Costco Car Rental Big Increases

[Superchief]

I almost always have used Costco for car rentals for my vacations. I typically find them to be significantly lower in price and typically about $200-300 per week for my destinations. I was checking several future vacation destinations today and was shocked at the prices for a weekly rental. The prices were about $100 more per week than recent searches, including locations where I have already confirmed a lower rate. I typically travel in fringe season, so this isn't due to high demand rentals.

This is rather disappointing, especially considering their recent membership rate increases. Have others noticed this and have they found better deals?

 

[Luanne]

I've gotten better rates by using AutoSlash for three upcoming rentals.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

I've gotten better rates by using AutoSlash for three upcoming rentals.

With auto slash do you have to purchase once they find the deal?

 

[DaveNV]

Keep checking back. Costco's car rental rates change all the time. What you see today may not be what you see tomorrow.

Dave

 

[2disneydads]

I've found prices on Costco to be rather high farther out from a rental. They generally go down substantially. The sweet spot send to be a few months out, and then sometimes right near the rental date. Generally, the Costco rates are the best I can find. I only rent from certain companies, and Costco generally has them.

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[Luanne]

With auto slash do you have to purchase once they find the deal?

No. Once you book they will continue to monitor and notify you if they find a cheaper rate.

 

[Superchief]

In the past, I have found the same thing and always keep checking. However, these are for a September and October reservation, and the rates were over $100 more per week than what I had previously reserved. The farther out rates are $100 more per week than I had seen previously for the same locations. I also noticed the website format has changed as well. Perhaps the rental car companies aren't providing Costco the discounts they had done previously. I've also noticed that Costco store selection and discounts are not nearly as attractive as they had been in the past, so I don't buy as much there as I used to. I don't value Non-GMO and Organic and they seem to be focusing on requiring products to have these characteristics rather than just being high quality products at a better value.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Personally, I have found car rental rates to be substantially higher now than three years ago. Hopefully at some point they will level off.

I only rent a car now if I absolutely have to, otherwise I depend on Uber.

 

[bizaro86]

Car rental prices are coming up because the price of used cars is going down. The price of used cars makes a huge difference to the car rental companies, because they don't keep their cars very long, and sell them all. So if they are getting $1000-$2000 less on the sale of a used car, they try to make it up with higher rental costs. They are all hurting.

As just one example, Hertz shares are down 73% from their 52 week high...

 

[DB-Wis]

In early July, I booked a car through Costco for an upcoming (late August) vacation in Hilton Head. I got an intermediate size SUV for a week for $189. I was very pleased with that price. Since then, I have regularly checked to see if I could beat that price (because, like others have reported, that has sometimes occurred). I've been surprised by how prices have jumped over the past month. When I checked yesterday, the best available price for an intermediate SUV was $261 -- not awful, but a lot more than a month ago.

My take-away from this experience is to reserve early.

 

[alhanna]

I book rental cars probably 7-8 times a year and use Costco. You have to check regularly to see if the prices change. Sometimes the best price is months out and other times the week of the rental. I have even noticed that when the rates drop, sometimes they drop again later in the day.

 

[Luanne]

In early July, I booked a car through Costco for an upcoming (late August) vacation in Hilton Head. I got an intermediate size SUV for a week for $189. I was very pleased with that price. Since then, I have regularly checked to see if I could beat that price (because, like others have reported, that has sometimes occurred). I've been surprised by how prices have jumped over the past month. When I checked yesterday, the best available price for an intermediate SUV was $261 -- not awful, but a lot more than a month ago.

My take-away from this experience is to reserve early.

I usually find the "sweet spot" for pricing with Costco about 6 months out. After that the prices keep rising. But on a rental earlier this year I checked about two days before the rental was to start and found a cheaper price. So, even if you think you've gotten the best price, keep checking.

I've also started using AutoSlash as they will monitor rates and notify you if they've gone done for a rental you have.

 

[IuLiKa]

Going to Kauai in 3rd week of august and first time I checked costco it was about $700 for 10 days. Since i only need a car for couple of days i found later that during the week I was able to get 5 days for about $220. This past weekend I checked again and got full size for 10 days for about $260. Not bad.. i still think Costco has the best prices but u need to keep checking. I like it because you can cancel online now and you can have the extra driver.


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[deniseh]

I have seen a lot of movement in rates with Costco of late, sometimes going up and sometimes going down. No issue with canceling a reservation though so I have been just checking frequently. Rented a car in Phoenix in April and it went down significantly about a month or two prior to the trip. Also am renting a car in Orlando for October and prices just went down in the last month so I booked a new reservation and canceled the previous one I had made. I have been surprised at how variable the prices are in general though. When I compare to other sites the Costco car rental still seems to be the best deal.

 

[jeepie]

Just returned from Southern CA and was happy to rent a full size from Costco for $112 for five days! I generally book with them, but then give the booking info to autoslash to monitor. I switch when it's worth it to me.

Recently I have found that autoslash has been much less able to find savings than previously. In the last three instances, the savings were quite small. Also, since Costco includes a free additional driver, and autoslash may not, I haven't bothered. I haven't looked into it any further, but it seems that autoslash has only been showing Priceline options recently. This may not be representative, but it is accurate for my last three reservations. Ymmv.

 

[Luanne]

Just returned from Southern CA and was happy to rent a full size from Costco for $112 for five days! I generally book with them, but then give the booking info to autoslash to monitor. I switch when it's worth it to me.

Recently I have found that autoslash has been much less able to find savings than previously. In the last three instances, the savings were quite small. Also, since Costco includes a free additional driver, and autoslash may not, I haven't bothered. I haven't looked into it any further, but it seems that autoslash has only been showing Priceline options recently. This may not be representative, but it is accurate for my last three reservations. Ymmv.

I have three upcoming reservations. Currently they are all with AutoSlash. Two were through Priceline, but I don't know if that will impact anything. Priceline got the rentals with Hertz. They are showing up in my Hertz online account and we will get the second driver free.

 

[VacationForever]

Just got back from Northern CA, rented a full size car from Costco for $146. The same car is listing for about $200 now for Nov. I am checking it every few days.

 

[disneymom1]

Going to Hawaii in 2 weeks. Within the past week reserved a full size 1 week rental (Sun-Sun) in Kauai for $184 and 1 week in Maui $136 taxes/fees included! Both with Hertz using AAA (includes free 2nd driver). I keep checking everyday, but I am happy!

 

[AlmostRetired]

I am fortunate to have access to my company's discount for personal use with Hertz. This becomes the worst case scenario. Many times I can get better rates with Costco. You do need to periodically check Costco for better rates but earlier is usually better when making reservations. Depending on the airport, fees can significantly increase the cost. Every now and then if I get into an airport late and have a need for a hotel, I find one with airport pickup and rent the next morning from a Hertz location outside the airport that has pickup.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

Huge CostcoTravel fan for car rentals. You cannot actually rent a car from Costco and Costco does not set the prices. It is a booking utility but the prices are pulled in from elsewhere. The big advantage in usinging Costco Travel is any coupon available is automatically applied. The advice on keep checking is the way to go.

I just booked a car rental using CostcoTravel a couple days ago. The rental is for Aug 11 and the price is $10.67 per day plus taxes and fees. The total is $59.48 for 3 days.

Since the reservation is not a commitment the way to go is reserve it and then keep checking. If it goes lower then book another and cancel the first one.

Sometimes oddities happen. I was renting a car in Chicago for June of this year about a month out and all the little cars were over $100 per day plus fees but a standard SUV was only $50+.