Rental Car Reservation Change. Any strategies out there when car rental rates are over double now.

[Egret1986]

Back in April, I secured airfares to Maui. I immediately made my car reservation. This week, I was notified that the schedule had changed for my trip. The schedule change was unusable due to a connecting flight departing prior to our arrival at the airport. This alone has been very troublesome since these fares are now limited and more costly than when purchased in April. I have found a potential solution; flying in a day earlier and leaving a day earlier. However, my car reservation will have to be cancelled due to the change in dates. Car rental rates are now double or more.

What can I do?????? As stated, we will have to fly in a day earlier. Do I leave this reservation in place and try to rent a vehicle for the one extra day? Do we try to do without a vehicle for the one day? If we return the vehicle a day earlier; how will this effect the reservation? Will we penalized for an early return?

This trip is becoming very problematic and now has the potential to be way more expensive for the basics of airfare and car rental than previously planned. I really don't want to cancel this trip, but these two issues have me wondering if this is a sign that we shouldn't go.

I was just starting to feel some relief when I managed to find airfares to replace the ones that have to be cancelled due to the changed flight schedule. Then I checked on the car reservation and realized that changing it, will cancel it. Then I saw the current rates.

Anyone have any ideas on a solution for my newest dilemma?

 

[PigsDad]

Do I leave this reservation in place and try to rent a vehicle for the one extra day? Do we try to do without a vehicle for the one day?

This is what I would do. Also, take a look at making a 1-day reservation from the airport, and then another reservation from an off-site location for the remainder of the time. Sometimes you can save a bundle that way because the airport reservation has tons of per-day fees associated with the airport that are not included in off-site reservations. You can often even return the car from the airport to the off-site location, and vice versa.

If we return the vehicle a day earlier; how will this effect the reservation? Will we penalized for an early return?

Depends on the company. I've returned early w/o penalty in the past, but I have heard of some companies charging. May want to call them.

Your other option may be to just skip the car and go with Uber/Lyft. It may be cheaper than you think. You can go to their websites and do fare estimates to see.

Kurt

 

[Talent312]

I'm surprised that the airline would change you to an impossible connection.
... Or were these flights booked as separate tickets?

Early return penalties are usually stated in the fine print of your reservation.
Usually, they apply only if you return the vehicle MT 48 hrs early, but it depends.
It may apply if you book a weekly rate, return the car LT # of days that qualifies.

.

 

[K2Quick]

Try picking up the car at an off-airport location. Just playing around with a sample week, the rates can drop in half if you pick up in Kihei and return to the airport. You would then need to add an uber on top of that, but that's a potential way to save some $.

 

[rickandcindy23]

What airline did that to you? Delta is a nightmare for us, and I won't fly Delta to Maui ever again.

My sister wanted to have a car just from the airport this past September, because the four of us had too much stuff for any regular car. We shared a car the rest of the trip, so she rented a car for just two days, and it was quite reasonable. We actually returned the car to the close Budget. But you need to go back to the airport to get your other car.

You might want to see if the rate is less at the Lahaina rental car companies and just do a one-way rental from the airport.

 

[Egret1986]

This is what I would do. Also, take a look at making a 1-day reservation from the airport, and then another reservation from an off-site location for the remainder of the time. Sometimes you can save a bundle that way because the airport reservation has tons of per-day fees associated with the airport that are not included in off-site reservations. You can often even return the car from the airport to the off-site location, and vice versa.


Depends on the company. I've returned early w/o penalty in the past, but I have heard of some companies charging. May want to call them.

Your other option may be to just skip the car and go with Uber/Lyft. It may be cheaper than you think. You can go to their websites and do fare estimates to see.

Kurt

I appreciate your input. I hadn't considered the off-site location. Uber/Lyft also should be a good consideration if all else fails. We really don't want to cancel the trip.

I'm surprised that the airline would change you to an impossible connection.
... Or were these flights booked as separate tickets?

Early return penalties are usually stated in the fine print of your reservation.
Usually, they apply only if you return the vehicle MT 48 hrs early, but it depends.
It may apply if you book a weekly rate, return the car LT # of days that qualifies.

