Discount Hawaii Car Rental

[CalGalTraveler]

@Tamaradarann Congrats, sounds like a great rate. Don't forget to add your reservation back to Autoslash to track to see if you can ratchet it down even further.

 

[Tamaradarann]

@Tamaradarann Congrats, sounds like a great rate. Don't forget to add your reservation back to Autoslash to track to see if you can ratchet it down even further.

I went on Autoslash and got a rate of $651.29 for the same period. What does "add your reservation back to Autoslash mean".

 

[CalGalTraveler]

First offer is usually not good.
Autoslash Main screen hit tab "Track Reservation"
Enter your $593 DHCR reservation and it will email you when it finds lower offers. May take a few weeks to find offers and you can reject and keep looking if you don't like car company e.g. Fox, Ace, or don't want to pay upfront.

I went on Autoslash and got a rate of $651.29 for the same period. What does "add your reservation back to Autoslash mean".

 

[brianfox]

One important perk of Costco is that it always includes spouse driver at no cost. What you end up with through Autoslash probably does NOT include spouse.
Having to pay for that at the counter is upwards of $80 a week.

 

[Luanne]

One important perk of Costco is that it always includes spouse driver at no cost. What you end up with through Autoslash probably does NOT include spouse.
Having to pay for that at the counter is upwards of $80 a week.

If you notify AutoSlash that you are a Costco member they will make sure the extra driver is included at no cost. That is why they ask you for any other "clubs" you may belong to. You can also communicate directly with AutoSlash to be sure you get that extra driver for free.

Next.

 

[controller1]

If you notify AutoSlash that you are a Costco member they will make sure the extra driver is included at no cost. That is why they ask you for any other "clubs" you may belong to. You can also communicate directly with AutoSlash to be sure you get that extra driver for free.

Next.

Yes, that's why they always ask if you are a member of Costco and National as both provide an extra driver free.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

If you notify AutoSlash that you are a Costco member they will make sure the extra driver is included at no cost. That is why they ask you for any other "clubs" you may belong to. You can also communicate directly with AutoSlash to be sure you get that extra driver for free.

Next.

So if we use Autoslash/Priceline to reserve Advantage or Budget or Ace where there is always an extra fee, we can call Autoslash to get the free extra driver as part of the reservation even though it may not have been reserved as part of Costco's program?

BTW...just was notified by Autoslash that our Standard SUV rental with Alamo for Maui dropped by $30 to $404 for 10 days on Priceline. Costco still lists it at $434.

 

[Luanne]

So if we use Autoslash/Priceline to reserve Advantage or Budget or Ace where there is always an extra fee, we can call Autoslash to get the free extra driver as part of the reservation even though it may not have been reserved as part of Costco's program?

BTW...just was notified by Autoslash that our Standard SUV rental with Alamo for Maui dropped by $30 to $404 for 10 days on Priceline. Costco still lists it at $434.

Yes, that should work. I haven't had to call AutoSlash in a long time, in fact I might have just done it all through email. But they said as long as I was a Costco member I would get the extra driver free.

Hoping our rental for March on Maui will drop as well.

I just checked our rental for March. It is stating there will be an extra fee for an additional driver. I'll have to go check that out. Dh usually does all of the driving, but I like to know that if I do drive I'm authorized.

Forget that last statement. When I opened up the reservation it does say additional drivers are included free.

 

[BDMX2]

If you work for a larger company, don't forget to take a look and see if there's a corporate rate that can be used for employee personal travel. So far Costco rates on any of the companies can't beat my corporate rate with Enterprise for Hawaii in June/July, and I also get a bunch of free extra drivers (something like 9, LOL) and insurance coverage.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

@BDMX2 thanks for the reminder. I always forget to check that. Sometimes it is much cheaper.

 

[Tamaradarann]

Yes, that's why they always ask if you are a member of Costco and National as both provide an extra driver free.

We don't believe in drinking and driving, but we both love to drink. That is why we love Honolulu without a car. Instead of an EXTRA DRIVER FREE, we wish there was NO DRIVER FREE. While I am skeptical about the technology at this time, I believe there is a major push with the car companies and also Lyft and Uber to develop self driving cars. Now that would be a free benefit that I would opt for.

 

[controller1]

We don't believe in drinking and driving, but we both love to drink. That is why we love Honolulu without a car. Instead of an EXTRA DRIVER FREE, we wish there was NO DRIVER FREE. While I am skeptical about the technology at this time, I believe there is a major push with the car companies and also Lyft and Uber to develop self driving cars. Now that would be a free benefit that I would opt for.

That sounds good in theory but in reality the person behind the wheel, even in an autonomous car, is considered the driver as that person would need to take over the controls in an emergency. Therefore, that "driver" still must not have a BAC over 0.08. Sorry.

