Rental Car on Maui

[StevenTing]

I'm going to piggy back on this thread. I currently have a reservation booked through Costco for $745 for 2 weeks in Maui for Full Size with Budget.

When I check Costco Travel right now, the comparable is $915.
When I check Expedia/Orbitz/Kayak, the equivalent rate is $548 - $578.
Looks like the best rate is with Advantage. With a coupon, it gets down to $508 for the 2 weeks.

Anyone have any experience with Advantage or Dollar or any of the other brands not used by Costco Travel? For a $240 savings, I'm almost willing to switch. If I do a prepay, which I won't, it would save another $12 and bring it down to $496.

 

[Luanne]

I'm going to piggy back on this thread. I currently have a reservation booked through Costco for $745 for 2 weeks in Maui for Full Size with Budget.

When I check Costco Travel right now, the comparable is $915.
When I check Expedia/Orbitz/Kayak, the equivalent rate is $548 - $578.
Looks like the best rate is with Advantage. With a coupon, it gets down to $508 for the 2 weeks.

Anyone have any experience with Advantage or Dollar or any of the other brands not used by Costco Travel? For a $240 savings, I'm almost willing to switch. If I do a prepay, which I won't, it would save another $12 and bring it down to $496.

I keep getting notices from AutoSlash for Ace and Advantage. Since I know nothing about either of these companies (and have read several bad reviews for one, or both) I continue to turn them down.

Have to checked AutoSlash, or had them monitor the reservation you have now to see what they can find that is cheaper? We've gotten out last few rental through AutoSlash. They end up being through Priceline, but have been with Hertz or Budget. Experiences have been good.

 

[TXTortoise]

Steven, I've got three variations booked directly through Hertz Gold, with corporate code for 24 Feb/9 Mar 2019. The largest vehicle is a Santa Fe Hyundai small SUV (or most like the VW equivalent at OGG) at around $1100 for two weeks. The two small Corolla reservations are around $827.

I use AutoSlash to track these and almost always get lower fares as we get closer. I used Costco once, but ended up in a huge line at the agency as all Costco reservations preempt any Gold benefits, like direct car pickup apparently.

 

[Luanne]

Steven, I've got three variations booked directly through Hertz Gold, with corporate code for 24 Feb/9 Mar 2019. The largest vehicle is a Santa Fe Hyundai small SUV (or most like the VW equivalent at OGG) at around $1100 for two weeks. The two small Corolla reservations are around $827.

I use AutoSlash to track these and almost always get lower fares as we get closer. I used Costco once, but ended up in a huge line at the agency as all Costco reservations preempt any Gold benefits, like direct car pickup apparently.

I still haven't found going directly through the rental site gets me better prices than Costco or AutoSlash.

However, we've had NO issued with premier pick up using both Costco and AutoSlash. You just need to provide your member number when you make the reservation. With Hertz on Maui we got an email with the space number and car type so all we had to do was go to the car and drive off. With than rental we had a mid-size SUV (Nissan Rouge) for 15 days, in March at $541 all in.

 

[DaveNV]

Have you looked at Discount Hawaii Car Rental? Sometimes they can save a lot. For my upcoming trip to Maui, they beat Costco's best price by quite a bit. It's worth looking at: https://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com

Dave

 

[TXTortoise]

In hindsight, I think it was HNL where I had to get in line. Steven is targeting mid-summer and I'm in mid-winter, so guessing those peak times may skew rates also. But agree, always worth tracking, if not booking, with Slash.

 

[Luanne]

Have you looked at Discount Hawaii Car Rental? Sometimes they can save a lot. For my upcoming trip to Maui, they beat Costco's best price by quite a bit. It's worth looking at: https://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com

Dave

I always forget to check them since each time I've tried Costco price has been better.

 

[DaveNV]

I always forget to check them since each time I've tried Costco price has been better.

I do as well, but when I do check, sometimes the numbers are better. In the case of my current trip, they beat Costco's best price by more than $40. That's dinner somewhere.

Dave

 

[Luanne]

I do as well, but when I do check, sometimes the numbers are better. In the case of my current trip, they beat Costco's best price by more than $40. That's dinner somewhere.

Dave

Lately I've been getting the best pricing through AutoSlash. I make the original reservation with Costco, then log that with AutoSlash. They just cut our rate for a week in San Diego by $60! That's dinner, plus dessert.

 

[slip]

I ended out going through RCI and got an intermediate for two weeks for $500 it’s with Enterprise which i’m Alright with. A friend of mine used Advantage on a January trip to Kauai and said it was fine.

 

[bobpark56]

Well sure I could take a wild ass guess, but for instance for 2018 we ended up flying a day earlier than planned because of flight scheduling. Since I usually book a flight as soon as they are available, I'm fine with waiting until then to book the car. And since I've found the sweet spot for pricing to be about 6 months out, it works..................for me. If you do better booking more than a year out, great. How many times do you end up cancelling and re-booking?

Whatever works, works. I'm trying a new (for me) tactic now: I currently have 3 reservations for our 10 Sept arrival at Gatwick, England...2 for different car sizes and a 3rd for an automatic transmission. I will cancel 2 of them when I make up my mind what fits best. There is no prohibition about having more that one reservation, so long as you cancel redundant ones in a timely fashion. There is no reason that I know of for not having different reservations for different arrival days either, and then later cancelling ones that no longer work for you.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I wonder if the new Maui airport car rental structure will save us money when it's done. I think some of those taxes we are paying are going toward that structure.