This happened one time before with a schedule change. Like this time, we got a totally new schedule that simply is impossible. The last time this happened, we weren't dealing with such a high demand area at peak season. That one was an easy fix. This one has been much more tedious and a bit frustrating.

Try picking up the car at an off-airport location. Just playing around with a sample week, the rates can drop in half if you pick up in Kihei and return to the airport. You would then need to add an uber on top of that, but that's a potential way to save some $.

I didn't know about this potential option. Thank you for replying.

 

[Luanne]

I'll give the advice I always give. Make your reservation, register it with AutoSlash, and then hope for the best.

 

[moonstone]

Try picking up the car at an off-airport location. Just playing around with a sample week, the rates can drop in half if you pick up in Kihei and return to the airport. You would then need to add an uber on top of that, but that's a potential way to save some $.

Our DD just did that yesterday. She & her bff arrived at OGG last evening and had booked a 1 night stay in a hotel near the airport ahead of their 1 week timeshare stay beginning today. The hotel they chose had free airport shuttles so they took that, then this morning DD was taking the local transit to the car rental place to pick up their car. She will then drive back to the hotel to pickup her bff and all their luggage then drive to the timeshare. There was a substantial cost savings by picking up the car away from the airport and 12hrs later than her flight arrival.


~Diane

 

[Sandy VDH]

It does depend. Hawaii in notorious for having no in-town rentals rates lower than airport rates EXCEPT in Oahu. I have tried this and found it no different that on airport car rentals.

Add an extra day up front, then just keep your remaining reservation, bringing a car back 6 or 7 day should not change the rate.

 

[Egret1986]

What airline did that to you? Delta is a nightmare for us, and I won't fly Delta to Maui ever again.

My sister wanted to have a car just from the airport this past September, because the four of us had too much stuff for any regular car. We shared a car the rest of the trip, so she rented a car for just two days, and it was quite reasonable. We actually returned the car to the close Budget. But you need to go back to the airport to get your other car.

You might want to see if the rate is less at the Lahaina rental car companies and just do a one-way rental from the airport.

It was American Airlines. From where we live, it seems AA goes everywhere we go and has the best pricing over the other airlines. AA has always been a good airline for us. Though there was a warning on another thread about airline schedule changes when I was first planning this trip, I guess I didn't consider how much our trip could be affected.

We've considered just cancelling. However, at this late date, there's little out there in other warm locations for this coming winter. It's very frustrating. But as I stated in the other thread; in the grand scheme of life, it's "just a thing to be dealt with". It will be nice if we can regroup and still pull this trip off; but if it's not meant to be, then it will just be an unwelcome bump in the road. It's mostly out of my control.

The scary part, at this point, is that we'll get everything set, pay more money to get back to square one, and then we'll get another worrisome schedule change.

I never buy RCI Points protection. I did for this exchange. Maybe this was in the cards the whole time.......or maybe it was just way too many points to gamble with. I'm thankful I purchased it. Knowing that I can wait to the last minute and cancel gives some comfort. At this point if we decide to cancel the trip, we'll only be out the exchange fee.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Airline changes happen all the time, especially if you book your airfare way in advance. Just keep an eye on it, and make the airlines make it workable. Price and fare buckets should NOT come into play when dealing with rescheduling.

I do find it better if you review the NEW schedule first, then figure out what you PREFER, that has the space available, and then call the airline to change it to that. If you just call and say there is an issue, and then you leave it to them to find a solution, they might look at load levels and fares and offer you something that is not very desirable.

ALWAYS know your preferred option is before you call the airline. But make sure you like what they switch it to, because if you switch it again a second time, YOU WILL PAY for the change. Or wait for yet another schedule change.

 

[Talent312]

I was able to bludgeon Delta into giving us a much better schedule when they moved our departure time up by 55 minutes.

Delta: "We consider this to be a minor change - so we can't do that."
Me: "It was bad enuff when we had to get up at 4am to check-in at 5am. Now, you want us *senior citizens to get up at 3am, instead."
Delta: "We'll make the change this one time as a convenience."
*(throwing "senior citizen" around seems to help.)

