday I saw Brian's Tug Priceline link so I checked it out.


Do you mind posting the link?


----------



## dioxide45

triangulum33 said:


> Do you mind posting the link?











						TUG joins priceline.com affiliate program!
					

So we were recently accepted into the priceline.com affiliate program meaning we can now put priceline links to air/rental car promos and discounts on TUG pages!  We know tons of TUG members and visitors to the forums use many websites to compare airline tickets,  rental cars as well as Cruise...




					tugbbs.com


----------



## j59kim

A friend of mine just got a cancellation notice for a rental car they booked on Orbitz for 7/31 for Fox rental in Maui. They said they overbooked although I don’t know if the company sent the cancellation or Orbitz. Although I remember thinking the price they got two months ago at $400/week was too good to be true...still puts them in a tough spot now with cars running out.


----------



## Luanne

csodjd said:


> Is all this leading to an increase in the price of used cars?


I had heard that used car prices had already gone way up.


----------



## RX8

j59kim said:


> A friend of mine just got a cancellation notice for a rental car they booked on Orbitz for 7/31 for Fox rental in Maui. They said they overbooked although I don’t know if the company sent the cancellation or Orbitz. Although I remember thinking the price they got two months ago at $400/week was too good to be true...still puts them in a tough spot now with cars running out.



My wife is very good at booking through Costco and then checking it often to see if the price goes down. If it does she cancels and rebooks. My worry is not having the car there when we arrive. If the rental company has a walk-up renter there willing to pay $1,200 and my rental reservation is $400 but I am coming the next day, I see them taking the $1,200 over my reservation.


----------



## dioxide45

RX8 said:


> My wife is very good at booking through Costco and then checking it often to see if the price goes down. If it does she cancels and rebooks. My worry is not having the car there when we arrive. If the rental company has a walk-up renter there willing to pay $1,200 and my rental reservation is $400 but I am coming the next day, I see them taking the $1,200 over my reservation.


I think rechecking these days is futile. We are only seeing big increases in rental rates the closer we get to our travel dates. I too am concerned about them honoring an earlier booked cheap rate. I guess though they could play the same game we all play with booking new and cancelling old.


----------



## Luanne

RX8 said:


> My wife is very good at booking through Costco and then checking it often to see if the price goes down. If it does she cancels and rebooks. My worry is not having the car there when we arrive. If the rental company has a walk-up renter there willing to pay $1,200 and my rental reservation is $400 but I am coming the next day, I see them taking the $1,200 over my reservation.


Instead of constantly rechecking have her register her rental with AutoSlash.  They will do the checking and email if they find something cheaper.


----------



## zentraveler

dioxide45 said:


> I think rechecking these days is futile. We are only seeing big increases in rental rates the closer we get to our travel dates. I too am concerned about them honoring an earlier booked cheap rate. I guess though they could play the same game we all play with booking new and cancelling old.



I am noticing the same thing. Every time I check they are higher. And my expensive price looks less and less expensive. Not flying until later in August so will keep checking now and then, but not holding out much hope.

I saved enough money that I will be picking up the car at the Hyatt Ka'anapali rather than OGG. Now a little concerned that I may have trouble getting an Uber/Lyft to WKORV, since they are also supply and demand driven. Has anyone done this recently?


----------



## easyrider

dioxide45 said:


> TUG joins priceline.com affiliate program!
> 
> 
> So we were recently accepted into the priceline.com affiliate program meaning we can now put priceline links to air/rental car promos and discounts on TUG pages!  We know tons of TUG members and visitors to the forums use many websites to compare airline tickets,  rental cars as well as Cruise...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> tugbbs.com



I used the link this morning and played with the dates and time. It looks like we will shuttle or uber to the resort. We pick up the car at the airport 5 days before we leave. The cost was about $34 a day and $55 a day including taxes/ fees for an intermediate car from a major auto rental company. It was a pre-pay non-refundable which is something I always avoided in the past.

It looks like 4- 5 days gives a lower price. I might try adding the first 5 days on a different reservation. Then maybe another reservation in the middle. I might just leave it alone too.

edit : So I tried the days before and the rate was $192 a day for an intermediate car. I tried the days in the middle and the rate was $167 a day. These rates are before taxes and fee's. 

