DCA Washington DC Economy

[tjh2a]

I started bidding at $11, than $15, than $20 and am still having no luck.

For others that have posted about DCA, I should have gotten $20 atleast. I wonder what is going on. Hotwire has an economy for $129.94 and a minivan for $109.70. Say if I were to get the minivan and once I get to the front desk, do you think that I would be able to downgrade? Anyone have experience with that?

Thanks for the help.

[slick_gd]

Rates change depending on availability so while using other people's wins as a barometer is a good idea, there are times that you wont get as great a deal.

You can typically get better rates on PRICELINE than HOTWIRE, but with HOTWIRE showing quite high rates for the 2-day rental it would lead me to believe that there might be a temporary shortage of cars available on those dates.

I personally haven't had any experience in asking for a downgrade but my opinion would be that they would if they could but are under no obligation. In this case, I think a downgrade might be an easier request to accommodate, but it is also a matter of if they can. I wouldn't bet on it though.

Have you checked with the rental companies directly to see how their rates for those dates compare with others? If they are generally higher then you know that you might have to bid a little more.

[tjh2a]

What I have found is the following:

Prices based on Economy

Hertz : $161 (USAA Discount 25%)

Avis : $139 (USAA Discount 25%)

Budget : $132 (USAA Discount 20%)

Hotwire : $125 and $110 for MiniVan

So when I enter say $20/day. Says Good Chance $35.00 & Great Chance $37.00. How close would you have to get to those numbers? When you put in $35 the total is around $99. Should my bid be around $30 or so, or should I go up $3 intervals until I get it?

[slick_gd]

I'm not too sure how the counter-offers work with rental cars, but I know when bidding on a hotel if you receive a counter offer most likely you can win the hotel for less. I would think it might be the same in this case. If you have the ability of re-bidding a few extra times I would say to go in smaller increments instead of jumping to what they list.

[tjh2a]

Have you used Priceline for cars much? Does timing effect price, like if I wait till a day before or something will it maybe be cheaper or more expensive? Does that even matter for Hotels? My brother-in-law swears that if he waits till the last minute, he gets a better deal.

[yellowdog]

There is no easy or general answer to your question. I have done much PRICELINE and HOTWIRE, I have won some and lost some. There are so many factors. But i'm no beliver in allways wait to the last minute. A big advantage is to get to know the market for "your" zone.

Here is a link for you: Should i Bid Early or Close to Arrival Date

Good luck!

Yellowdog.