Disappointed With Hotwire and Priceline

[JLB]

I have always been very pleased with Hotwire and Priceline for hotel rooms, and, in fact used them for an extra night in Orlando this Friday.

But I am really disappointed in them for rental cars.

Priceline was out of the running at the starting gate because they don't offer anything at Sanford (SFB).

I was counting on Hotwire being able to beat whatever I could find myself, searching on the various rental companies own sites. But they didn't/haven't/aren't.

Even more frustrating is that Hotwire keeps sending emails, saying prices for my rental car search have been reduced. I search again, like I just did, and they haven't been.

If anyone thinks they can come up with a last minute bargain, we need an SUV, mini van, or something similar, from 6 PM 1/4/08 until 10:00 AM 1/18/08, at SFB airport. We've got a Trailblazer reserved at $514 total.

 

[DaveNV]

Not much improvement, but you could try this:

Costco.com Alamo car rental. ID # 675899. Coupon Code # AD3216DDA. It brings in a Trailblazer for your dates and times at $511.33. Probably not worth changing the reservation just to save three bucks.

Dave

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I have always been very pleased with Hotwire and Priceline for hotel rooms, and, in fact used them for an extra night in Orlando this Friday.

While I have had considerable success using PL and HW for car rentals, neither site works as well for rentals as for hotel rooms. It is very common for both sites to return car rental rates that are higher than what I am offered directly by a rental agency.

It's worth checking the sites for virtually every rental - on a recent rental I saved about 50% using HW. But results are definitely more erratic with car rentals than with hotel rooms.

 

[dougp26364]

We've had reasonable success with Hotwire and Priceline for rental cars but, it's not every time. Maybe twice a year we get a good rate through either Hotwire or Priceline. I've found the best policy is to book a rental car as soon as I know my dates, then check frequently (daily sometimes) until I get what I'm happy with as the lowest rate or close enough to not warrent daily checks.

I only look at Hotwire or Priceline 4 to 6 weeks before we arrive and, again, I check daily. This past trip to West Palm Beach we booked a full size car for $99.95 for the week. I saw it late at night (we work nights) and booked it when I saw it. By the time I got home the next morning I checked again and the rates were back up to higher than what my original booking through Thrifty had been.

So the only secrete I can tell you is to keep checking and be ready to jump on any deal you think is worthy. The great thing about Hotwire is you can check hourly if you want. With Priceline, once you make a bid you're locked out of repeating that bid for a certain amount of time.

This all reminds me that I need to be looking to Hotwire for our upcoming vacation to AZ. I've got a decent rate through Thrifty but I could always use a better one.

 

[JLB]

With my luck I'd switch and they'd want to see my Costco card .

Not much improvement, but you could try this:

Costco.com Alamo car rental. ID # 675899. Coupon Code # AD3216DDA. It brings in a Trailblazer for your dates and times at $511.33. Probably not worth changing the reservation just to save three bucks.

Dave

 

[JLB]

I'm checking for Friday so my playing around time is winding down.

I just checked National's last minute specials and they were higher than what I have with the contract ID, coupon, and Emerald Club I already used.

Last week I even tried their $50 off coupon, with free ski racks, but for some reason that offer was not available in Orlando.

When I checked Priceline for Orlando, it was much lower, but that was at the big airport.

 

[dougp26364]

I'm checking for Friday so my playing around time is winding down.

I just checked National's last minute specials and they were higher than what I have with the contract ID, coupon, and Emerald Club I already used.

Last week I even tried their $50 off coupon, with free ski racks, but for some reason that offer was not available in Orlando.

When I checked Priceline for Orlando, it was much lower, but that was at the big airport.

You could be stuck with what you have. I'd say this happens to us about 75 to 80% of the time. I always like finding that deal on Hotwire or Priceline or through any other avenue but, in reality it doesn't really happen that often for us. My poor performance with Priceline and Hotwire could come from continuing to shop up to the day of departure for the best deal possible.

 

[JLB]

It gives you something to do when you're not busy saving people.

Happy New Year!!! Which means it could be a busy night for you!

 

[bogey21]

I have had a lot of success with Priceline Rental Cars by waiting until the day before I arrive at my destination to visit Priceline. I always start the reservation process the day I know my itineraries. I immediately book the lowest rate I can find and gradually rachet it down dollar by dollar, week by week whenever I can. The day before the trip I go to Priceline and take my shot. More often than not I save another 20% to 25%. In November I got 10 days at West Palm Beach Airport for a total of $165.00 with my last gasp Priceline bid. When I started out looking about 10 months prior the best I could find was around $285.00

GEORGE

 

[JLB]

As mentioned before, if I could I would.

I have had a lot of success with Priceline Rental Cars by waiting until the day before I arrive at my destination to visit Priceline. I always start the reservation process the day I know my itineraries. I immediately book the lowest rate I can find and gradually rachet it down dollar by dollar, week by week whenever I can. The day before the trip I go to Priceline and take my shot. More often than not I save another 20% to 25%. In November I got 10 days at West Palm Beach Airport for a total of $165.00 with my last gasp Priceline bid. When I started out looking about 10 months prior the best I could find was around $285.00

GEORGE

 

[MILOIOWA]

I have been getting those emails about the price drop also. Only to find out that it is bogus. But when I went on priceline about a week ago, I first tried a midsize car for $15 dollars a day, it rejected it. So I tried a compact for $13/day and it rejected that. So then for kicks I tried a standard at $14/day and it took it? Don't quite understand the logic there, but we got a "better" car for way less than what Hotwire was offering so it worked out.

 

[JLB]

For 25 years I have been trying to tell my wife how smart Iowans are.