Bill


----------



## csodjd

easyrider said:


> I used the link this morning and played with the dates and time. It looks like we will shuttle or uber to the resort. We pick up the car at the airport 5 days before we leave. The cost was about $34 a day and $55 a day including taxes/ fees for an intermediate car from a major auto rental company. It was a pre-pay non-refundable which is something I always avoided in the past.
> 
> It looks like 4- 5 days gives a lower price. I might try adding the first 5 days on a different reservation. Then maybe another reservation in the middle. I might just leave it alone too.
> 
> edit : So I tried the days before and the rate was $192 a day for an intermediate car. I tried the days in the middle and the rate was $167 a day. These rates are before taxes and fee's.
> 
> Bill


One of the problems with car rental is that your rental car spend a lot of time idle. You have the car for a week, but spend some of those days at the beach, etc. Has anyone developed a “car share” app or site where two people going to the same place can agree to SHARE a rental car? Say I have a car for a week, and I paid $150/day. But I know I’m not going to use the car for 3 of those days… so I “sub-lease” the car at my daily rate to someone else. I know there is the issue of a second driver but there might be some way to deal with that.


----------



## easyrider

csodjd said:


> One of the problems with car rental is that your rental car spend a lot of time idle. You have the car for a week, but spend some of those days at the beach, etc. Has anyone developed a “car share” app or site where two people going to the same place can agree to SHARE a rental car? Say I have a car for a week, and I paid $150/day. But I know I’m not going to use the car for 3 of those days… so I “sub-lease” the car at my daily rate to someone else. I know there is the issue of a second driver but there might be some way to deal with that.



To be honest, I would rather deal with a company and not a person, especially any person I know.  

 Bill


----------



## TheTimeTraveler

csodjd said:


> One of the problems with car rental is that your rental car spend a lot of time idle. You have the car for a week, but spend some of those days at the beach, etc. Has anyone developed a “car share” app or site where two people going to the same place can agree to SHARE a rental car? Say I have a car for a week, and I paid $150/day. But I know I’m not going to use the car for 3 of those days… so I “sub-lease” the car at my daily rate to someone else. I know there is the issue of a second driver but there might be some way to deal with that.




Something similar to that already exists.  It is called Zip Car and you rent the car by the hour.

Zip Car is located in many major cities in the USA.  Not sure if they are in Hawaii or not.



.


----------



## Ty1on

My wife jumped all over me for reserving a midsize at $1K for the week.  As we've continued to monitor and see offerings, when they are there to be found at all, of $1,200, then $1,400, then $1,600, for compacts, she has lightened up.


----------



## zentraveler

TheTimeTraveler said:


> Something similar to that already exists.  It is called Zip Car and you rent the car by the hour.
> 
> Zip Car is located in many major cities in the USA.  Not sure if they are in Hawaii or not.



Only in Honolulu according to their website. Gataround is another one, but also not apparently in Hawaii.


----------



## 1Kflyerguy

csodjd said:


> One of the problems with car rental is that your rental car spend a lot of time idle. You have the car for a week, but spend some of those days at the beach, etc. Has anyone developed a “car share” app or site where two people going to the same place can agree to SHARE a rental car? Say I have a car for a week, and I paid $150/day. But I know I’m not going to use the car for 3 of those days… so I “sub-lease” the car at my daily rate to someone else. I know there is the issue of a second driver but there might be some way to deal with that.



I doubt the rental agencies would be very interested in allowing sub rentals of their cars..  I have not checked the rental agreement, but doubt it allows for that..  I think they want to know who has the car and is driving it...


----------



## PerryKing

zentraveler said:


> I am noticing the same thing. Every time I check they are higher. And my expensive price looks less and less expensive. Not flying until later in August so will keep checking now and then, but not holding out much hope.
> 
> I saved enough money that I will be picking up the car at the Hyatt Ka'anapali rather than OGG. Now a little concerned that I may have trouble getting an Uber/Lyft to WKORV, since they are also supply and demand driven. Has anyone done this recently?



There is always the Maui bus. ( in a pinch). See my post at the beginning of of this thread. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## zentraveler

PerryKing said:


> There is always the Maui bus. ( in a pinch). See my post at the beginning of of this thread.



Thanks PerryKing. I am a huge fan of TheBus on Oahu, and appreciated your post about Maui, but will have more luggage than they will allow (one suitcase, but not carry-on), and would like to avoid the time involved if at all possible.

The luggage restriction (which I completely understand) is the real issue for OGG, but an interesting idea for future trips and getting around the area.


----------



## 1Kflyerguy

A month or so back i saw an interview with the Maui Mayor, and he was sort of thinking out loud about how great its been with fewer tourists and rental cars jamming the roads.  He was hoping they never got all the rental cars back, and as an alternative idea he was floating the idea of diverting the tourists onto shuttles from the airport, and then to popular tourist spots.  He seemed to feel that with the right fees involved they would reduce the traffic jams, and still move the tourists around.


