[ironchefm]

Hello,

I'm trying to use PRICELINE to book a car for the first time. I've heard about all the great rates that people are getting but I can't seem to get anything.
Picking up on 3/29 and dropping off 4/2 at OGG. I started by bidding $11 on Standard, similar to what another forum member did recently. I get the response that the price is too low. I try higher and higher prices with the other car types with no success.

Thanks!!!

[Colfax]

Rates are date sensitive. The rate someone else got for different dates than yours doesn't give much guidance.

Is a Standard size what you want?

What's Hotwire's rate on a Standard car for your dates?

What's the best conventional rate you can find on a Standard?

Please use this PRICELINE link for your purchases.

[ironchefm]

The car size isn't a big deal to me but if a full-size or standard is less than 5 dollars/day more than a compact or economy, I'll probably go for the bigger one.

Hotwire's rates: starting at $26.09 for economy to $36.95 for full-size.

Not sure where the best place to find rental codes would be to make the conventional rate comparison...

[Colfax]

PRICELINE usually beats HOTWIRE on rate. If Hotwire's Standard is $36.95 then you can probably win a Standard on PRICELINE somewhere between $11 (what you've bid) and $36.95.

When your 24 hour lockout is over I'd suggest $14 or $15 for all your acceptable car classes on PRICELINE. Based on Hotwire rates $11 is too low (and $15 will probably be too low too, but since you've got time you might as well try.)

Your rental term is 4 days and sometimes prices drop significantly for rentals of 5 days or longer. Renting for 5 days and returning the car a day early is sometimes less expensive than renting for 4 days, depending on pricing for your dates.

[ironchefm]

Thanks. Would a change is rental term be a free rebid?

I've gone through all the classes, trying $18 but no luck. The following message then shows up with a table of prices.
"Unfortunately, our Name Your Own Price service was unable to locate an available rental car for the area and dates you selected. However, we have found a broad selection of rental car options below."
The lowest (Economy) starts at $26 with a Midsize going for $29.

If I keep on trying the bidding process, would I get a price much lower than that?

Thanks!

[Colfax]

ironchefm, on Mar 4 2010, 12:06 PM, said:

Thanks. Would a change is rental term be a free rebid?

Changing your rental term so that it's a different number of days will allow you to bid again without waiting 24 hours.

For example, assuming a 4pm pickup time changing your return time from 3pm to 5pm would also change your rental term from 4 days to 5 days, allowing you to bid again before 24 hours. (Btw, what pickup time are you using?)

Renting for 5 days can be cheaper than 4 days, as mentioned. For your dates HOTWIRE's Standard is $36.95/day for a four day term but only $23.95/day for a five day term. The bottom line totals including taxes for 4 or 5 days are about the same though, $199, so the "5 day discount" doesn't help you in this instance.

Checking your four-day term on HOTWIRE the only two car classes that are in red now are Standard and Fullsize, both $36.95. The other listings are in gray, which means they're retail listings, not discounted opaque listings. If HOTWIRE doesn't have opaque inventory in certain car classes (the gray ones) then PRICELINE might not have inventory in those classes either.

I think your best chances now are bidding Standard and Fullsize (since those classes are in red), somewhere in between $19 (what you've bid) and $36.95 (the HOTWIRE rate). I'd suggest $20 or $21 now.

You can book a Midsize conventionally from Dollar for $29.69/day, so that gives a ceiling on how high you can go before a conventional booking is cheaper.