PHL 7/28-8/9

[CarouselGal]

I've been trying to priceline an standard car at the PHL airport for Jul 28-Aug 9 - keep getting rejected and I've gone up to $20/day - yet I see another member here recently getting an SUV for $12. Prices from hotwire are well over $500 for the 12 days. Is it just too far in advance to get a good deal or have prices gone way up recently? Labor day weekend I had a car for $48 total inl taxes for 3 days!

Any advice?

(and i do keep using the link from this site)

[thereuare]

Labor day weekend I had a car for $48 total inl taxes for 3 days!

It would be appreciated if you started to share all your wins with the board so that the information can help other users. :)

Labor day weekend I had a car for $48 total inl taxes for 3 days!

Is it just too far in advance to get a good deal or have prices gone way up recently?

It's possible that rates come down between now and your trip, but rates are date specific, so it's not uncommon that you won't be able to duplicate another user's winning bid if/when rates are different then your won. What is the best daily rate you're able to find thru traditional booking channels for these dates? Do you need an SUV for this trip, as 'specialty' vehicles can often be a bit harder to win than the economy/compact cars (as well as standard/fullsize vehicles)

Thanks for using the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board.

[CarouselGal]

That $48 rate was from Costco ;)

I and generally seeing around $35/day - plus a ton of fees of course. I'm just looking for a mid-size car, only mentioned the SUV because I'd expect that to be a lot more but the other member got it for $12. Priceline is saying I'd have a good chance at $30 and a great chance at $34 :(

[thereuare]

You can/should ignore PRICELINE's good chance/great chance message... we have seen wins when the 'almost no chance' message was present as well as seen rejections even when bidding at the 'great chance' suggested price.

Given the $35 retail rates you're seeing, is $20 your maximum bid at this time?

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

[CarouselGal]

I'd like to stay around $20. Is it generally the case that lower bids are more likely to win as the rental date gets nearer or do they go up? Trying to decide if I should just wait till June or even early July.

[thereuare]

It all depends upon supply/demand and how actual reservations/cancellations come in relative to expected reservations/cancellations.

See the related 'Book Early or Close to Check-in' link in our PRICELINE FAQ, which is written for hotels, but same principles can be applied to car rentals.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.

Keep us updated on your progress and let us know if we can be of further help along the way.