----------



## csodjd

1Kflyerguy said:


> A month or so back i saw an interview with the Maui Mayor, and he was sort of thinking out loud about how great its been with fewer tourists and rental cars jamming the roads.  He was hoping they never got all the rental cars back, and as an alternative idea he was floating the idea of diverting the tourists onto shuttles from the airport, and then to popular tourist spots.  He seemed to feel that with the right fees involved they would reduce the traffic jams, and still move the tourists around.


There is a lot of merit to that — have free or low cost shuttles that depart every 30 min for the two main hotel areas and deliver you to the hotel entrances, with luggage. Even better if the shuttles are natural gas or electric. 

However, a lot of tax revenue is gained from rental cars. While people hate the negative impact such as traffic created by tourists in rental cars, they also won’t enjoy the loss of services that results from running out of money to fix pot holes and hire police and fire.


----------



## fernow

csodjd said:


> There is a lot of merit to that — have free or low cost shuttles that depart every 30 min for the two main hotel areas and deliver you to the hotel entrances, with luggage.



Would love it if there was an effective "public" transportation system but "public" means government and government means inconvenience, waste and fraud with some official's brother-in-law getting rich.  It adds to cost and pollution with a lot of big empty buses running around.   It rarely results in a well run system effective for it's purpose.  

But it certainly seems some private enterprise could step up.  How many thousand cars are rented a day (pre-Covid) in Maui for example?  Even at $30 or $40 per day, a lot of money to work with.

How many hours per day and miles per day are put on those cars?  Not all that much I would bet.  Most spend the day in some parking lot or another.

Seems like a company could charge a vacation transportation fee and have well coordinated airport to hotel and hotel to attraction shuttles, internal "Taxi"  with some usage included in the base fee and extra fee delivered day trip cars for individual use.

The transportation of tourists clearly could be done with fewer cars, decreased cost for the travelers and minimal inconvenience.  Seems to me.

The company could pay a tax to support local infrastructure.

There is always however a loser in any innovation.  Rental car companies and their employees, car manufactures and their employees, fuel sales, and road side stand owners for example.  Costs are never truly "saved" they are just redistributed.


----------



## Dean

csodjd said:


> There is a lot of merit to that — have free or low cost shuttles that depart every 30 min for the two main hotel areas and deliver you to the hotel entrances, with luggage. Even better if the shuttles are natural gas or electric.
> 
> However, a lot of tax revenue is gained from rental cars. While people hate the negative impact such as traffic created by tourists in rental cars, they also won’t enjoy the loss of services that results from running out of money to fix pot holes and hire police and fire.


Sounds good on the surface but it's unlikely to work out to be low cost and convenient plus you'd need to be able to get around, just not to and from the airport.  And while the resorts could pony up the costs ultimately we'd end up paying for it one way or another.


----------



## fernow

Dean said:


> Sounds good on the surface but it's unlikely to work out ...



Not sure I agree.  With the coordination afforded by the smart phone, the likely very predictable behavior of tourists, increased efficiency of electric vehicles which could be practical in a coordinated on island travel service (shuttles and single day rental cars, maybe the taxis too) and grocery delivery services, the transportation of which might be included in the weekly fee I believe it COULD work, provided of course it is not done by the government.

I believe the cost to tourists could be less than renting a car for 7 days that MOST tourists maybe drive an hour or less per day.  Certainly there are some folks for whom daily long day trip tourism is what they do but they could rent a car.


----------



## Dean

fernow said:


> Not sure I agree.  With the coordination afforded by the smart phone, the likely very predictable behavior of tourists, increased efficiency of electric vehicles which could be practical in a coordinated on island travel service (shuttles and single day rental cars, maybe the taxis too) and grocery delivery services, the transportation of which might be included in the weekly fee I believe it COULD work, provided of course it is not done by the government.
> 
> I believe the cost to tourists could be less than renting a car for 7 days that MOST tourists maybe drive an hour or less per day.  Certainly there are some folks for whom daily long day trip tourism is what they do but they could rent a car.


It's not that they couldn't do it but that I don't see them doing so both conveniently and cost effectively.  It'd have to be quite a bit less to make it reasonable to give up the convenience of having the car.


----------



## tahoe

1Kflyerguy said:


> A month or so back i saw an interview with the Maui Mayor, and he was sort of thinking out loud about how great its been with fewer tourists and rental cars jamming the roads.  He was hoping they never got all the rental cars back, and as an alternative idea he was floating the idea of diverting the tourists onto shuttles from the airport, and then to popular tourist spots.  He seemed to feel that with the right fees involved they would reduce the traffic jams, and still move the tourists around.