.

 

[b2bailey]

Since you will arrive a day early, sounds like you will need a hotel reservation for first night. I'd book something close to airport, then go back the next day to pick up car.

 

[WinniWoman]

I'm surprised that the airline would change you to an impossible connection.
... Or were these flights booked as separate tickets?

Early return penalties are usually stated in the fine print of your reservation.
Usually, they apply only if you return the vehicle MT 48 hrs early, but it depends.
It may apply if you book a weekly rate, return the car LT # of days that qualifies.

.

Surprised? I have had it happen and that is why I no longer will go anywhere that requires a connecting flight. Non-stop only for me.

 

[Egret1986]

I'll give the advice I always give. Make your reservation, register it with AutoSlash, and then hope for the best.

I did make my reservation in April. Would AutoSlash have helped in my situation? Airline changes flight times, which requires a change of flights and nothing works for the original day of departure or the original return home. Does AutoSlash help with my current situation? Sorry, I've never used it.

 

[Luanne]

I did make my reservation in April. Would AutoSlash have helped in my situation? Airline changes flight times, which requires a change of flights and nothing works for the original day of departure or the original return home. Does AutoSlash help with my current situation? Sorry, I've never used it.

No, AutoSlash wouldn't help if you need to change your reservation. What I meant was, make a new reservation using the new times/dates. Then enter that into AutoSlash for monitoring. What they will do is notify you if they find a better rate.

 

[Egret1986]

Airline changes happen all the time, especially if you book your airfare way in advance. Just keep an eye on it, and make the airlines make it workable. Price and fare buckets should NOT come into play when dealing with rescheduling.

I do find it better if you review the NEW schedule first, then figure out what you PREFER, that has the space available, and then call the airline to change it to that. If you just call and say there is an issue, and then you leave it to them to find a solution, they might look at load levels and fares and offer you something that is not very desirable.

ALWAYS know your preferred option is before you call the airline. But make sure you like what they switch it to, because if you switch it again a second time, YOU WILL PAY for the change. Or wait for yet another schedule change.

How do I "make the airlines make it workable"? Perhaps "price and fare buckets should NOT come into play when dealing with rescheduling," but that wasn't the case for me.

I did review the NEW schedule first and spent the good portion of a day and evening looking at potential schedules with space still available. I put them on hold and then called. I was on the phone for well over 30 minutes and was confident that the changes would be made. It was definitely not left up to them. However, I was told that even though the new fares were First Class (which I originally had) that the fares that I want require more points than I originally paid.

I knew my preferred option before I called the airline; many hours were spent being prepared for them. They would not switch me. The only option that I was given was a refund of points and fees.

Like you, my thought when I called was that I would be switched to my preferred available First Class seats for this screwed up schedule change (not even doable because a connecting flight leaves before we arrive to the airport).

 

[Egret1986]

No, AutoSlash wouldn't help if you need to change your reservation. What I meant was, make a new reservation using the new times/dates. Then enter that into AutoSlash for monitoring. What they will do is notify you if they find a better rate.

Thanks. My brain is scrambled right now.

After reading Sandy's post, I wonder if I got someone on the phone that wasn't properly trained. She put me on hold several times for long periods and stated that she was on the phone with someone else.

The flights may be gone since I originally tried to obtain them through reservations. I think they are. I have two flights on hold in First Class. I was just going to cancel and re-book, and pay the difference. The only problem is that there are no FC miles fares for our original dates. The new flights are flying in 1 day earlier (high season hotel rate) and leaving Maui 1 day earlier. Frankly, it's becoming a lot of work (and lots more money) trying to get back to where we were in April. Then the car rental issue hit. I'm a bit worn down. I just need to regroup, see if I can make it work (without trying too much harder), and go with whatever decision we come up with.

 

[Egret1986]

I was able to bludgeon Delta into giving us a much better schedule when they moved our departure time up by 55 minutes.

Delta: "We consider this to be a minor change - so we can't do that."
Me: "It was bad enuff when we had to get up at 4am to check-in at 5am. Now, you want us *senior citizens to get up at 3am, instead."
Delta: "We'll make the change this one time as a convenience."
*(throwing "senior citizen" around seems to help.)