 

[slabeaume]

I usually go with Costco, but Thrifty wish DHCR was cheaper this time, so I went with them. I'd be more concerned with who you rent from. Thrifty had EVERYONE waiting a minimum of 2 hours for a car! That was this past Sat. Usually I go with Budget and use Fastbreak and never had a problem.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I had some very bad experiences with Thrifty and will never use again. Cars are more banged up so takes time to document damage. Once I dropped off a car without the attendant checking and they tried to charge me $50 for a full tank of gas. I now take photos of the gas guage and before/after for dents and gas receipt within 10 miles. They also had some junk fees added.

 

[Luanne]

I usually go with Costco, but Thrifty wish DHCR was cheaper this time, so I went with them. I'd be more concerned with who you rent from. Thrifty had EVERYONE waiting a minimum of 2 hours for a car! That was this past Sat. Usually I go with Budget and use Fastbreak and never had a problem.

I will often pay a bit more, and not go with the lowest price, to rent from someone I'm familiar with.

 

[baf99]

If you work for a larger company, don't forget to take a look and see if there's a corporate rate that can be used for employee personal travel.

Thanks for this @BDMX2. I just checked using my full two week Oahu stay dates and National with my corporate discount is $240 less than with Costco. Wow. I'm not planning to rent for the full stay, but that's really great. The difference would almost pay for the parking fee (discounted for those staying at The Modern Honolulu). BUT, I retired over a year ago and even though the corporate number is still in my National profile I doubt that I can use it. Maybe if I call and ask. I used to rent a lot with them when I was working but not at all since retiring. With no discounts, the National rental would be twice as much. I guess it can't hurt to call National and ask them about it. Maybe they give the corporate rate to retirees. It could happen... Not likely, but it could happen.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

BUT, I retired over a year ago and even though the corporate number is still in my National profile I doubt that I can use it.

I don't think they care. For ten years after I left a previous employer, National would still give me the corporate code. I have a business associate who was using a rental code with Avis more than 20 years after he left that organization.

The only time I ever had a rental company care about details of a code was one time when I tried to use a good that was for insurance rentals. In that case the reservation boldly stated that to rent the car I needed to bring proof that the rental was a replacement for an car that was being repaired.

 

[SmithOp]

I still use my company discount with Hertz, 8 years after retiring. When booking it asks if the rental is business or pleasure, I always pick the latter and get the discount.

I’ve only been challenged once by a guy at a local edition site, just happened to still have one of my old business cards in my wallet, that was good enough.

I’m surprised they haven’t changed the CDP code after all these years.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I’m surprised they haven’t changed the CDP code after all these years.

Why should they? The more rental volume there is using the code, the more leverage they have in negotiating rates using the code.

 

[clifffaith]

Discount Hawaii has been our go to company for years. When we turned the car in today at Lihue, and I prompted Cliff to see if there was a discount available for turning it in Tuesday instead of Saturday since we had cut our trip short due to Dad's situation, the gal said to him "blah blah $600 blah blah $250 discount". I was not about to deal with it then, but either he never looked at the confirmation paperwork I handed him (I sit outside with the luggage, he goes in to the counter) and let them charge him $600 for a car rental that was supposed to be less than half of that, or the company decided we'd voided the one week contract and we got charged a very high daily rate for 3 days. Once we get Dad settled at home with hospice I'll figure out what the real story is, and I'll also check to see if we were charged at Kahalui our reservation price or something different.

 

[Tamaradarann]

That sounds good in theory but in reality the person behind the wheel, even in an autonomous car, is considered the driver as that person would need to take over the controls in an emergency. Therefore, that "driver" still must not have a BAC over 0.08. Sorry.

I am not talking about the current autonomous car technology which is useless. We just visited a booth at a technology show where Lyft is recruiting for software personnel to work with their Engineers working on driverless technology for their service. A driverless Lyft service would have to be one where there is NO driver and one would be picked up and dropped off by the driverless car. No license required by the customers. Perfected; That would be a car that I would buy.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I am not talking about the current autonomous car technology which is useless. We just visited a booth at a technology show where Lyft is recruiting for software personnel to work with their Engineers working on driverless technology for their service. A driverless Lyft service would have to be one where there is NO driver and one would be picked up and dropped off by the driverless car. No license required by the customers. Perfected; That would be a car that I would buy.

5 reasons why autonomous cars aren’t coming anytime soon

PITTSBURGH (AP) — In the world of autonomous vehicles, Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley are bustling hubs of development and testing. But ask those involved in self-driving vehicles when we might actually see them carrying passengers in every city, and you’ll get an almost universal answer: Not anytime soon.

An optimistic assessment is 10 years. Many others say decades as researchers try to conquer a number of obstacles. The vehicles themselves will debut in limited, well-mapped areas within cities and spread outward.