I think they need to address Costco being close to the airport.  Can’t carry a load of Costco stuff on the bus :-(


----------



## lynne

Yet another article attempting to address the issue








						Hawaii wants you to stop using U-Hauls as rental cars - The Points Guy
					

The Hawaii Tourism Authority has added resources to its website on alternate transportation options during the rental car shortage.




					thepointsguy.com


----------



## dioxide45

I have seen more people pulling up to off site Orlando timeshares in Uber and Lyft this year than I can remember. We are staying at Kingstown Reef on International Drive and have seen several people being dropped off in rideshare. I suspect high rental car prices are driving this.


----------



## csodjd

Dean said:


> It's not that they couldn't do it but that I don't see them doing so both conveniently and cost effectively.  It'd have to be quite a bit less to make it reasonable to give up the convenience of having the car.


All that’s needed is a hybrid model. Imagine you go to the Rent-a-Car website and for a single price you buy shuttle transport between the airport (both ways) and your hotel and choose three days of rental car (they can have 2-day, 3-day, or 4-day options with steep penalties for failing to timely return a car). It includes transport to/from your hotel to/from the rental car lot for pickup and delivery. They have two lots, one near each of the main tourism hubs.


----------



## Dean

csodjd said:


> All that’s needed is a hybrid model. Imagine you go to the Rent-a-Car website and for a single price you buy shuttle transport between the airport (both ways) and your hotel and choose three days of rental car (they can have 2-day, 3-day, or 4-day options with steep penalties for failing to timely return a car). It includes transport to/from your hotel to/from the rental car lot for pickup and delivery. They have two lots, one near each of the main tourism hubs.


There are lots of ways to approach the issue of mass transportation but the direction I responded to was related to avoiding or minimizing rental cars even more than what this idea suggests.  If you assume a bus schedule just to Kaanapali from the airport and service every 20 minutes sufficient to move everyone around, you're looking at what 20  or more buses during peak times plus drivers, maintenance, support staff, etc.  And that assumes they work out a way to efficiently route the buses and not stop at locations they don't need to, something like an app along the lines that Uber/Lyft use.  Plus I've learned that a Pessimist is an Optimist with experience and as alluded to above, the government doesn't have a history of doing things well or efficiently, esp from a cost standpoint.  Thus it MIGHT sound good on paper but I don't see it working out in my lifetime.


----------



## csodjd

Dean said:


> There are lots of ways to approach the issue of mass transportation but the direction I responded to was related to avoiding or minimizing rental cars even more than what this idea suggests.  If you assume a bus schedule just to Kaanapali from the airport and service every 20 minutes sufficient to move everyone around, you're looking at what 20  or more buses during peak times plus drivers, maintenance, support staff, etc.  And that assumes they work out a way to efficiently route the buses and not stop at locations they don't need to, something like an app along the lines that Uber/Lyft use.  Plus I've learned that a Pessimist is an Optimist with experience and as alluded to above, the government doesn't have a history of doing things well or efficiently, esp from a cost standpoint.  Thus it MIGHT sound good on paper but I don't see it working out in my lifetime.


I’d rather see one bus than 10-15 rental cars. The idea is to reduce the car-days. If a 40 min bus ride can reduce car-days by 3-4, there is a big net gain for the community and traffic. Not government run, but rental car company run.


----------



## Dean

csodjd said:


> I’d rather see one bus than 10-15 rental cars. The idea is to reduce the car-days. If a 40 min bus ride can reduce car-days by 3-4, there is a big net gain for the community and traffic. Not government run, but rental car company run.


Obviously they'd want as much or more profit than they normally would get pre Covid.  IF one was going to do this likely something like Lyft or Uber would be the best short term option.  Long term a light rail system might be best but I doubt it would be cost efficient.  One of my criteria would make it win win.  Cheaper but reasonably convenient for the customer and less cars.  If I have to chose one over the other, it's more cars.


----------



## Ken555

I hate big buses. I will do almost anything to avoid them. However, sometimes they are the best option. 

In regards to Maui, it’s almost a sure bet that every nonstop flight from LA and SF have multiple groups heading to the Westin timeshares (and Marriotts, etc), especially on Fri, Sat, and Sun. I have always wondered why the resorts themselves don’t offer a small shuttle from the airport (for a fee). I suspect this offer would be much more appealing than a general bus to a central location, at which point we would need to transfer again to get to our destination. For those traveling from the east coast I’m sure the last thing they want is to extend their travel day.

From a practical perspective, I have very little confidence in a bus system to transport a large portion of the tourists to central locations and do it well. Not gonna happen.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Carlsbadguy

When I visit the Kaui Beach Villas I usually take the shuttle from the airport to the hotel and then rent a car for a couple of days during my stay from the onsite rental office to tour a few days during the middle of my stay.


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## artringwald

If you think rental car prices have gone crazy, look what Google flights showed. From $5K to $48K in just 4 days.




I thought it might be a Google mistake, but I followed the link to AA.


