Car rental prices--is it my imagination??

[WDWNewbie]

Is it my imagination, or have car rental prices really gone up in Orlando in the past year. Our last two trips, including this past March we have booked an intermediate in the range of $100/week through National. We have the 'fastlane' kind of cards for Dollar, National, Avis & Alamo. Looking for a week in late October, it looks like the best rates are closer to $200/week. Are others finding this as well?

 

[RobinLyn]

From what I have read these rates are a reflection of 9/11 to some degree. Many people are driving to their vacation spots this year instead of flying which has driven the rental car prices up. They are not just renting in Florida, but renting in their home state and driving to WDW, etc. I don't think you will see rates come down much this summer.

RobinLyn

 

[zulaya]

I have also seen posted that after 9-11, many of the car rental companies sold a lot of their inventory and didn't replace it. So we may be seeing the same demand with lower supply, hence higher prices.

 

[DebbieB]

Rates are usually high this time of year. The past 3 years they have gone down at the end of summer. I book my December and May trips then. Paid $107 last December, paid $137 for last week, booked both in October. National, full size, EA, DC discount & free day, incl tax.

 

[RobinLyn]

It's true that rates go up every summer, but much has been written about how car rentals were in demand after 9/11 and that this would drive rates even higher with the lack of intreset in flying. I have seen reports on CNN also stating that car rentals were going to be hard to find if people did not return to the air.

RobinLyn

 

[MELSMICE]

In the past the earlier you booked the better rate you got. I always book on-line through $ as soon as I know our trip dates.

Last March/April got a rate of $118/wk.

Booked a month ago for Nov. - $188/wk w/ a code.

Booked for Apr. 2003 - $188/wk w/ a code. Thought I'd get a much better rate than that since I'm booking 12 months in advance.

I'll keep checking, but so far that's the best. Just checked again today $280 for 8 days in Nov!!!!! YIKES!

 

[msdis]

We just came back and at the last minute got a GREAT rate with National.
The quote was for $330 for 2 weeks and 1 way out of Fla. When we dropped it off the paperwork said $277. I still won't believe it till I see it on our credit card bill. We had been watching for a LONG time so I know what everyone is saying is true. This was a fluke and I won't look for it again for a while.