Costco has great deals for Orlando car rentals for May

[rickandcindy23]

Check the discounts lately for Alamo and Budget. It's been all good. Today I reserved a car, two weeks through Alamo, $193 with all taxes and fees included. I reserve new, cancel old, reserve new, cancel old, etc.

I thought I was good a few months ago at $268!

 

[bevans]

I just reserved a standard size car through Costco with Alamo in Kona for 16 days in May for all in $280.00. Considering all the extra charges Hawaii now charge this is a great deal. Of course the added bonus is Costco gets you the extra driver free which makes this a truely great deal. Curt

 

[LAX Mom]

I reserve new, cancel old, reserve new, cancel old, etc.

Makes me laugh! Sounds just like me. I just worry sometime I'll go to checkin at the rental counter and they'll say "you had 17 reservations so we cancelled them".

 

[LAX Mom]

Cindy,

Budgets price includes a free GPS but it doesn't take off the coupon until you check-in. Have you used them before? I always worry I'll forget the coupon and not get the $30 discount.

I found a car in Orlando using Alamo for $102 (including taxes of $44) for a week. It's insane that the taxes are almost as much as the car.

 

[dioxide45]

Cindy,

Budgets price includes a free GPS but it doesn't take off the coupon until you check-in. Have you used them before? I always worry I'll forget the coupon and not get the $30 discount.

I found a car in Orlando using Alamo for $102 (including taxes of $44) for a week. It's insane that the taxes are almost as much as the car.

This is one of our beefs with Budget, why can't they quote the price inclusive of the coupons? Alamo and many other rental companies can do it, it should be easy enough for them to do. This is why they are one of our last choices.

 

[Robert D]

What size cars are you getting for these low prices in Orlando? We need a full size and I found one from Thrifty for $143 for a week in May (May 14-21) including taxes and junk fees. Do you have to be a Costco member to get their rate or can you just use the discount code?

 

[luvsvacation22]

I got an "Insiders Rate" ( join for free) on Alamo, for a full-size, Orlando in May, two weeks for $205.00 including taxes, and fees. The Costco rate is the same.:whoopie:

 

[MichaelColey]

Wow! I procrastinated until the last minute, but I finally got around to checking rates for our week in Orlando. I was able to get a one week rental at National for just $88. I'm an Executive Elite member (85+ rental days per year), so I'll be able to pick anything off of the Executive Aisle (we can typically get a Minivan or SUV). I had previously booked using free rental days. I cancelled that and will use those free rental days some other time.

 

[Robert D]

Best I've come up with is a week (May 14-21) for a full size on Alamo for $129 including taxes and junk fees. I signed on to my Insider account so assume this is an Insider deal but no where near as good as others have gotten. I'll try Priceline as we get closer to travel date but PL's rate will have to be less than $10/day since their fees are so high with name your own price.

 

[MichaelColey]

With National, make sure to try some of the public contract IDs and coupons. There's a listing on FlyerTalk that I use. The Continental contract ID (5007160) gives 15% off, and is often the best public rate. (Sometimes some of the ones that obviously weren't meant for public use get a better discount, but I prefer to stick with the public ones.) I also used a $35 off weekly rental coupon, getting me the $88 rate.

As an Executive Elite member, I got to choose anything on the Executive Aisle. There were dozens to choose from, and for us the choice boiled down to a Minivan or a 2011 Yukan. We picked the Yukan. Nice drive, plenty of space. And at just $88 for a week, an unbelievable value!

If you're not at the Executive level, even the base Emerald Club level usually has a good choice. Impalas and other similar sized cars, and sometimes even an SUV or Minivan.

 

[Robert D]

Thanks for the info, Michael. I used one of the codes on Flyer Talk and got a full size for the week for $110 including all taxes and junk fees. I'm an Emerald Club member but not elite status so I assume I have to choose the same car size I rented?

 

[MichaelColey]

If you reserved at least a midsize and are an Emerald Club member, I think you can pick anything off the Emerald Aisle.

 

[Born2Travel]

Makes me laugh! Sounds just like me. I just worry sometime I'll go to checkin at the rental counter and they'll say "you had 17 reservations so we cancelled them".

LOL - I just had one of those - only it was down to two - I think I canceled the other two. (with that company - I probably had 7-8 total!) I always try to cancel all of them eventually. They just said "shall I cancel the other one?" - I was embarassed but I bet they've seen it before

 

[Robert D]

If you reserved at least a midsize and are an Emerald Club member, I think you can pick anything off the Emerald Aisle.

I called National and asked about it. Apparently they have different aisles for the 3 different levels of the Emerald Club. If you reserve at least a mid size, you can take any car on the aisle. Question is whether there would always be a full size car on the base level aisle (I'm sure there would be on the elite levels). I wonder if you reserve a full size whether you go to the same aisle as people who reserved a mid size?

 

[MichaelColey]

Out of dozens and dozens of rentals (nationwide, not just in Orlando), I've only seen National not have a full sized car on the Emerald Club aisle once. (And that time, they only had THREE cars in the whole lot.)

There are only two levels of aisles (plus the regular aisles by car type). Base Emerald Club members get their cars from the Emerald Club aisle. Executive and Executive Elite get theirs from the Executive Aisle (and can also take from the Emerald Club aisle). If you reserve less than mid-size, or if you reserve a more expensive type of car (like an SUV or Minivan or Luxury, etc.), you'll pick from the specific aisle that you reserved.

 

[Robert D]

Michael, so what you're saying is that I'm safe to cancel my full size reservation and keep my mid size reservation and should be able to get a full size car from the base Emerald Isle at the Orlando airport?

 

[Robert D]

Michael, I canceled my full size Orlando car reservation and kept the midsize at National and it worked just as you described. We got a Kia Sorento SUV for the midsize price of $98 for the week including taxes and junk fees! There were a lot of full size cars, several small SUV's and the one mid size SUV on the base Emerald Isle. Thanks for telling me about it. There was a Cadillac Escalade on the Executive Emerald Isle among many other mid and large SUV's.

 

[LAX Mom]

Just returned from Orlando and booked an economy car through the Costco/Alamo link. Price was $62 (including all taxes) for the week, but when I returned it a day early the total was $59. They were out of economy cars so they gave me a compact.

 

[JulieAB]

Michael, I was looking through that FT thread and also on the costco website, but I don't quite understand the best way to find the lowest price. Can you combine multiple discounts and coupons? I also found out I have a free emerald club executive status because I have a platinum amex (and I guess I get something similar at avis and hertz?). I have upcoming trips in honolulu, kuaui, and orlando. And I think we'll need at least a full size to fit two carseats and all the luggage.

I haven't rented a car in over 14 years! Way before the internet and all the possibilities! Could you give me some pointers and suggestions?

 

[MichaelColey]

With National, you can combine a contract ID and a coupon.