----------



## NTP66

lol, I checked that this morning and noticed that it's no longer $48k. You're getting a deal at *checks notes* $24,369.


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## NTP66

I always reserve my car the second I confirm my trip, and this is one of those times that I'm glad that I did. I won't relax until I have the keys in my hand, but I got a killer rate early on. We were originally arriving at 5pm-ish, but since AA decided to change all of the LAX/OGG routes, we not arrive a little after 1pm. I don't know if that's actually a good or bad thing in terms of availability.


----------



## artringwald

NTP66 said:


> lol, I checked that this morning and noticed that it's no longer $48k. You're getting a deal at *checks notes* $24,369.


I don't think it's gone down. My price was for 2 tickets.


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## fernow

As always, an interesting discussion.

Soon, rental cars in Hawaii will return to the pre-Covid cost and availability. Or... Not.  I am going with "not".

If rental cars settle at a $60-$70/ day average with $100+ for anything you might actually want to drive, then the ground transportation situation is going to change.  How?

Someday maybe there will be all electric "Johnny Cabs" ( see Total Recall) so the transportation options will not include the often prohibitive costs of employees (another topic of discussion for some other forum) and will facilitate relative freedom of motion.   But until then...

Something will change.  There will be pluses and minuses and winners and losers but a rental car for every traveler may be a thing of the past.

Except for Turo, the ground transportation/rental car industry has not really been disrupted by the internet age.  Now looks like it could be.


----------



## fernow

Tourism officials call for more sustainable industry - West Hawaii Today
					

HONOLULU — As people flock back to Hawaii after more than a year of pandemic travel restrictions, some industry experts are calling for more environmentally responsible and sustainable forms of tourism.




					www.westhawaiitoday.com
				




My personal beliefs and preferences aside, change is coming.


----------



## DayTraveler

Hello Everyone. My family of 4 planned a Hawaii trip more than a year ago when COVID was in full swing and we got three really good auto reservations: 1) Avis - intermediate SUV 3 weeks (June) on Hawaii for $1500. 2) All Save Car Rental / Fox Rent A Car two weeks on Maui in July for under $600 in a mid size SUV. And a really small car on Molokai for two weeks $500 if we pay cash in August. None of these folks would allow me to prepay I tried. I am hearing that there are real issues with autos presently on the islands. May I please asks if anyone has any feedback with regards to the probability that we can actually count on these quotes that we do have on “paper.” And / or any ideas on how to create a situation where an auto company might be more inclined to honor their reservation?


----------



## NTP66

Has anyone rented through Budget at OGG recently? I read stories in the past about how they had to show a negative Covid test result to get their rental, but I'm wondering how this works with FastBreak. I assume I can still grab my keys at FastBreak, but quickly show them my negative test?


----------



## fernow

NTP66 said:


> Has anyone rented through Budget at OGG recently? I read stories in the past about how they had to show a negative Covid test result to get their rental, but I'm wondering how this works with FastBreak. I assume I can still grab my keys at FastBreak, but quickly show them my negative test?


Can't speak for OGG but in Kona there is no FastBreak or any other "pick up and go" option.  You and any other driver have to show your "Green" Safe Hawaii travel website on your phone.  Can't just show them a negative Covid test.

At KOA the rental companies have consolidated to one of their partner facilities.  We rented from Enterprise and picked up from Alamo.

Although it's not horrible, at least at KOA, "quickly" is a word you need to suspend from your vocabulary.


----------



## PerryKing

*Enterprise, National and Alamo are all the same company ( In  ownership anyway.  all privately owned by the same family, that original started Enterprise then later acquired the other 2 ) .  Just FYI.  *


----------



## PerryKing

DayTraveler said:


> Hello Everyone. My family of 4 planned a Hawaii trip more than a year ago when COVID was in full swing and we got three really good auto reservations: 1) Avis - intermediate SUV 3 weeks (June) on Hawaii for $1500. 2) All Save Car Rental / Fox Rent A Car two weeks on Maui in July for under $600 in a mid size SUV. And a really small car on Molokai for two weeks $500 if we pay cash in August. None of these folks would allow me to prepay I tried. I am hearing that there are real issues with autos presently on the islands. May I please asks if anyone has any feedback with regards to the probability that we can actually count on these quotes that we do have on “paper.” And / or any ideas on how to create a situation where an auto company might be more inclined to honor their reservation?


*Well please let us know if your reservations and prices were honored. *I have read several stories of companies not honoring their quotes when you get to the counter.  I would hope however if one made the booking directly with the rental  company , and was a member of their frequent renter programs, etc. that you would have less chance of being held up at the counter with a price or reservation that they refuse to honor.  But if it happens I sure would like to hear about it, and if it does happen that would surely effect my loyalty to any such car rental company in the future.