I'm starting to think that I wasn't diligent enough and took the first answer. Should I have asked to speak to a supervisor? The woman was very nice and seemed to be trying to be helpful. I naturally assumed that I was confused in some way. I reiterated my situation to her, and she said that she was really sorry and could offer us a full refund.

 

[Egret1986]

Surprised? I have had it happen and that is why I no longer will go anywhere that requires a connecting flight. Non-stop only for me.

Yes, I have to admit that yesterday I was considering that (or not flying at all)......can't drive to Maui, right? and lots of other places we hope to go in the future. It sure gives you a new perspective about future travel when a "happy" trip starts turning into a "stressful" trip.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I know it takes time to figure things out. But if you want an answer you like be prepared to provide the answer you want.

FACTS: You booked in First regardless of method, the schedule changed.

NOTE: If you already change the flight to something, I think you not be given an opportunity to change it again. So if you already did something it may be TOO late (until another schedule change happens).

What I WOULD DO: Do what you did originally, look for dates and flights that have availability and routing. Don't hold them, just find them. Then call and explain that because of schedule changes you can NOT longer connect and therefore the airline needs to find you a new flight. Call and ask agent, if you don't get answer you want from that agent, ask for a supervisor, you may have to wait. Always be polite, and patient.

Explain that you already found the reward fare class, but the schedule change impacts your ability to now take those flights. It is not your fault you are no longer able to connect, the airline should not require you to find the same reward fare class, since it because of them your flights now don't work.

 

[Egret1986]

I know it takes time to figure things out. But if you want an answer you like be prepared to provide the answer you want.

FACTS: You booked in First regardless of method, the schedule changed.

NOTE: If you already change the flight to something, I think you not be given an opportunity to change it again. So if you already did something it may be TOO late (until another schedule change happens).

What I WOULD DO: Do what you did originally, look for dates and flights that have availability and routing. Don't hold them, just find them. Then call and explain that because of schedule changes you can NOT longer connect and therefore the airline needs to find you a new flight. Call and ask agent, if you don't get answer you want from that agent, ask for a supervisor, you may have to wait. Always be polite, and patient.

Explain that you already found the reward fare class, but the schedule change impacts your ability to now take those flights. It is not your fault you are no longer able to connect, the airline should not require you to find the same reward fare class, since it because of them your flights now don't work.

Thank you, Sandy, for your comments and reaching out to me through a conversation on TUG.

I did as you suggested. I found flights that would work for First Class with acceptable schedules. However, it does require arriving and departing one day early. That has created the need for a hotel room for one night and having to adjust the car rental dates by a day on each end. I saw some hotels that had specials for one day car rentals ($45-$50) when I was checking for Maui hotels. That could work or maybe Uber.

I actually did hold the flights because one of the flights only had two FC seats left. Not knowing what to expect before I called this second time, I was willing to pay the additional 45,000 miles in order to save the trip if it got to that point.

It always behooves one to be polite and patient, which I did on both calls to AA. Both agents were very nice and tried to assist.

This second agent was willing to look for options for my original dates; however, there's just nothing available. I told her that I had arrival and return flights on hold with different arrival and return dates. She took my locator numbers and was able to secure the flights. She did have to talk to a supervisor for approval. Before hanging up, she told me (as Sandy did) that because of the schedule change's magnitude that I should have been offered the flights when I called the first time. She said that when a schedule change happens that is not workable to call with the expectation that the airline will do their best to make it right. If things don't work out with the agent, then ask to speak to a supervisor.

Thank you everyone for your input. We're back on track for Maui!

 

[Sandy VDH]

Glad you persevered. You should NOT have to pay extra points for a flight you already obtained because of a schedule change. Changing your reservation by 1 day, and dealing with the added cost of a hotel might be the best options currently available, and if you are willing to do it the airline should do it for you. They should not have to pay for the night, as that is your decision, but you should not have to pay more points for the pleasure.

Glad you got an answer you were happy with.