Car rental on Kauai? What's the latest?

[DaveNV]

Hey All. Going to spend a week on Kauai next October. It's been a few years, and I'm out of practice. I'm wondering where/how to find the best car rental rates these days. Costco Travel is showing me over $800 for a week in a Standard size car. Discount Hawaii Car Rental has similar rates. Anybody know of another way to get a lower rate? We'll be four adults with luggage, so we'll need at least a mid-size or larger.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Luanne]

No experience with Kauai, but I'm still getting the best price for car rental on Maui with Costco. The rates have dropped a couple of times since I first booked (we're going in Feb/March). They do keep going up and down. So far AutoSlash has not found me any lower rates with companies I feel comfortable booking with.

 

[DaveNV]

No experience with Kauai, but I'm still getting the best price for car rental on Maui with Costco. The rates have dropped a couple of times since I first booked (we're going in Feb/March). They do keep going up and down. So far AutoSlash has not found me any lower rates with companies I feel comfortable booking with.

Thanks, Luanne. I've checked all the usual suspects, and registered with Autoslash, just in case. Hoping there is some backdoor trick I'm not aware of to get a decent price.

Dave

 

[Luanne]

Thanks, Luanne. I've checked all the usual suspects, and registered with Autoslash, just in case. Hoping there is some backdoor trick I'm not aware of to get a decent price.

Dave

You know all the tricks. They haven't changed, lol.

One thing by registering with AutoSlash, if I do get notice from them of a lower price I'll go into the Costco website to see if their prices have dropped as well.

 

[klpca]

My experience has been that prices drop a few weeks before arrival and bounce back up at about 7 days out. Book something now but keep checking back for a price reduction.

 

[artringwald]

The big company I worked for offers employees and retirees a corporate discount through National. If you work for a large corporation, they may offer a similar discount. I just booked a midsize car in Kauai next February for $203.50/week.

 

[DeniseM]

We just paid about $1,000, all in, for 3 weeks and we got a Jeep Cherokee, on Kauai. We made the reservation with Costco, and cancelled and made new reservations several times, as the price dropped, over several months.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Capital One Venture Card is fantastic for rental cars:

11/2-11/9/2024:

 

[Luanne]

Capital One Venture Card is fantastic for rental cars:

11/2-11/9/2024:

View attachment 101254

Except a compact won't work for Dave.

 

[TolmiePeak]

My experience has been that prices drop a few weeks before arrival and bounce back up at about 7 days out. Book something now but keep checking back for a price reduction.

Correct. Book with Costco and keep checking.

 

[DaveNV]

The big company I worked for offers employees and retirees a corporate discount through National. If you work for a large corporation, they may offer a similar discount. I just booked a midsize car in Kauai next February for $203.50/week.

Thanks, Art. I've been retired almost five years. My opportunity for corporate rates are behind me, I think.

Dave

 

[DaveNV]

I did book the one with Costco, to give me a place to start. Hoping as the time gets closer, it'll drop some. It used to, anyway.

And for those who don't know or remember my history, my husband is a 25+ year Costco career staffer. I was the go-to guy here for a long time, answering Costco questions, until he retired, too.

There was a time when Costco car rental rates for a calendar year didn't start until December of the previous year. So 2025 contract rates may go into effect in December 2024, and affect rental rates for next year. We'll see if things will be better in a few months. Stay tuned.

Dave

 

[slip]

The big company I worked for offers employees and retirees a corporate discount through National. If you work for a large corporation, they may offer a similar discount. I just booked a midsize car in Kauai next February for $203.50/week.

I have the same but mine is through Hertz. It's a nice perk.

 

[artringwald]

Thanks, Art. I've been retired almost five years. My opportunity for corporate rates are behind me, I think.

Dave

I've been retired for 16 years and the discount is still good for retirees. Not many of our people knew it was available. You might want to check into it.

 

[Luanne]

I've been retired for 16 years and the discount is still good for retirees. Not many of our people knew it was available. You might want to check into it.

I used to have a discount that I was able to use even after retirement. However, one time when I tried to use it I got asked if I was still employed. Being honest, I said no. There went the corporate discount.

 

[artringwald]

I used to have a discount that I was able to use even after retirement. However, one time when I tried to use it I got asked if I was still employed. Being honest, I said no. There went the corporate discount.

The contract says I may have to provide ID. I do have ID to prove that I'm a retiree. I always take it with me just in case, but I've never been asked to present it.

