Priceline and Hotwire success with car rentals

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Long time TUGgers know that I've been touting both Priceline and Hotwire for at least five or six years.

When I first started using Priceline I found that Priceline consistently gave the lowest prices for both rental cars and hotels by whopping margings. By whopping, I mean that savings of 50% off the best discounted prices were pretty routine.

But about four years ago, Priceline went in the tank as a source of car reservations. Priceline stopped giving me successful bids that were less than what Hotwire was offereing, and I consistently I found that I could routinely match Hotwire offers simply by going directly to car rental sites and plugging in widely available discount codes. My rule of thumb is that there needs to be at least a 10% price difference to justify using Hotwire or Priceline, and the difference needs to be substantially more than 10% to for shorter term rentals - e.g, on a two day rental for $50, I want at least a 20% ($10) difference.

Based on about five or six rentals since the first of this year, it appears the car rental situation has been changing with both PL and Hotwire. First, Hotwire started consistently coming through with rates at least 25% lower than what I could get directly from the car rental agencies.

Then in the last two months, I've scored four rentals through Priceline that are from 30% to 50% off the best rates I can find at car rental sites.

Those are some pretty significant savings. If you haven't invested time to learn how to use PKL and Hotwire, you should do so.

 

[JillChang]

I tried priceline for car rental at the beginning of the month for Las Vegas and had no success after bidding up to 80% of the best price I could get directly from car rental website.

I am also trying priceline for car rental for Christmas and New Years in Florida, also no success so far, although I will continue to try.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I tried priceline for car rental at the beginning of the month for Las Vegas and had no success after bidding up to 80% of the best price I could get directly from car rental website.

I am also trying priceline for car rental for Christmas and New Years in Florida, also no success so far, although I will continue to try.

Jill and others:

Remember that if you are traveling during high demand periods, neither PL nor Hotwire is likely to offer you any bargain. both sites work on selling surplus inventory - cars or hotel rooms that would otherwise go unused.

During peak periods, hotels and car rental agenices know that they will be able to find customers for all of their inventory without giving inventory to PL and Hotwire. Thus, during such times, they only give inventory to PL and Hotwire at prices that are higher than what they would rent on their own.

At places such as biddingfortravel, there are ample stories of people who paid more for a hotel room or car rental via PL and Hotwire than they would have by reserving directly.

You can't assume that PL and Hotwire will always offer a better price, espcially if you traveling during peak periods.

*****

Jill - you are doing exactly correctly by checking with direct reservation prices instead of just entering in pell mell.

Have you tried Hotwire? If Hotwire doesn't offer a discount, I would say it's likely that you are working against a period of no surplus inventory.

 

[JillChang]

Yes, I checked hotwire. The best price I got for a van in Christmas is $279/week. Hotwire is running something like $400/week last time I checked.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Yes, I checked hotwire. The best price I got for a van in Christmas is $279/week. Hotwire is running something like $400/week last time I checked.

I doubt that you'll have any success in with PL or HW if you're trying Christmas and New Years in Florida.

 

[wackymother]

What do you think about trying right up till the day before? Any luck with real last-minute attempts to get a car? I would rent one this weekend if I could get a great deal. But right now Hotwire's not showing much of a discount and I blew through my Priceline tries.

I've had great luck with Priceline for hotels and cars on some trips we're taking this summer--Priceline $70 for the 4* Hyatt in Chicago (yessss! It's about $200 on discount sites) and $20 per day for a full-size car in Chicago in July. Also $70 for the 3* Marriott in Albany for one night in August (about $170 on discount sites).