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Car rental pre pay

L

lobsterlover

TUG Member
Joined
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Location
guelph
A couple of months ago I was searching for a car rental for our trip to Maine this Aug. We usually get a car at Boston airport. I found a web site where if you pay all up front the price saved about $100. I thought I'd wait and do it when the trip got closer. Do you think I can remember the web site...nope.
Does anyone know where I may have seen this?

I don't ever remember car rentals being this expensive at the Boston airport the past 5 yrs. What's with that???

Thank you in advance!!!
 
I like Hotwire for car rentals. Priceline is also okay. There are other sites, but I would stick with Hotwire or Priceline for car rentals; they only work with the big car rental places, at airports.

I know what you mean about Boston being expensive this summer. We have to stay near the airport for one night and the hotels are soooo high.
 
May mom said:
Priceline or hotwire.
Click to expand...

I have been having really great luck with Costco lately. They have been the cheapest on my last 3 car rentals by a good amount. You can also cancel a reservation with no penalty when you prepay you get stuck with what you paid for even if the price drops.
 
This is making me crazy! I thought it was Hotwire but I see you have to prepay all cars. The site I was looking at there was only one option of pre-paying. It was like: if you pay now you get a small suv for $450. It was an awesome deal. All the rest of the cars were not pre-pay.
Can't believe it's $630CA for a mid size car for 8 days! They're taxing like Canada for goodness sakes! LOL
I'll check Costco.
 
Avis has a prepaid option that is usually an additional discount off the regular price. http://www.avis.com/car-rental/content/display.ac?navId=T4M28S07 You can't use additional coupon codes though and sometimes they are better. I think you can cancel almost up to the last minute and get your money back. You just can't no show like the reservations that you don't pre-pay.

It will be better than the regular rates but not necessarily what it was months ago. I've been having luck with being an alamo insider and using the additional $35 off weekly. I got a full size car for 7 days for $158 in June. 8 days in July for $151 and 9 days starting this Sunday for $210. You should always reserve the best rental a couple of months earlier and then a month before check almost daily up to about a week before. I saved at least a hundred off the best hotwire rates.
 
Wow, tried Avis and it's still $620CD.
Waiting to hear from Mom about Costco...she has the membership.
Thanks though:)
 
Maybe Budget? Just found a 35% off prepaid car rental offer referenced on Smart Traveler

Fromthe Budget website:
"Our Pay Now Rates could mean up to a 35% savings.
In Summary: At most Budget locations in the U.S. and Canada, with our Pay Now Rates you'll often enjoy up to 35% off non-discounted budget.com rates. When you select a Pay Now Rate, you are required to prepay toward your rental on budget.com at time of reservation. "

I have no idea if this is any good compared to other discount offers.

It was actually the Smarter Travel website, and when I browsed rates on Budget it may only be a 10% discount (they say up to 35%)
 
Last edited:
Well I found a ford escape on vroomvroom.com for $450 all in. Good price considering compacts are $530 and up for 8 days.

I still don't get these high rates. Looked up last years price we paid and it was $270 all in for a full size car for 9 days.
 
If you didn't have to prepay and have a chance you may want to check a few more times before you go. I had reserved a premium car from enterprise for next week for 9 days for $283 because the full size cars were all in the $400+ range. When I checked early last week they offered a full size for $200. If not $450 for a SUV seems good and you will have extra cargo space.
 
I often find the rates at Southwest Airlines are pretty good. I also like to usse Southwest because we are Rapid Rewards members and they offer codes for 2x or 3x the points. As others have suggested, keep checking up until the day you leave for your trip.

Dori
 
I've got a compact car reserved thru Budget for our upcoming trip to FL. I've gotten the price down to $336.34 from $411 and that's with picking up the car in Tampa and dropping off in Orlando (12 days). I check Budget at least every other day to see if the rate has dropped. So far, I've booked/cancelled/rebooked at least 4 times to get a lower price and hope to get it lower even more before our trip at the end of July.

I use the AARP discount code (BCD code on the Budget site) of Y508501, and also have a coupon from Budget for a free double uprade. If you belong to AARP, you might want to try using this discount code to see what price you come up with for your trip.
Sylvia
 
I didn't have to prepay for the suv so yes, I will keep checking. I beleive I got the deal I saw earlier in the year but it was sold out on the Budget site.

It must just be Boston rates have gone through the roof cause you guys are getting some great deals everywhere else.

What is AARP?
 
lobsterlover said:
I didn't have to prepay for the suv so yes, I will keep checking. I beleive I got the deal I saw earlier in the year but it was sold out on the Budget site.

It must just be Boston rates have gone through the roof cause you guys are getting some great deals everywhere else.

What is AARP?
Click to expand...

"AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over." (Taken from their website.) Membership is $16/yr., or $63 for 5 yrs. ($12.60 yr.). Before I retired (and was much younger), I always thought AARP was for "old, retired people" :). Now that I'm among that group :D , I'm glad I joined, as I've gotten some great discounts over the years because I'm a member.
 
Lobsterlover, I don't think we can join AARP (I see you are in Guelph). We do have CARP, but I don't know much about it.

Dori
 
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