First time to Maui - advice about renting a car

[Ken555]

On Maui I think all rental companies are located in about the same off airport location. Personally I'd go with whoever is cheapest. Right now our cheapest rate is with Budget, but by the time we go who knows who it will be with.

Advantage is off property and usually less expensive. But, as I posted a while ago, they often don't have a car selection available for you and they aren't the easiest to deal with. I usually check their rates a few weeks before a trip and if it's more than a few dollars less will book with them.


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[Luanne]

Advantage is off property and usually less expensive. But, as I posted a while ago, they often don't have a car selection available for you and they aren't the easiest to deal with. I usually check their rates a few weeks before a trip and if it's more than a few dollars less will book with them.


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We also need a car for one day on Oahu. When I was checking Discount Hawaii "Brand 7" had a similar price to Costco, and said it would be a Mazda 6 (or similar). So I selected it. Turns out it was Advantage. I thought I remembered reading some negatives about Advantage so I checked their reviews for Honolulu. They were terrible. The price wasn't that good.

I don't think I've ever seen Advantage come up through Costco.

 

[Ken555]

I don't think I've ever seen Advantage come up through Costco.

You won't.


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[Luanne]

The lowest cost vendor changes based on your travel dates and type of car. I was reserved with Budget but this morning switched to Avis. Now at $26/day after taxes and fees for a full size. I'd rather not reserve with Budget due to the long lines at their office (my favorite is Alamo since its so quick and easy to get thru their office). I haven't rented from Avis in Maui before so not sure how quick they'll be.


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For our dates the standard SUV is double with Avis what it is with Budget. I signed up for Budget Fastbreak, so hopefully if that is who we end up with we'll get some kind of break with the lines.

I'm an Avis member, but can't remember if I've rented through them on Maui the last few times we've gone. Since we are preferred, or whatever their club is, we have a special check in line.

I agree that Alamo is easy to get though if you've rented through Costco.

 

[Ken555]

For our dates the standard SUV is double with Avis what it is with Budget. I signed up for Budget Fastbreak, so hopefully if that is who we end up with we'll get some kind of break with the lines.

I was going to do that as well since I reserved the car with Budget some time ago. But, I then read their policies and they require three reservations per year in order to keep membership active and I think I also saw some penalties if it wasn't met. You might want to read the details if this would apply to you. I don't like any travel company that requires minimum purchases like this to get perks, but I understand the desire for them to encourage frequent renters.



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[Luanne]

I was going to do that as well since I reserved the car with Budget some time ago. But, I then read their policies and they require three reservations per year in order to keep membership active and I think I also saw some penalties if it wasn't met. You might want to read the details if this would apply to you. I don't like any travel company that requires minimum purchases like this to get perks, but I understand the desire for them to encourage frequent renters.



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Thanks for the heads up, I hadn't read that. But I'm not terribly good at reading all of the small print. Since I just got it I wonder if there is some kind of grace period?

I just went and read the information. I would think that for the first year I'd be fine. And I couldn't see any kind of penalty other than your Fastbreak membership would be dropped if you hadn't met the minimum 3 rentals per year. Right now we have two rentals scheduled through Budget for this year, so I might even make the minimum.

 

[gregb]

Ken555,

We arrived on Sunday a week ago at about 12:15pm on Alaska Air and the line a Budget was over 45 minutes. Looked like several planes landed at about the same time. By the time we left, the queue was more than an hour. It could have gone faster, except they kept trying to up-sell everyone.

Kind of reminded me of when we used to fly United and had to wait forever for our bags. Alaska Air rocks! With them the bags hit the belt before we even get to the claim area!

Greg

 

[Luanne]

Ken555,

We arrived on Sunday a week ago at about 12:15pm on Alaska Air and the line a Budget was over 45 minutes. Looked like several planes landed at about the same time. By the time we left, the queue was more than an hour. It could have gone faster, except they kept trying to up-sell everyone.

Kind of reminded me of when we used to fly United and had to wait forever for our bags. Alaska Air rocks! With them the bags hit the belt before we even get to the claim area!

Greg

Since Kahalui is a Fast Break location hoping having that will help with our check in.

We usually have one person get the luggage and the other get the car, then come back to the airport for luggage and other travelers.

 

[Ken555]

Ken555,



We arrived on Sunday a week ago at about 12:15pm on Alaska Air and the line a Budget was over 45 minutes. Looked like several planes landed at about the same time. By the time we left, the queue was more than an hour. It could have gone faster, except they kept trying to up-sell everyone.



Kind of reminded me of when we used to fly United and had to wait forever for our bags. Alaska Air rocks! With them the bags hit the belt before we even get to the claim area!



Greg

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I was unhappy the last time I rented from Budget due to the poor staffing and slow lines.

Anyone have info on how fast Avis is in Maui? That's my current reservation though if it's also a long wait I'll pay a bit more and just rent from Alamo. $20 or so just isn't worth 45 minutes after a flight to me.


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[capjak]

Also try http://www.autoslash.com we found the lowest rate at this site and it continues to look for lower ones and will rebook at lower price.

 

[nanc65093]

I recommend Costco, keep checking back cuz prices drop frequently. I'm on Maui now with a 2 week Hyundai Santa Fe for 588.00 total. It's from Alamo.