 

[Tamaradarann]

5 reasons why autonomous cars aren’t coming anytime soon

I am really not in a hurry for the the self driving car, if and when it comes will be fine. Until then we will primarily vacation in Honolulu our main love which we have done many times in the past without a car. We have plans for Las Vegas, and New York City which can be done nicely without a car. Miami South Beach and Chicago are also in our future without a car. San Diego, San Francisco, New Orleans are other areas we have been to without a car. Another advantage of the self driving car those too old to drive safely even sober. Independence of the elderly is a real benefit and concern.

 

[cowboy]

In regards to using Auto Slash I have had good luck with securing lower rental costs thru them in the past and have not had any problems until this trip where I booked the rental car thru Priceline for a car with Alamo on the Big Island and thru Advantage on Maui. Both of these rentals were prepaid thru Priceline. With Alamo, when I returned the car they charged me a $100.00 rent tax surcharge. When I got to Maui I looked at my contract and it states that the rent tax surcharge is included. I called the local number for Kona Alamo and was transferred to someone not local who said she could not help me but would refer the overcharge back to local Kona Alamo to have them contact me. I tried to tell the person checking the car in that the charge was in error but got nowhere and due to time constraints I waited until arrival in Maui to contest. I still don't know the outcome.

With my rental with Advantage on Maui I went to the normal area for rental car pickup and no Advantage van. After inquiring of an airport personnel I was told to go to the center island about 500 yards back past where I had started to wait about 20 minutes for a pickup van that took me about a mile off the airport site to a downtown location where it took about an hour to get a car that was different than the one I had a prepaid reservation. When I got in line there were two people at the counter being waited on and two people in front of me in line. In the wait time, 4 people came in with complaints about the car they had just rented and were asked to come to the front of the line ahead of us that were in line. This I can understand, but there should have been someone to resolve their problems other than the two agents that were there for new arrivals. When I finally got to an agent, a new agent that had opened up a new line, after going thru the sales routine and charging my credit card $200 deposit which he said would be returned to me if the car was returned and everything was in order, he gave me the keys to a car, that, I later found out was different to the one I had reserved and prepaid for, when I got to the car. By this time I was so mad and frustrated that I got into the car to go back to the airport to pick up my wife and luggage rather than go back in and go thru the hassle all over again. I am still in the smaller SUV and am to return it back to Advantage tomorrow. We will see what happens then.

My point is watch out for these rental agencies. I don't know if these were honest mistakes or something else to make more profit. When I was at the Advantage counter I felt like I was in a 3rd. world country like Mexico instead of the United States.

 

[Luanne]

In regards to using Auto Slash I have had good luck with securing lower rental costs thru them in the past and have not had any problems until this trip where I booked the rental car thru Priceline for a car with Alamo on the Big Island and thru Advantage on Maui. Both of these rentals were prepaid thru Priceline. With Alamo, when I returned the car they charged me a $100.00 rent tax surcharge. When I got to Maui I looked at my contract and it states that the rent tax surcharge is included. I called the local number for Kona Alamo and was transferred to someone not local who said she could not help me but would refer the overcharge back to local Kona Alamo to have them contact me. I tried to tell the person checking the car in that the charge was in error but got nowhere and due to time constraints I waited until arrival in Maui to contest. I still don't know the outcome.

With my rental with Advantage on Maui I went to the normal area for rental car pickup and no Advantage van. After inquiring of an airport personnel I was told to go to the center island about 500 yards back past where I had started to wait about 20 minutes for a pickup van that took me about a mile off the airport site to a downtown location where it took about an hour to get a car that was different than the one I had a prepaid reservation. When I got in line there were two people at the counter being waited on and two people in front of me in line. In the wait time, 4 people came in with complaints about the car they had just rented and were asked to come to the front of the line ahead of us that were in line. This I can understand, but there should have been someone to resolve their problems other than the two agents that were there for new arrivals. When I finally got to an agent, a new agent that had opened up a new line, after going thru the sales routine and charging my credit card $200 deposit which he said would be returned to me if the car was returned and everything was in order, he gave me the keys to a car, that, I later found out was different to the one I had reserved and prepaid for, when I got to the car. By this time I was so mad and frustrated that I got into the car to go back to the airport to pick up my wife and luggage rather than go back in and go thru the hassle all over again. I am still in the smaller SUV and am to return it back to Advantage tomorrow. We will see what happens then.

My point is watch out for these rental agencies. I don't know if these were honest mistakes or something else to make more profit. When I was at the Advantage counter I felt like I was in a 3rd. world country like Mexico instead of the United States.

Sounds like another reason not to use Advantage. It's come up at cheapest several times with AutoSlash. I checked their reviews on Maui and they were not good. So I've opted to pay a bit more for a company I know, and one where I am a member.