 

[DavidnRobin]

This is a thread on Maui Car rentals that have significantly increased in cost regardless of AutoSlash, Costco, etc. being used.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MOXJO7282]

I have a luxury car booked for 2 weeks end of July-Aug for $770 through Costco, I think Budget,which is an amazing price so I don't think I'll beat that but will sign up for AutoSlash to see if it can find better. Currently on sale at Costco is pricing that is twice that so something is definitely screwed up with the Maui rental car market it seems. I just checked my reservation and it is still listed so I should be good but nervous that it will disappear and I'll be stuck paying much more.

 

[JIMinNC]

I just booked our rental cars for our three week trip next Feb/Mar 2019. Booked a convertible category through Budget for $519 all-in per week for Maui and Kauai and $568 all-in for the Big Island. Costco was about $10 - $15 or so cheaper for the week, but for such a small savings, I'd rather book direct with the company. Many of the discount sites aren't showing reservations that far out yet, but the only prices I saw meaningfully cheaper than what I was able to get through Budget required advance payment. No way I'm paying in full for a car this far out.

We won't be able to book our flights for several more weeks, but I know the days we'll be traveling and the approximate arrival time, so there's no reason not to go ahead and book the car since there is no penalty for changes or cancellations. Maybe prices will drop, but I'm at least protected from increases.

This will be our first trip to the islands since 2011, but I think I've always paid less than $300 for a week in a convertible in the past.

 

[Tucsonadventurer]

We are paying 622 for a mini van for 14 days through auto slash with advantage. We reserved it a while back but its now up close to 1,000.
Glad we reserved earlier.

 

[Dean]

I do as well, but when I do check, sometimes the numbers are better. In the case of my current trip, they beat Costco's best price by more than $40. That's dinner somewhere.

Dave

Costco includes 2 drivers if that makes a difference.

 

[NTP66]

My last five rentals in Maui (oldest to newest):

• Hertz, convertible, 10 days, September, $505 ($51/day)
  
• Alamo, midsize, 7 days, September, $267 ($38/day)
  
• Thrifty, intermediate, 7 days, February, $257 ($37/day)
  
• Budget, standard, 7 days, September, $200 ($29/day)
  
• Budget, standard, 10 days, June, $389 ($39/day)

Minus the POS Mustang convertible that we rented years ago, our rates really haven't been that bad at all. The above prices are final totals, after all fees and taxes.

 

[taterhed]

My advice never changes:
Costco
Autoslash
Hertz

I've had some bad experiences at LIH with other companies....I've had zero bad experiences with Hertz (except for a roach problem...don't ask)

 

[DaveNV]

Costco includes 2 drivers if that makes a difference.

I would appreciate having that, if I wasn't the only driver. After all these years, it's an acquired skill - I'm a slightly-OCD lousy passenger with a great sense of direction. Spouse is a photography nut who just wants to take pictures. I drive along till I either see a great viewpoint, toward which I'll automatically pull over, or until I hear a quiet GASP! from the seat beside me. That's my cue to stop - NOW - because there is something exciting visible in the camera viewfinder. It's so predictable, it's funny.

If I was the passenger, I'd be on edge the whole time. At the grocery store, I'm the one who has to drive the cart. It's the law.

Dave

 

[Luanne]

Costco includes 2 drivers if that makes a difference.

AutoSlash will as well. You just need to let them know you have a Costco membership and they will apply that to your rental.

 

[Luanne]

I would appreciate having that, if I wasn't the only driver. After all these years, it's an acquired skill - I'm a slightly-OCD lousy passenger with a great sense of direction. Spouse is a photography nut who just wants to take pictures. I drive along till I either see a great viewpoint, toward which I'll automatically pull over, or until I her a quiet GASP! from the seat beside me. That's my cue to stop - NOW - because there is something exciting visible in the camera viewfinder. It's so predictable, it's funny.

If I was the passenger, I'd be on edge the whole time. At the grocery store, I'm the one who has to drive the cart. It's the law.

Dave

Dh does all of the driving while we're on vacation. I think both of us prefer it that way. He makes me nervous when I'm driving. So I always put the rental cars in his name, but like to know that I can drive it if necessary. I had to a couple of times on our last trip.

When we do major road trips we do trade off on the driving however.

 

[taterhed]

AutoSlash will as well. You just need to let them know you have a Costco membership and they will apply that to your rental.

The 'Free second driver' perk from Costco is actually also honored by some other companies and by law in some states: Info about additional driver charges

Also, another tasty piece of info for those of you with young drivers that wish to share the driving or rent a car: Young driver discounts on rental cars
While the above article (young drivers) is a bit old, the point still applies: some affiliations provide discounts and not all rental car companies charge the same fees for young drivers.

 

[slip]

After all these year and trips to all the main Hawaiian islands, DW still hasn’t driven there. It’s kind of a standing joke now that we have to make sure we get the free second driver because this time she’s going to drive somewhere.

 

[JIMinNC]

Budget also provides the free second driver to a spouse for bookings on their web site