----------



## travelhacker

PerryKing said:


> *Well please let us know if your reservations and prices were honored. *I have read several stories of companies not honoring their quotes when you get to the counter.  I would hope however if one made the booking directly with the rental  company , and was a member of their frequent renter programs, etc. that you would have less chance of being held up at the counter with a price or reservation that they refuse to honor.  But if it happens I sure would like to hear about it, and if it does happen that would surely effect my future loyalty to any such car rental company in the future.


I'm in Maui now and we just spent two weeks on the Big Island. No issues. I got good rates and they were honored.


----------



## PerryKing

Well that's good news.  Thank You.  Hopefully I can find a reasonable car rental rate when I go to the *Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch * / San Antonio Texas, in Mid July.


----------



## PerryKing

NTP66 said:


> lol, I checked that this morning and noticed that it's no longer $48k. You're getting a deal at *checks notes* $24,369.


*Probably just an airline tariff filing error.  ALL * (most) all airline booking systems (GDS's) pull their fare information from the same data base of fares where Airlines have "filed" them . Google just accesses that same database.  I imagine it has been corrected by now.  (enough so that  I  did not bother to check it myself).  But just FYI .


----------



## artringwald

PerryKing said:


> *Probably just an airline tariff filing error.  ALL * (most) all airline booking systems (GDS's) pull their fare information from the same data base of fares where Airlines have "filed" them . Google just accesses that same database.  I imagine it has been corrected by now.  (enough so that  I  did not bother to check it myself).  But just FYI .


It has been corrected. The chart doesn't show that it went up to $48K but is doesn't show the next day when it dropped to $10K.


----------



## NTP66

NTP66 said:


> Has anyone rented through Budget at OGG recently? I read stories in the past about how they had to show a negative Covid test result to get their rental, but I'm wondering how this works with FastBreak. I assume I can still grab my keys at FastBreak, but quickly show them my negative test?


In case anyone was wondering the answer to this, somebody elsewhere told me that FastBreak was still a go at OGG (in the garage), so that's great news. They said nobody checked the Aloha Safe app or anything as the exited in their rental car.


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## TwilightHours

I was just on Maui from May 29 to June 6th (2021).   At the suggestion of the onsite host at the property I checked with Kihei Rent A Car. They had very reasonable rates and their shuttle to from the airport was great. Excellent experience from start to finish. I'll use them again when I'm back in the Kihei area.

*Edit: *Clarified that the shuttle I took was from Kihei Rent A Car.


----------



## TheTimeTraveler

Anyone have any recent rental car information for Hawaii ?    

Are vehicles still in short supply?  What appears to be the latest daily and rental rate (that were quoted for your trip) ?



.


----------



## artringwald

TheTimeTraveler said:


> Anyone have any recent rental car information for Hawaii ?
> 
> Are vehicles still in short supply?  What appears to be the latest daily and rental rate (that were quoted for your trip) ?



I'll be there next month. Here's what I was able to book with all the taxes and fees included.
OGG Car, Midsize, National 8 days (corporate discount), $313, booked last month
LIH Car, Compact SUV, Alamo 14 days, $1,154, booked last October


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## TravelTime

We are going to Marriott Ko Olina next April during Easter. I already booked a mini van for 10 nights and prepaid since I am worried about not getting a car. It was $1500 for 10 nights. I can cancel and get a refund (less $50) but I wanted to be sure to have something. I booked with Budget. Does any other rental car company have better rates?


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## Luanne

TravelTime said:


> We are going to Marriott Ko Olina next April during Easter. I already booked a mini van for 10 nights and prepaid since I am worried about not getting a car. It was $1500 for 10 nights. I can cancel and get a refund (less $50) but I wanted to be sure to have something. I booked with Budget. Does any other rental car company have better rates?


I can't speak for Kauai, but I reserved a mid size SUV on Maui for 14 nights in March to early April at just a little over $1000.  I made the reservation through Costco and it's with Enterprise.


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## NTP66

I’m in Maui right now, and rented a full size car (Camry) a few months ago through Budget for 8 nights. Ended up getting a Kia Sorrento, which I hate. They seemed to have plenty of cars in the garage and lot, IMO. Take this with a grain of salt, but most of what I saw were SUVs.


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## CalGalTraveler

We booked on a corporate rate months ago at $450 for the week for a std SUV on Maui. The rep at the National aisle saw our large group and upgraded us for free to a full size Chevy Tahoe as the emerald aisle was full of full size SUV but not much else.  She gave us the choice of 2. Not bad for an event week.


