Car hire question before I book flights

[Soozeej]

Just got a quote for car hire and flights, which would mean the car hire costs £233 for 3 weeks if I buy it at same time as flights, booking flights through BA and car hire is with Avis.

Am I likely to get a better deal on car hire, are Avis as good as any other?

Anyone any thoughts on this? That's a largish car, group D.

so many questions....

 

[scoobydooby]

That's not bad at all for three weeks if fully insured.

 

[bazzanoid]

Just checked with the BA booking site about car insurances.

The inclusives are Collision Damage Waiver and Additional Liability Insurance (which effectively covers you personally from being sued for damage to third party properties or persons).

So that's fine but is a very basic cover, i would investigate the cost of Loss Damage Waiver as well as this is the biggie - if the car is stolen, vandalised or damaged in any way beyond a straightforward car accident (that's covered by CDW) then you're liable for the full amount of the excess specified on the rental, which again is worth investigating so you know the full details before booking!

 

[bobbins]

Just checked with the BA booking site about car insurances.

The inclusives are Collision Damage Waiver and Additional Liability Insurance (which effectively covers you personally from being sued for damage to third party properties or persons).

So that's fine but is a very basic cover, i would investigate the cost of Loss Damage Waiver as well as this is the biggie - if the car is stolen, vandalised or damaged in any way beyond a straightforward car accident (that's covered by CDW) then you're liable for the full amount of the excess specified on the rental, which again is worth investigating so you know the full details before booking!

Make your own checks to be sure, but in the USA CDW and LDW are normally the same thing - despite its name CDW isn't limited to just Collisions.

Some regions separate LDW into CDW and TP (Theft Protection - which covers attempted theft etc).


ETA: I just had a look and the BA site refers to CDW and Avis's own site refers to LDW. I'd be pretty confident that what you'll get in the US is LDW. Avis doesn't show CDW for the US on its own insurance reference pages.

 

[Soozeej]

Ah right I see, will definitely double check that before booking, thank you.

 

[Rainforest]

Soozeej - that is an excellent price for 3 weeks Avis care hire, as long as it includes CDW/LDW and EP/SLI. Their UK website always includes these, with zero excess.

Can I ask where you got such a good quote for Avis from?

If you do decide to go with Avis, sign up to their free "Avis Preferred" scheme, where you will get sent a membership card in the post (and then link your rental to your Avis Preferred number). That way, you bypass the normal rental counters at MCO, and go straight to the parking garage, and pick up your keys - I think they even promise to give you your keys within 3 minutes (but I don't know what "compensation" they give you if it takes longer!). I think for your first rental, you may even get a paper voucher for a free upgrade! I do try to use Avis Preferred whenever I can now, but the Avis website itself is really expensive, although sometimes they do some reasonable deals on there.

 

[Soozeej]

Soozeej - that is an excellent price for 3 weeks Avis care hire, as long as it includes CDW/LDW and EP/SLI. Their UK website always includes these, with zero excess.

Can I ask where you got such a good quote for Avis from?

.

The quote was throug BA when booking flights and car hire and included something like £250 saving by booking at the same time. I havent booked it yet so may have changed.

 

[Soozeej]

And the policy included Collision Damage Waiver and Additional Liability Insurance.

 

[angelicamy12]

Thank you so much for posting the link - my bf works at Edinburgh Airport so think we would qualify for this! It's much cheaper than the rates we have been quotes so far - as a non-driver, I find insurance packages etc very confusing!

If we book the gold package is that enough for us or will we have to add anything else on? We're fine to say no t pushy sales people as we'd rather plan what we're spending beforehand. We dont need a GPS or anything like that

 

[paul_toria96]

Another thing, do you have to take the car back full or empty (fuel tank)

That's the one thing I'm struggling with at the moment, do I pay an extra £114 for and extra driver and the ability to take it back empty or not, but as you know we are going in August so peak time anyway!