Is Something Up With Rental Cars?

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I did my first Hotwire search for January in Florida and rates are outta sight. An economy was way higher than the highest SUV we've ever had.

Is that for real?

[Dori Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dori]

I have begun looking for February, and it seems that all the special rates expire on December 31st. We are needing a compact, as the kids are coming down to Orlando. We will have our own car down there, but DD and SIL have two little ones, so there will be two car seats. I'll keep my eyes open for when the new specials for 2011 are loaded.

Dori

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

The most we've ever paid is $550-ish; the least $350-ish, but I don't wannt talk about that one.

Always get a mini-van or SUV.

Here's Hotwire now, for 2 weeks:

Economy: $632.25
SUV: $819.48
Minivan: $860.49

[dvcforus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dvcforus]

I have noticed this as well. Never had to pay more than $20/day for a mid size in Orlando but for October it's at over $50/day! Seems odd in a recession to me.

[bnoble Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bnoble]

The rental car companies have been very aggressive in cutting fleet capacity. So, while travel demand had dropped, there were even fewer available cars. (And, travel has started to pick up some as well.) I'm seeing the same thing with airfares.

At least in the markets I rent, this has been going on for more than a year now.

[vacation_family99 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close vacation_family99]

I have been seeing the same thing. For Orlando during Spring Break, I am seeing prices of $40 - 60 a day for a compact. YIKES!

Hotwire is showing $36 a day for a compact, but I am not willing to go ahead and plunk down my $$. Seems outrageous right now.

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

Rental cars are now like RCI. You have to search every day until they lower their price. I have been successful in getting good rates in Maine this July, $235 for a mid-size for the week after seeing quotes of $71 per day for an economy class, and in Philly last weekend, $15 per day for midsize from the Alamo site. In both cases we were upgraded to full size on the lot and had brand new Chevys with less than 3K miles on them.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Over the last year or two I've noted significant increases in car rental rates almost everywhere I travel. A month ago I even paid $80/day for a compact car in Boise - where I never used to pay more than $20. (And $80 was the cheapest I could find - both on site and offsite, "name brand" companies and others.)

I also generally see fewer cars in the lot than I formerly did, and on occasion I even have to wait while they are finishing prepping a car that just came in so they can give it to me.

The point being that it looks to me as if the car rental companies have reduced the sizes of their fleets.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I constantly get emails from Hotwire/Priceline for cheap rental cars, but never for when we need them.

I'll post some if I remember.

Right on cue:

Compact Car Rentals
Orlando,FL $12/day
Orlando,FL $12/day
Las Vegas,NV $13/day

Economy Car Rentals
Orlando,FL $12/day
Orlando,FL $12/day
Las Vegas,NV $12/day

Mid-Size Car Rentals
Orlando,FL $13/day
Des Moines,IA $14/day
Las Vegas,NV $14/day

Full-Size Car Rentals
Orlando,FL $15/day

Standard Car Rentals
Chicago,IL $17/day

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

I forgot to mention that I am getting these deals through Costco. When prices drop at the rental car sites, I go to Costco.com, get a better rate and a free day or some other perk out of the deal. Plus, Alamo gives you an extra driver for free as part of the Costco partnership. If you are a Costco member, give it a try.

[bluka Member Find all posts View Profile Close bluka]

and make sure you play around with your pick-up and drop-off times (suitable to your needs) as prices seem to change as your times change. I once added an extra hour to the quoted drop-off time and the price dropped as well.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I just did a priceline search for our january dates. They now let you submit numerous bids as long as you change car size. I did them all and did not get anything for $28/day, which came out to $500-plus.

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

I just did a priceline search for our january dates. They now let you submit numerous bids as long as you change car size. I did them all and did not get anything for $28/day, which came out to $500-plus.

January 8 thru 15th at Alamo through Costco at MCO

Minivan - 598
Dodge Journey Fullsize Crossover, Ford Escape Midsize Suv or Chevy Equinox Fullsize SUV are all - 386

I don't know your dates or your destination so I just picked a week in January in Orlando. Those SUV's look like a deal.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

PIE
12/31/10 7 PM thru 1/14/11 Noon

I have continued trying through Priceline & $550 will not get any size that would work, down to Midsize.

I've started trying National and Enterprise, with codes. Member of both.

Most are above $1200. Some above $2000.

Really . . . for 14 days!!!

One code got Luxury for $750, while Economy and Compact were $1100!!!

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

I got Fullsize for $970 for those dates/location. I would wait it out. That's high. I bet it goes down in the next month or so.