Aloha,
Nancy

 

[Luanne]

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I was unhappy the last time I rented from Budget due to the poor staffing and slow lines.

Anyone have info on how fast Avis is in Maui? That's my current reservation though if it's also a long wait I'll pay a bit more and just rent from Alamo. $20 or so just isn't worth 45 minutes after a flight to me.


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Ken, we've actually found most of the car rental sites on the Hawaiian island to be slow (island time). So when we find one that's more efficient it's just a plus. I'm sure we must have rented from Avis in the past, but since we've been using Costco not so much lately.

And many times the problems are with waiting for the shuttle buses to pick you up at the airport.

 

[BocaBoy]

Anyone have info on how fast Avis is in Maui? That's my current reservation though if it's also a long wait I'll pay a bit more and just rent from Alamo. $20 or so just isn't worth 45 minutes after a flight to me.

I suspect it is hard to generalize here, but I have rented from Avis a few times on Maui and I don't remember any unusually long wait times.

 

[Ken555]

Ken, we've actually found most of the car rental sites on the Hawaiian island to be slow (island time). So when we find one that's more efficient it's just a plus. I'm sure we must have rented from Avis in the past, but since we've been using Costco not so much lately.



And many times the problems are with waiting for the shuttle buses to pick you up at the airport.

Usually Costco sends me to Alamo on Maui, but yesterday's reservation is with Avis. And yeah...the shuttles...sigh.


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[Ken555]

I suspect it is hard to generalize here, but I have rented from Avis a few times on Maui and I don't remember any unusually long wait times.

Thanks


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[mjm1]

Thanks Luanne and Ken.

I generally go with the low cost leader. Interesting, I just checked again and Enterprise went from $425 for 2 weeks (intermediate size) to $680. Alamo only went up $7. Glad I already reserved it. It is crazy how the prices fluctuate. You just have to keep watching. We are still a couple of months away, so they will probably drop again.

Mike

 

[gregb]

When we rented from Alamo in the past, I completed the application online, and it took almost no time to process the rental at the center.

Budget doesn't seem to have that, without joining their club, with what ever requirements they have to use their card. You would expect that any major rental company would have an online "check-in" process. It effectively shifts the work from their counter employees to the renter. But to get a fast checkout, I am willing to make that trade-off.

I haven't use Avis in a long time on Maui, so no advice there.

 

[capjak]

Also try http://www.autoslash.com we found the lowest rate at this site and it continues to look for lower ones and will rebook at lower price.

Also join the rental agency customer program so you do not have to wait to get your car, you can usually just pick your car up directly or they have a separate line for you.

FYI just booked Avis standard size car for $426 for 2 weeks on Maui economy was quoted at $371 for Feb 2015

 

[eakhat]

I book a rental as soon as I know my flight schedule and keep looking. When we arrived in Kauai in early January, I had a reservation for $607 for 15 days for a full-sized car on Maui starting Jan 25. I kept checking Costco, while in Hawaii, and found $438 for the 15 days. We were upgraded to an SUV. Unfortunately, we were in that very long Budget line!

 

[n777lt]

The lowest cost vendor changes based on your travel dates and type of car. I was reserved with Budget but this morning switched to Avis. Now at $26/day after taxes and fees for a full size. I'd rather not reserve with Budget due to the long lines at their office (my favorite is Alamo since its so quick and easy to get thru their office). I haven't rented from Avis in Maui before so not sure how quick they'll be.


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With Avis Preferred it's usually in and out - very fast. But I've never noticed long lines at the regular desk -- on the shared bus, many more people are heading over to Budget than to Avis.

 

[Luanne]

Wow! I went into Costco travel this morning to look for a minivan for our March Maui trip (may have an additional person going). Booked the two weeks for $493 with Budget. I went back in this afternoon because the Budget Fastbreak number didn't get entered. I was going to re-book and then cancel the original. The price is now $1513 with Budget, same size, same dates.

 

[Ken555]

With Avis Preferred it's usually in and out - very fast. But I've never noticed long lines at the regular desk -- on the shared bus, many more people are heading over to Budget than to Avis.

Thanks for the info.


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[Ken555]

Wow! I went into Costco travel this morning to look for a minivan for our March Maui trip (may have an additional person going). Booked the two weeks for $493 with Budget. I went back in this afternoon because the Budget Fastbreak number didn't get entered. I was going to re-book and then cancel the original. The price is now $1513 with Budget, same size, same dates.

Yup, I also looked earlier today and many rates have changed. My existing Avis reservation for next month increased by more than double. Change is to be expected.


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[Luanne]

Yup, I also looked earlier today and many rates have changed. My existing Avis reservation for next month increased by more than double. Change is to be expected.


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But in the same day? That was what surprised me. Usually the rate will stay stable for a couple of days.

 

[gregb]

Luanne,

I think that most car companies are using demand pricing, driven by computers, just like airlines. That may be why the asking prices make such dramatic changes. If they get several inquires for rates in a short time, the computer can up the rate.

Still, more than doubling in a day is rather amazing!

We are in Maui now, and our two week compact car rental with Dollar is about $360, all in. Made the reservation with Discount Hawaiian rentals, I think back in October.

Greg