April 2021 Car Rental Thread

[gharter]

Another thing is that many have made plans to visit, including reserving a car or two. As they get closer to the date, they have second thoughts and delay or cancel their plans. That will increase the supply as we get closer to the month. At least, that’s what we saw for our Nov/Dec rental. Rates stayed high for months then dropped about a month before our trip. Hopefully that will happen again for April.

I hope thats true. It didn't hold before we cancelled our April or October trips.
Maybe we will be luckier with this years trips.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Our rental reservation dropped by $3 (wooo!). Not much at all, but at least there was some movement in the right direction. It has held steady since we last rebooked on January 4th.....and I've gotta say, my daily rate checks have been rather boring. Hopefully this is the start of a nice slow and steady decline. Otherwise, we're all going to have to start sharing pictures of our pets to help keep us all awake LOL.

 

[LadybugsMum]

I just reserved an intermediate car from National at the Car Center for $277 for the second week ok April through the National website. Costco is still almost $400 at the airport right now mainly due to the times I need to pick up and drop off.

 

[Akck]

Our rental reservation dropped by $3 (wooo!). Not much at all, but at least there was some movement in the right direction. It has held steady since we last rebooked on January 4th.....and I've gotta say, my daily rate checks have been rather boring. Hopefully this is the start of a nice slow and steady decline. Otherwise, we're all going to have to start sharing pictures of our pets to help keep us all awake LOL.

Mine dropped the same amount, but I’d have to switch to budget. I think Alamo is worth $3 to skip the counter.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Mine dropped the same amount, but I’d have to switch to budget. I think Alamo is worth $3 to skip the counter.

100%!

We won't rent from Budget again regardless of their price. In all of our trips, they are the only rental agency to assign us a filthy vehicle and (on a separate vacation) inform us that they didn't have a vehicle for us at all.

As the old saying goes, "fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me". They are on our blacklist indefinitely.

 

[davper]

Intermediate SUV Alamo 4/19 to 4/30 11 days
Just had my rental drop a dollar a day to $560

 

[ilikecarrentals]

Intermediate SUV Alamo 4/19 to 4/30 11 days
Just had my rental drop a dollar a day to $560

You can get the same thing for $355 including taxes and fees with Thrifty from https://carrentalsavers.com/florida-car-rental.html

 

[gharter]

Checked Alamo today, and no real change.
Still hoping.

 

[thewesterberg]

We have a tentative trip planned for April 18-22. I booked a car last week using autoslash. Started with a Budget economy at $234. Then later in the week I found a Thrifty economy for $207 and rebooked. Now tonight a Thrifty mid-size for $198. (My DH and DS will appreciate the bigger car as they are both over 6’ 5”!) Plan to just keep putting the dates into autoslash and see if we can get it to drop lower.

 

[gharter]

We have a tentative trip planned for April 18-22. I booked a car last week using autoslash. Started with a Budget economy at $234. Then later in the week I found a Thrifty economy for $207 and rebooked. Now tonight a Thrifty mid-size for $198. (My DH and DS will appreciate the bigger car as they are both over 6’ 5”!) Plan to just keep putting the dates into autoslash and see if we can get it to drop lower.

Our dates must be bad. I just looked at Autoslash and a midsize was over $400. My direct price with Alamo was much better.. But still too much. The best off site was still over $300.

 

[LadybugsMum]

Check your prices if using Costco. They’re down ~$50 in most categories for the second week of April.

 

[davper]

Check your prices if using Costco. They’re down ~$50 in most categories for the second week of April.

Intermediate SUV Alamo 4/19 to 4/30 11 days
Just had my rental drop a dollar a day to $560

Mine is down 35

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

No rate drop for us just yet, but we don't pick up our vehicle until the 17th. Hopefully our price decrease will follow within another week.

 

[keishashadow]

Last year or two have been initially booking with Avis using my DH’s corporate code...a placeholder sort of reservation.

I cannot share it, sorry. it’s supposed to be among their best business only rates/the sort they give to their partners.

Even though many of his fellow employees do use it for leisure travel, it does make me quite nervous to use it as there is LDW factored into it. You cannot opt out, I’ve tried at the counter.

Normally, by the time the dust settles before our trips, have been able to switch over to Alamo for an additional $30 - $50.

Other than the LDW issue, I have no issues with Avis (nor most of the other providers onsite at the airport. Will say the Hertz set up in the garage always seems to have us waiting at that counter instead of the direct to vehicle system that’s supposed to be in place?). We honestly just enjoy picking out our own vehicle on the alamo aisle

Anyway, I’ve been using this avis rate as a barometer of sorts as to where our final price will land. The rate has never changed a penny from the first date I do book it.

For our 8 day trip starting at the end of April: Midsize, $247.

Curious to see if the best standard code rate I do wind up finding with Alamo, again will follow suit & wind up in the $300 range/$280 if broken down for 7 days.

 

[gharter]

For our 8 day trip starting at the end of April: Midsize, $247.

Third week of April for a midsize through Alamo is still over $350.

 

[keishashadow]

Third week of April for a midsize through Alamo is still over $350.

Keep checking Have found it often pays to stalk the prior month’s threads to see what codes/timing seems to have worked.

 

[gharter]

In past years, about 1-2 months before the trip, the prices drop.
Of course that was before the rental companies dumped a lot of their inventory. No idea if its close to normal levels or still way down.

 

[LadybugsMum]

Prices are down a bit more through Costco. I just reserved a midsize through Alamo for $307 for the second week of April. I also have a National reservation for $277 at the car care center, but I think an extra $30 is worth it for the convenience of getting the car at the airport.

 

[gharter]

I just reserved an intermediate car from National at the Car Center for $277 for the second week ok April through the National website. Costco is still almost $400 at the airport right now mainly due to the times I need to pick up and drop off.

Looked at National for the following week (still a member) and still $370 for a mid size.
Hoping it comes down soon.

 

[LadybugsMum]

Looked at National for the following week (still a member) and still $370 for a mid size.
Hoping it comes down soon.

I checked today and the same car is now $315. So if booking today, picking it up at the airport would be a better deal.