Best rental car rates?

[gregjennifer]

Anyone have any ideas where I could find the best rental car rates? Is priceline good in this area as well? Any info would be appreciated.

greg

[thereuare]

Start with our Car Rental Checker... from there post in the Car Rental forums near the bottom of the board for more specific information regarding your specific use (dates, area, car type, etc)

[danstime]

What I did was use HOTWIRE get up to the $95.00 range and use the $30.00 rebate from Entertainment Book. Example mid-size car $18.95 a day 4 days with tax and everthing $98.07-$30.00 rebate $68.07 a pretty good deal. Dan

[timothyb]

I book a rental car every month for two or three weeks at a time. I used to use Orbitz, but now Priceline seems to have better deals. I got a Standard rental (bigger than a midsize) for two weeks at $18 a day including taxes and fees from Philly..

I do notice that certain cities are just more expensive to rent cars in, Philly is one of them.. I considered doing a one way rental to Nashville, which always seems to have low rates then renting from there; but one way rentals from PHL are too high to consider... :)

[bbbb]

I have found this site to be great.

http://flights.sidestep.com/air/

[rc408]

The lowest rates I find are usually through Southwest Airlines at Southwest.com

[flyme2]

Enterprise often has $9.99 per day weekend rates. You've got to rent the car beginning on a Friday, and I'm not quite sure if you are obligated to keep it until Monday. In any case, it's a bargain at $29.97 for 3 days. It's usually available at most off-airport locations (there are quite a number of them) and they offer a free pick up service. I was able to get this deal just last month (May 2005) in Waikiki.

There are a couple of caveats, however.

• Usually 100 mile cap per day.
  Extra fee for airport drop-off.
  Usually not available at airport locations.
  $9.99 deal is seasonal, and not available throughout the year.
  

[rc408]

Enterprise often has $9.99 per day weekend rates. You've got to rent the car beginning on a Friday, and I'm not quite sure if you are obligated to keep it until Monday. In any case, it's a bargain at $29.97 for 3 days. It's usually available at most off-airport locations (there are quite a number of them) and they offer a free pick up service. I was able to get this deal just last month (May 2005) in Waikiki.

There are a couple of caveats, however.

• Usually 100 mile cap per day.
  Extra fee for airport drop-off.
  Usually not available at airport locations.
  $9.99 deal is seasonal, and not available throughout the year.
  

Who is this through?

[thereuare]

If you don't see the Enterprise link then shut off your Norton Internet Security or set it to "allow" from BetterBidding.

INSTRUCTIONS for Norton Internet Security.

[flyme2]

There's currently a $9.99 weekend deal at Enterprise good until Friday, June 24. I now know that you must rent the car for a 3 day weekend beginning on Fridays. I've found availability in every city I've tried, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago ... even Newark, NJ (Union St. location).

[thereuare]

A reminder that this board is an affiliate of Enterprise Rent a Car :)

[zbenye]

I wish you would affiliate with more car rental companies. I dislike Enterprise and avoid them if I can get another company for slightly more. At their St. Louis airport location, Enterprise insisted on calling my credit card company (Amex) to verify that the card covers damages to the car, although I assured them it does. The process took 20 minutes. Then they still tried to scare me into getting their expensive LDW. And then they tried to get me to upgrade. A lot of unpleasant haggle and wasted time. At Alamo or Avis, you're out in your car in five minutes. I will be renting a car in St. Louis for 5 weeks starting Wednesday, and although Enterprise's weekly rate is $15 lower, I've chosen to rent from Alamo.

[flyme2]

...Enterprise insisted on calling my credit card company (Amex) to verify that the card covers damages to the car, although I assured them it does. The process took 20 minutes. ..

A while back I had a similar discussion with an Alamo agent in Phoenix, and although he accepted my word, I have since begun carrying copies of the insurance documents provided by the CC companies everytime I travel. In all reality, the agents know full well that most gold or platinum CC's carry car rental insurance. They're just goaded into selling a very profitable product by their station managers.

[thereuare]

In all reality, the agents know full well that most gold or platinum CC's carry car rental insurance.

I carry a Platinum Amex that does not cover car rental insurance

(I simply don't use this card for car rentals)

[friend]

Whether your credit card covers the CDW or not should be irrelevant. Accepting or declining the CDW from the rental company is optional, even if you have no other way to cover it, but the rental companies don't want you to believe that. The rental clerks get paid heft commissions for selling it, from what I have heard.