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## tahoe

We picked up a Chevy Impala thru Hertz (free upgrade from Malibu) via corporate rate in Maui.  No lines.  The whole process was smooth - they just looked for green check marks on the safe travels website.  (No one outside of the airport cared for the actual QR code.)  The regular prices are still high, but I didn’t see long waits at any of the rental offices.


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## krj9999

Had booked with Avis via Costco for OGG in mid-March before things went totally crazy - pickup June 26 and drop evening July 2.  Tons of cars in the garage when I picked up - must have just got a shipment of vehicles in.  I had a Nissan Altima with just 9 miles on it at pickup, and saw a similar Altima with consecutive license plate number out on the island one day.  Total cost was $440; still high but bearable.  Was also offered other vehicle options at the rental counter as well.


----------



## slip

Wow, I just dodged a bullet. We have a week set up for Maui for 08-14-21 to 08-21-21. We had this set for months. I booked the Maui Schooner and booked the flights. I know I checked on cars and they were $700 for the week for a mid-size. I could have sworn I booked it in case the rates increased but I looked all over and couldn’t find a confirmation email. I keep all those in my email files but I couldn’t find anything.

So I started looking yesterday and the best I found was almost $1,200 for a compact. Costco didn’t even list any cars. I checked Discount Hawaii and they had the same prices. I quit looking and I was trying to come to the realization that I would be paying a ton.

So I started looking again today and I was looking everywhere. It was real frustrating because when I looked at my corporate travel app the price is only $150 for the week. We can’t use that app for personal travel but I remembered that we do get a employee corporate discount from either Enterprise or Hertz. I checked Enterprise and they showed no cars available.

When I went to Hertz, my benefits website had two promo codes to use. The first one I put in came back with an error to use a valid code. So I tried the second one and when I submitted to search, it asked if the reservation for business or leisure so I clicked leisure and then it started searching. I was really hoping it would bring something less than $1,000.
it came back with $296 all in for a mid-size sedan.

The next best option I saw was a pay now through Dollar for $950 for a compact. So of course I am ecstatic to get so lucky. I know I have tried these employee discounts before and Costco has always been my best price. I kept this confirmation email and even printed it out. I got very lucky this time.


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## xzhan02

I'm looking at 2 weeks  OGG over Christmas.  There is absolutely no car available after Dec 25, except for SIXT, 2 weeks compact car for $3000 ! I checked everything: Autoslash, Costco, Hawaiian discount etc.  However, if I put in 4 weeks, Costco shows both Alamo and Enterprise have mid-size for $2200 ONLY .  What if I book that and return 2 weeks early?  I understand they may charge to a different base rate, but at least I have a car.  Of course there is still plenty of time to keep checking.

Slip, what an awesome deal you got!  If cars become available, I'll give employee discount codes a try.


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## PerryKing

Even if you have a reservation they may later or at arrival not honor it claiming they have no cars. ! So have a back up plan. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## NTP66

Just booked my full size rental with Budget for next June (OGG), under $470 total.


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## Luanne

NTP66 said:


> Just booked my full size rental with Budget for next June (OGG), under $470 total.


For what period of time?


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## NTP66

Luanne said:


> For what period of time?


Whoops, meant to actually post that, too - 14 days in total, 6/19-7/3.


----------



## Luanne

NTP66 said:


> Whoops, meant to actually post that, too - 14 days in total, 6/19-7/3.


That is great.  We currently have 2 weeks on Maui in March to early April for an SUV at $1000 all in.  Hoping prices will come down.  It's registered with AutoSlash and so far no notifications of lower prices.


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## NTP66

My rental from last week was a full size car, but they gave me a Kia Sorento. I really hope they have an actual full size car next year, because I hate parking in those tiny spots with a bulky SUV, personally.


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## daventrina

Hawai`i had. ben wishy-washy all last summer about how and when it would open to visitors. The rental companies finally bailed and started shipping cars back to the mainland for sale. There is a new car shortage and not enough cars to buy to replace them. 

Usually rental companies buy fleet sales at fleet pricing. The Jeep we rented on Maui in April was a sale through a dealership on the east coast.

It will likely be a long while before things get close to normal ... whatever that new normal will be is anyones guess


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## dsmrp

Wow, we're going to the Kona, Big Island in 2 weeks, and didn't expect to find any difference in car rentals...had been going up and up....  But just tonight to show my husband, I checked Costco, and they had rentals for little more than half of my best reservation price; a savings of $250!  Same price for Economy to Standard size cars.  I made a reservation for my daughter too.

Not sure about the other islands, but it's much better on the Big Island now...
Hope Avis honors my reservation, but it's thru Costco, so I'm pretty sure they will.


