Alamo Prices

[luvdisney14]

I booked a car thru alamo on Wed. for a good rate. I keep checking daily and the rate went back up. Is it normal for the rate to keep changing?

 

[aribelle]

Yep....sometimes they'll change more than once in the same day!

Another thing I've noticed....I can be doing some price checking and put in a pick up time (or drop off time) that is an hour different and get a different price. Just can't figure out a reasoning on that...so the same car, at the same airport for the same number of days costs more because it pick it up an hour later....or earlier? And I'm not talking about an extra hour that makes it go over the 24 hours so it's really an extra day. I'm talking one reservation with a 9am pick up, 4 days, 7pm drop off. Next reservation, same 4 days, but a 10am pick up, 7pm drop off. $17 more. Ummm, hello, I'm getting LESS time with the car technically.

SO....play around with the pick up/drop off time......they'll hold a car for 3 hours after the pick up time, so if your flight arrives at 9am, try 7 or 8am and 10 or 11 am.

 

[n2mm]

They change all of the time. Last week I booked an SUV for 9 days at $188 total. The same rental is now double that price.

 

[Dedejf]

Yep....sometimes they'll change more than once in the same day!

Another thing I've noticed....I can be doing some price checking and put in a pick up time (or drop off time) that is an hour different and get a different price. Just can't figure out a reasoning on that...so the same car, at the same airport for the same number of days costs more because it pick it up an hour later....or earlier? And I'm not talking about an extra hour that makes it go over the 24 hours so it's really an extra day. I'm talking one reservation with a 9am pick up, 4 days, 7pm drop off. Next reservation, same 4 days, but a 10am pick up, 7pm drop off. $17 more. Ummm, hello, I'm getting LESS time with the car technically.

SO....play around with the pick up/drop off time......they'll hold a car for 3 hours after the pick up time, so if your flight arrives at 9am, try 7 or 8am and 10 or 11 am.

I totally agree and have also found that if you enter the time on the half hour (for example 1:30 P.M.) instead of on the hour (example 1:00 P.M.) there is often a BIG difference in price and I've found it is usually much MORE on the half hour.

I've often wondered how early they will let you pick up a car? They'll hold it for three hours after the time you've stated according to the PP but how early can you pick it up (for example, if you've listed 1:00 P.M. for pick up and arrive at 10:00 A.M. instead.) Anyone know?

 

[SB in KY]

I think you can pretty much pick up the car anytime on the reserved day....early or late. Why there is so much difference in the rates for varying pick up and return times I cannot explain....but we have picked up 4 or 5 hours before and/or after the reserved time and no one batted an eye....just make sure you alter your return time accordingly (if you pick it up 4 hours early then you need to return it that much early as well).

 

[szymon]

Here's a good article on the subject: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2007-03-12-car-rates-usat_N.htm

Szymon