Have you noticed the prices for Kauai car rentals-yipes!

[Cathyb]

Haven't been looking for prices for about six weeks and was shocked at what the cost for a compact auto for 10 days (12/26-1/5) is now -- over $1000! Checked Hotwire and Alamo.

Question : We currently have a reservation made in March that is $427--taxes and fees included. Do the car rental agencies have the authority to ignore that reservation and ask for more money when we pick the car up -- or are they obligated to honor it???

 

[aliikai2]

Print it out and take it with you

They are usual pretty good about it, but I would make sure to have a hard copy when you go to get the car..

Greg

 

[denverbob]

Haven't been looking for prices for about six weeks and was shocked at what the cost for a compact auto for 10 days (12/26-1/5) is now -- over $1000! Checked Hotwire and Alamo.

Question : We currently have a reservation made in March that is $427--taxes and fees included. Do the car rental agencies have the authority to ignore that reservation and ask for more money when we pick the car up -- or are they obligated to honor it???

I think one of the keys to whether they will honor it, is it is paid for.

I recently booked a very good rate for So Cal with Advantage online with only an email address given. I wondered if they would honor it (they did) even though it was not yet paid - and no credit card had been given.

You might call them and actually have the credit card charged (as with Priceline or Hotwire) and then it would be harder for them not to honor it.

 

[BevL]

If you have your reservation, why would there be a doubt? To me, that would be like showing up at the airport or a hotel and being charged more for a confirmed reservation.

The fact that it's not paid for shouldn't matter.

 

[PigsDad]

If you have your reservation, why would there be a doubt? To me, that would be like showing up at the airport or a hotel and being charged more for a confirmed reservation.

The fact that it's not paid for shouldn't matter.

I agree. I have always paid the exact rate that was listed on the reservation (I never pre-pay). The only differences have been in a change of the tax or fees from the time I made the reservation to the time I used the car, but those tend to be small.

Car rental prices almost always get more expensive the closer you are to the date, but sometimes they can drop. That is why I usually make a reservation as soon as we have our flights arranged (sometimes before). Then I check occasionally to see if I can get a better deal, and just re-book.

Kurt

 

[johnfornal]

New Years Eve

Hi,

We were just in the islands over New Years and found the CAR rental prices including New years eve to be more than double of that w/o it included.... so there must be very high demand for that day....

Priced and paid for that day separately and found the week to cost about $330 on Oahu for an intermediate....total...closer to the arrival date better deals are to be found.

Costco just gave me a deal on Maui for $261 total, yes total for two weeks starting 5/9 Alamo....full size.

HOPE THAT HELPS....

 

[brianfox]

I used carrentalhawaii.com for my 3 weeks in HI: Oahu, Maui, Kauai. These were/are the prices for a 1 week Full Size rental in July (with Alamo):

Through carrentalhawaii.com as of 4/18/11:
Oahu: $212 ($245 after fees)
Maui: $212 ($300 after fees - Thanks for the surcharge, Maui...)
Kauai: $195 ($280 after fees ) <-- MID-SIZE (Full size is $100 more)


I went to Costco today to see if they could do better....
I used the Alamo 20% off +$30 off coupon. It ends up being only 10% off + $30.

Through Costco as of 4/18/11:
Oahu: $188 ($220 after fees) <-- COSTCO WINS
Maui: $140 ($218 after fees) <-- COSTCO WINS
Kauai: $430 ($553 after fees) <-- MID-SIZE carrentalhawaii.com WINS

Costco confirmation numbers let you use the Kiosks
carrentalhawaii.com confirmation #'s do not let you use Kiosks

Something is going on with Kauai. All of the rental agencies are gouging right now - I'm told it's very limited stock. Carrentalhawaii has not yet raised their rates. Lock in whatever you can get for right now. You can always cancel it.

 

[Denise L]

Maui rental prices

I haven't priced out Kauai lately, but I noticed a huge drop in Maui prices soon after the tsunami/earthquake in Japan.

My full-size rental on Maui went from $262 to $158 to $144 (current price I have reserved). This is through Costco. I was bidding on PL every day and the lowest price it offered me at the time was $15/day, which is more than the $144 that is completely refundable and changeable. I keep checking every day and may bid $7/day on PL and watch it kick me out. That would still cost me a little over $120/day if it even accepted that, so sometimes not worth my logging on every day to bid.

Not sure what is going on with Kauai, but I am paying less on Maui than I did in 2009 and 2010 for the same holiday week.

 

[dreamin]

For our 2 week February '11 trip to Kauai I booked an intermediate car with Budget through Costco for $485. I thought this was too much but all the other companies were closer to $900, and continued to rise to over $1000. I printed out the confirmation and Costco discount and presented it at the counter. My price was honored with no questions asked. However they tried to say that I could get either the Costco discount OR the upgrade, but not both. I pointed out on my copy that said discount AND upgrade. End of argument. I got the upgrade and paid the discounted price I had reserved on-line. This was not prepaid. I wouldn't worry, as long as you bring a copy of your reservation.

