szymon

Used the SavingsBarn PRICELINE link - previous day's bid of $40 was rejected. Bid 2.5* in the Woburn zone at $41 for 2 rooms and received the Courtyard Boston North. Best price I could find elsewhere was $98 for that hotel. Total with taxes/fees = $98.52 Thanks! Szymon

Bid this last night (just realized I forgot to use the link :) ) Previous bid of $42 was rejected, raised to $43 got the Marriott. Total for 2 rooms with taxes was $104.76. Price on Marriott site was $109 (AAA $104, AARP $101). Szymon

Hertz is showing availability from Cherry Hill to JFK (pick-up the 16th, return the 17th) on their site. Szymon

beachandsand, If you're looking for a compact for the same dates, Alamo has one for $102.88 total using the VacationOutlet.com contract ID 698805 and the $20 off weekly coupon on the Alamo site. Szymon

$61.81 total for a fullsize on Alamo.com if you prepay. Szymon

Sorry - yes that was a weekly rate. I missed that in my post. A weekly rate is 5, 6, or 7 days. The 8th day would be charged at a daily rate. If you try to do a 'dummy bidding' on Priceline - putting in the city, dates, and bid amount, the next screen will show you the total price including taxes and fees. All cars on Priceline include unlimited mileage. Looks like a $35 bid for 8 days at the end of July = $400.16 on Priceline. On Alamo, using the VacationOutlet.com contract ID 698805 and the $15 off coupon on the site, the total for 8 days is $365.06, therefore booking direct would be a better option. You could also cancel and rebook at any time if the price decreased. Good luck, Szymon

I found that Priceline/Hotwire work best for last minute bids. I usually reserve a rental car at the lowest rate I can find on the rental company's web site. Then I recheck weekly with whatever new specials/coupons are available and I rebook as needed. If the rate is still high a few days before the rental, then I'd use Hotwire or Priceline. Looks like you're not looking for a 1 way rental - just a 8 day rental from MSP. I've seen rental rates for minivans around $280 but this was winter rates. Cars were $230, so minivan would have been a better deal. Always check local rental locations as well, as you may save due to lower taxes/fees. Szymon

Most rental car companies classify the same vehicles in the standard and fullsize category. Since you've gotten Hertz, they classify a Chevy Malibu/Ford Mustang as a standard car. Szymon

When you bid on a car, you choose specific pick-up and drop-off times. What is the date of your rental? What is the best rate you've found so far? There are times when it's better to book conventionally rather than bidding. Szymon

I tend to stay away from the off-brand rental companies. They usually have older higher mileage cars and do a very hard sell for insurance. What are the dates of your trip and what car size are you looking for? How much was the quote incl. taxes from U-Save? Szymon

I bought this on 1/22 - apologies for the delay in posting. Used SB link. The amenities listed were: Suite, Airport Shuttle, Pool, Business Center, Laundry Facilities, High Speed Internet, Kitchenette Total with taxes/fees was $44. Best rate on extendedstay.com was $79 so looks like a good deal for a 1 night stay. Szymon

This was my first 4* bid on this day. Szymon

Been trying to bid for this for about 2 weeks now. Latest rejections included $77 for 4* and $74 for 3*. Was bidding in the Bloomsbury, Mayfair, and Kensington zones. Finally got Holiday Inn Kensington Forum for $78... with taxes/fees, comes out to $99.50. Price with taxes on Holiday Inn web site is around $195 so a 50% savings. Used SavingsBarn link. Szymon

$16 per day comes out to $460 with taxes/fees. If you go to Budget.com and use BCD U072405 you can get an economy or a compact for $460 with taxes/fees. Szymon

A friend bid this last night. Started at $45 for a 3* in the Edison-Woodbridge zone... accepted at the Sheraton at Woodbridge Place. The regular rate on the hotel site was $139 per night... so a significant savings. Thanks! Szymon

Was trying to bid for a 4* in Kensington, Mayfair, or Bloombury zones for a few days now. Using SB link, started at $52 and worked my way up. Last failed bid was $75. Your Offer Price: $77.00 Number of Rooms: 1 Number of Nights: 3 Subtotal: $231.00 Taxes and Service Fees: $50.54 Total Charges: $281.54 The rate on the Millenium hotels site was 89GBP per night (about $162) so a savings of around 50%. Reviews are mixed but I'm sure it will be ok :) Szymon

Membership in AAdvantage is free, so doesn't hurt to join if you want to use that code. Szymon

The AA 25th anniversary promotion BCD is located here. If it was me, I'd split up the rental in order to be able to pick up off site and save $$ on fees. Not sure if the price outweighs the convenience for you. Szymon

budget.com pick-up: any off airport location in Tampa (see which one is closest to airport) drop-off: Tampa airport BCD: U072405 (American Airlines) Total price: $407.47 Szymon

Alamo has one for $105 if you use corporate code IG (last minute specials). Looks like Hotwire's price is $110, so go direct with Alamo. Szymon

At alamo.com, you can use contract ID 698805 (Vacation Outlet) and coupon code D42C ($15 off - avail on Alamo web site) and get a compact for your dates for $422.99 Szymon

atlantatravel, Thrifty in BOS has an intermediate for $606 for your dates. Just keep bidding and see if you can beat that or not. Szymon

Through this link, Budget has a full-size for $298 which currently beats Hotwire's price. You might want to reserve that as a backup while you research your other options. Reservations made through budget.com can be cancelled at no-charge if you decide not to use them. Szymon

Orbitz is not a consolidator. Using coupons/codes/specials from the rental car companies directly is usually much cheaper than reserving through Orbitz/Expedia/Travelocity"]Travelocity. Szymon

The rate I quoted was using the contract ID from America PRICELINE EXPRESS (5005121) and the $30 off weekly minivan rental coupon from the National "specials to go" page. No reason to beat yourself up. Szymon