Though they are not the only company with such tactics, Enterprise once told me that AmEx didn't cover the last 5 claims they were aware of, then they also told me they would charge my card and hold me, not my credit card company liable for any damage. "Fine" I said. Only then did the rental agent show me the rental contract and make me sign a waiver in large type stating that if the renter has a MN drivers license and personal liability insurance in MN, that liability insurance company is REQUIRED to cover CDW for rental cars. So even if I didn't have a credit card that covered it, I was covered through my personal auto policy.

No wonder AmEx didn't cover the last 5 claims that he mentioned - they didn't have to. The renters' personal auto policy covered it.

Just be sure to read what you sign. I know of two people who said the rental agent told them they were declining the CDW when in fact the rental contract said they were accepting it. Of course what you sign carries more weight than what the rental clerk says.

[rc408]

I carry a Platinum Amex that does not cover car rental insurance

(I simply don't use this card for car rentals)

My understanding is that it is Mastercard and Visa themselves that offers the rental car coverage, not the bank that gave you the credit card or the type of card you have. Amex apparently doesn't have that as a benefit.

[flyme2]

The free CDW coverage offered by many credit card companies are basically 2 types: primary and secondary.

Primary insurance, as offered by my Royal Bank of Canada Gold Visa card, covers the entire cost, less a deductible, of replacing the entire vehicle including the rental firm's lost revenue.

Secondary insurance, as offered by my Canadian based America PRICELINE EXPRESS Platinum, is similar with one exception. They will cover only what your own personal auto policy won't. If you don't have a car or an applicable insurance policy, then they cover the entire cost. I presume that's why the Enterprise agent was technically correct. They were compensated by the renter's own policy and that's why Amex was off the hook.

BTW, I recently added special coverage for rental cars to my personal auto policy. The cost was only $29 CAD for a year, with a cap set at $35,000 CAD per incident.

Here's a run down of Visa's US based car rental coverage.

[sage]

The most consistent lowest rate rentals I've found in US are (in no particular order):

- Budget (check their website for internet and last minute specials)

- Enterprise (when you use them, they soon email you discount codes for future rental; but takes longer to get car, though often you can easily get goodwill upgrades like a convertable)

- Alamo (check their website for internet specials)

- Dollar (check their website for internet specials; can be slower to get and drop off, may request gas receipt)

For the UK, I highly recommend 1car1.com. Great rates and service. They deliver the car to you at the airport (or wherever) bringing the paperwork with them. One-ways are not a problem.

[sage]

Oh yeah, and since this is a Priceline/Hotwire forum, I've typically found similar or slightly better rates with internet specials on rental companies' own website than on Hotwire. One notable exeption is NYC area, where specials exclude LGA/EWR/JFK such that all compact were $80 daily rate, but Hotwire was half that.

I cannot speak (type) to Priceline's rental bidding. Anyone field that one?

[LglBlonde]

We've done pretty well for a rental in MCO - we don't have vast experience, but last year we rented a Compact at a $15 dollar/day bid for a one week rental. Total price $148.43. Averaged $21/day, including all taxes fees of which there are a lot. We compared it to going deals at the time and it it came out good. I think we got National which was right on site and worked out fine. I've seen people get bids even lower for compacts too.

The only catch is that if we both wanted to be able to drive the car, it would be another $10/per day. I don't think traditional bookings charge that much for an extra driver.

[Autumn96]

I used the Car Rental Checker here and found a company called EZ Car rental.

It was by far the lowest rate for MCO area. I think originally it was $243. for a midsize for the 15 days I was there. I kept checking the site and the price got lower so I would update the booking. My final price for the 15 days (&1 hour) was $203 & that includes all taxes and such.

The service was great.. I was right in and out. They had a nice shuttle to and from the airport.

No pressure with purchasing insurance as I had put no insurance on the reservation. I did have to bring proof of my own insurance though. It was clear on the reservation and I was prepared. I don't know what kind of proof I would have needed to bring if I was relying on my credit card. I do carry a platinum, but didn't use it. I've never even checked into it to see if it covers rentals.

The car was brand new of course.. but not my favorite. A PT Cuiser Touring Edition (sorry to all those pt cruiser owners/lovers out there). I could have had them rewrite the paper work and get a cavalier.. but it didn't make that much of a difference to me.

Return was quick easy and friendly. The return shuttle prompt. There were 3 other sets of passengers but it took me right to my airline, not to a common drop off point. I was the first off, but I'm sure he did the same for the other passengers.

I would recommend them to anyone. Of course I've only had the one experience with them, but a very good one!