 

[Luanne]

The contract says I may have to provide ID. I do have ID to prove that I'm a retiree. I always take it with me just in case, but I've never been asked to present it.

Curious. What do you have that proves you are a retiree? I don't have anything from the [very large] company I retired from.

 

[slip]

The contract says I may have to provide ID. I do have ID to prove that I'm a retiree. I always take it with me just in case, but I've never been asked to present it.

For mine, it used to ask for my work email when I worked. Then the first time I used it after retirement my private email wouldn't work so I put in my old work email and it worked.

The next time I used it, I used the app and then it took my personal email. When I would make each reservation, even when I was working, it would ask it it was for business or leisure. After I set up the app, it asked me during the first reservation I used it for and then it saved the leisure discount. Now that is set up as the default and everything is set whenever I do a search.

I used to use Costco for years but one day I saw our work discount code in with our annual benefits package and gave it a try. I haven't used anything else since. I still check other venues but it has always beat them. I have showed a few other friends from my old work and they didn't know about it either. They couldn't believe the savings.

 

[artringwald]

Curious. What do you have that proves you are a retiree? I don't have anything from the [very large] company I retired from.

I got a retiree badge that lets me past security to get to the company store. Do you get a pension? A check stub could be used. How about a certificate of service?

 

[Luanne]

I got a retiree badge that lets me past security to get to the company store. Do you get a pension? A check stub could be used. How about a certificate of service?

As I said, when I told Avis I think it was that I was retired the corporate discount went away. Wouldn't matter if I could prove that I was retired or not.

I don't get check stubs and I don't have a certificate of service. My pension goes directly into my checking account.

I did discover we do have a "Perks" site. I went into that and looked up car rentals. My price with Costco is still better. In fact I checked for hotels and found that I still got better prices using my hotel loyalty programs.

 

[isisdave]

https://pineappleexpresskauaicarrentals.com/ This is run by a family that used to live in Murrieta CA when we did. They have, reportedly, customer service beyond belief.

Here's a clip from Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/KauaiPineappleExpressCarRentals . I'll shorten it up a little.

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS Kauai Car Rentals
“We HONOR your Vacation Time

”

5 minute Car Rental process!
No waiting on shuttles

No dragging your suitcases

No vacuuming or washing required

All Cars HAWAII safety check/pass

Check our LAST MINUTE DEALS
951-906-6630
All sizes

Family and Veteran

Owned/Operated Business

We have a 5 Minute Arrival/pick up process from the minute you get your luggage

to the minute you are on your way to start your vacation!!!!

We provide complimentary:
Airport pick up

Tommy Bahama Chairs
Tommy Bahama Beach Umbrella

Soft sided coolers

Car seats & Boosters!

Sand Toys

SAVE Time & $$$ with our 5

Service
Contact Tracey Pilbin Palmer for availability & Rates
951-906-6630
Pineappleexpresscarrentals@gmail.com

 

[slip]

As I said, when I told Avis I think it was that I was retired the corporate discount went away. Wouldn't matter if I could prove that I was retired or not.

I don't get check stubs and I don't have a certificate of service. My pension goes directly into my checking account.

I did discover we do have a "Perks" site. I went into that and looked up car rentals. My price with Costco is still better. In fact I checked for hotels and found that I still got better prices using my hotel loyalty programs.

I always noticed these discounts didn't amount to much too. That's why I was really surprised with this code we got from Hertz.

 

[Luanne]

I always noticed these discounts didn't amount to much too. That's why I was really surprised with this code we got from Hertz.

When I had a true Avis corporate discount I did get better prices. But now as a retiree their "discount" suck. We don't even get one with Avis any more.

 

[dioxide45]

Our employer perk is also through Avis. Sometimes it is better than Costco and other times it is not. One perk of the corporate code is that it includes CDW as well as Avis Preferred. I just get a text before my pickup time that tells me what space my rental car is in and I go straight to the garage. If I don't get a text, they will often have their Preferred desk open in the garage where I grab the keys and go.

 

[slip]

When I had a true Avis corporate discount I did get better prices. But now as a retiree their "discount" suck. We don't even get one with Avis any more.

When I was working in Wisconsin, I didn't even know about the the code for Hertz. All the other codes for other perks like hotels were terrible.

It may have changed woth Hertz when I became a corporate employee. I got an email of benefits and I tried the code and it was really good. Hotels and everything else were still bad though. Lol