 

[Cathyb]

Thank you

For our 2 week February '11 trip to Kauai I booked an intermediate car with Budget through Costco for $485. I thought this was too much but all the other companies were closer to $900, and continued to rise to over $1000. I printed out the confirmation and Costco discount and presented it at the counter. My price was honored with no questions asked. However they tried to say that I could get either the Costco discount OR the upgrade, but not both. I pointed out on my copy that said discount AND upgrade. End of argument. I got the upgrade and paid the discounted price I had reserved on-line. This was not prepaid. I wouldn't worry, as long as you bring a copy of your reservation.

Good info -- thank you!

 

[keepercjr]

1st post but longtime reader.

Several people (including myself) have reported rates as low as $8 per day for an economy on Kauai through priceline's name your own price feature. When $8 was accepted for me they offered me to upgrade to a standard for $9 or full size for $10 per day. This is for dates in June and the rental company is Alamo. I had a good backup reservaton through Avis with the Hawaiian airlines code but priceline was much better.

The downside of priceline is that it only allows 1 driver (a 2nd driver is something like $15 extra per day) and once your bid is accepted it is immediately charged and there is no going back. But if you understand the "cons" you can bid with confidence and know what you are getting. be sure to check out the bidding websites before placing your bid to see what others are getting (betterbidding.com and biddingfortravel.com).

To the OP - have your rental reserved but try priceline close to your dates of travel.

 

[Cathyb]

keepercjr

1st post but longtime reader.

Several people (including myself) have reported rates as low as $8 per day for an economy on Kauai through priceline's name your own price feature. When $8 was accepted for me they offered me to upgrade to a standard for $9 or full size for $10 per day. This is for dates in June and the rental company is Alamo. I had a good backup reservaton through Avis with the Hawaiian airlines code but priceline was much better.

The downside of priceline is that it only allows 1 driver (a 2nd driver is something like $15 extra per day) and once your bid is accepted it is immediately charged and there is no going back. But if you understand the "cons" you can bid with confidence and know what you are getting. be sure to check out the bidding websites before placing your bid to see what others are getting (betterbidding.com and biddingfortravel.com).

To the OP - have your rental reserved but try priceline close to your dates of travel.

Welcome as a poster! Thank you! Have gotten great Priceline prices for Maui in years passed; however this time I have super high season: 12/26-1/5/2012 in Kauai. I will take your advice as the date gets closer to bid with Priceline. We tried Hotwire last January and was a tad disappointed -- got Enterprise but (1) they were away from the other car rental places and hard to find at night; and (2) they tacked on $80 more on our bill which my DH didn't catch until we got home.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

try hawaiicarrentals.net. Using them I got a reservation for this August on the Big Island directly with Budget that was half the best rate I was able to get by using all of my codes and coupons at the Budget site.

Once I filled out data on their site, the site directed me to the Budget site to complete the reservation, with their discount codes filled in on the Budget reservation page.

 

[Ken555]

I just returned from Maui, and for the first time rented off airport at Advantage. Mid size was $150 with taxes for a week. And, they honor some Hertz coupons. I see no reason to reserve at the airport at Maui any longer, even with the Costco discount. Why pay more?

 

[Cathyb]

Off airport --

I just returned from Maui, and for the first time rented off airport at Advantage. Mid size was $150 with taxes for a week. And, they honor some Hertz coupons. I see no reason to reserve at the airport at Maui any longer, even with the Costco discount. Why pay more?

Does that mean you have to have an agent pick you up at the airport and drive you to their office? Or is it like Enterprise where you catch their shuttle at the airport to pick up a car and when you return the car you drop it off -- away from the airport?

 

[Carlsbadguy]

I have a trip to Kauai next month and am seeing compact cars at $10 day through Hotwire. Staying at Kauai Beach Club and need t figure out if I want a car for all 2 weeks.

 

[Cathyb]

I'm so jealous!

I have a trip to Kauai next month and am seeing compact cars at $10 day through Hotwire. Staying at Kauai Beach Club and need t figure out if I want a car for all 2 weeks.

Each time I see a rate like yours I run to those sites only to find my 12/26-1/5 is still 800-1000 dollars! I just checked again yesterday -- same high price.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Each time I see a rate like yours I run to those sites only to find my 12/26-1/5 is still 800-1000 dollars! I just checked again yesterday -- same high price.

The rate is that low because May is off-season. Your rate is that high because you are there at absolute peak season.

Most of us will find rates somewhere in the middle.

 

[davef]

try hawaiicarrentals.net. Using them I got a reservation for this August on the Big Island directly with Budget that was half the best rate I was able to get by using all of my codes and coupons at the Budget site.

Once I filled out data on their site, the site directed me to the Budget site to complete the reservation, with their discount codes filled in on the Budget reservation page.

this site is a joke.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

this site is a joke.

If you're referring to the design of the site - totally agree. If you're referring to cheaper rates I have to disagree. I'm sitting here with a confirmed Budget reservation that is about 65% of the best rate I was able to come up with otherwise.