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## controller1

dsmrp said:


> Wow, we're going to the Kona, Big Island in 2 weeks, and didn't expect to find any difference in car rentals...had been going up and up....  But just tonight to show my husband, I checked Costco, and they had rentals for little more than half of my best reservation price; a savings of $250!  Same price for Economy to Standard size cars.  I made a reservation for my daughter too.
> 
> Not sure about the other islands, but it's much better on the Big Island now...
> Hope Avis honors my reservation, but it's thru Costco, so I'm pretty sure they will.



I just checked Costco for two weeks coming up in September and their least expensive rate is more than double what I currently have with National. I made the National reservation about six months ago.


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## Vagabonder

I was to get a free weeks car from Westin to go tour on Maui, then they changed it for a $185 credit towards AVIS car.  I booked the best deal I could find with National about 4 months ago for about $650 /week.  Then last week Westin sent me a pre-trip email and told me to reach out to them if I couldn't get a car through their link and they would help with AVIS and I could get my credit.  I haven't yet because with the trip (9/25/21) I am wary they will obligate me for a $1000 car- but I probably should... what does anyone think?- Update, I went back into link provided and there was several cars for base rate of $185 (reimbursed) so now all I have to pay is $81 taxes.  Glad I bothered to check again!


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## gkmccool

Vagabonder said:


> I was to get a free weeks car from Westin to go tour on Maui, then they changed it for a $185 credit towards AVIS car.  I booked the best deal I could find with National about 4 months ago for about $650 /week.  Then last week Westin sent me a pre-trip email and told me to reach out to them if I couldn't get a car through their link and they would help with AVIS and I could get my credit.  I haven't yet because with the trip (9/25/21) I am wary they will obligate me for a $1000 car- but I probably should... what does anyone think?- Update, I went back into link provided and there was several cars for base rate of $185 (reimbursed) so now all I have to pay is $81 taxes.  Glad I bothered to check again!


Hello Vagabonder!, I am also going to visit a Westin Resort on Maui for a tour checking in on Sept 30th and I also just got the Pre-trip email. I am interested but a little leery how this will work out. I haven't booked my Avis Car yet but will soon as I do see availability on the Avis website. Did you finish the booking with only an additional charge for the taxes? I hope that you enjoy your stay and perhaps we can meet on your way out! Thank you for your time! Greg


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## Vagabonder

gkmccool said:


> Hello Vagabonder!, I am also going to visit a Westin Resort on Maui for a tour checking in on Sept 30th and I also just got the Pre-trip email. I am interested but a little leery how this will work out. I haven't booked my Avis Car yet but will soon as I do see availability on the Avis website. Did you finish the booking with only an additional charge for the taxes? I hope that you enjoy your stay and perhaps we can meet on your way out! Thank you for your time! Greg


Yes if you go through their link you have to enter the invitation #, then the reservation from AVIS says they refund you the $185 base rate when you bring the car back. I will be there the previous week. Book any restaurants or activities ASAP and lets hope they don't shut down HI further! Mandatory sales meeting Monday or Tuesday afternoon they said, 1-3PM


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## VacayKat

Avis on Maui has been the only car rental company/location in 20some years of renting that I will never rent again from. Rudest check-in ever. Gave me a damaged car. Then weeks after we had returned home sent a letter demanding I pay for it, and since the damage was on the underside of the car, there were no photos I could provide to prove it wasn’t me. Ended up having to run it through insurance, pay a deductible, take the hit to future insurance rates or pay something like 4,000 to them up front. They use their mechanics, their estimators and they determine when and when to not check cars. If you remt from avis on maui at the airport you HAVE to buy their insurance or use a credit card to pay for it that covers car rentals as primary insurance - and that $185 free might make it so that credit card company doesn’t accept the rental as charged to them.

On the good news side of things - rental rates in Honolulu dropped. Was able to rebook for $400 less than originally booked in May.


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## zentraveler

Have been checking all summer periodically and the prices for Maui Aug 22 - Sept 5 just kept going up. Checked today a week out, and they have fallen and I will save money and not have an off airport pick up which I did, reluctantly, to get astronomical down to just quite expensive. And was able to do this with the company (i.e. not a third party rental site) and keep my status etc.

May be worth a last minute check.


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## dsmrp

controller1 said:


> I just checked Costco for two weeks coming up in September and their least expensive rate is more than double what I currently have with National. I made the National reservation about six months ago.


Keep checking, hopefully will go down as you get closer.


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## controller1

dsmrp said:


> Keep checking, hopefully will go down as you get closer.



I will. Thanks!


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## zentraveler

dsmrp said:


> Keep checking, hopefully will go down as you get closer.



I am happy with what I got but will check this week also; you never know and it doesn't take long.


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## tborr123

My Costco rental for next week dropped almost in half from $1000 to $562.


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