December 2013 car rental

[justplaingoofy]

Nevermind, I went and did the online check in and then it immediately offered me the ability to skip the counter if I added license and credit card info. I backed out of it for now. I'm going to wait and see if I get a better rate as we get closer. I doubt I will.. $186 for 9 days with a full-size isn't bad. But I'll do the online check in when I am sure I am keeping it.

Correct...if you do the online check in you can go directly to the garage, grab a car in the row of the type of car selected "full", "Compact", etc.. WHen you exit the garage there is a gate & they check your paperwork.

 

[Candy Orlando]

Can I do on line check in if I book with Costco and go right to the cars?

 

[justplaingoofy]

Can I do on line check in if I book with Costco and go right to the cars?

I say try to do the online check in & if it allows you...then do it. I believe the reservations with coupons that have to go to the counter will not allow you to do the online check in.

 

[hollypoast]

I was just checking my dates again-- Alamo, Budget and Enterprise are sold out of minivans for the first week of December. Thought I'd pass the info along for anyone traveling on these dates.

 

[buckeev]

Happy to help . If you are staying onsite, I would drop off the car on 12/30 so you don't have to add dropping off a car to your NYE insanity .

I was thinking of doing that. We are doing the crazy bizzie EMH parks on the 30/31 of December...so it will probably be hectic beyond description for me!

 

[rangerxenos]

Pays to keep checking, down another $40 through Costco rental car this afternoon, woo hoo!

 

[justplaingoofy]

Pays to keep checking, down another $40 through Costco rental car this afternoon, woo hoo!

thanks..I just checked & mine is still the same. What are your dates?

 

[horselover]

My rates are just ugly. I have never paid more then $225 for a midsize over Christmas. This year my dates are 12/18-25. Best rate I've found is with National picking up Dolphin on 12/19 & returning to MCO on 12/25. $297.00 Cheapest MCO pick up on 12/18 is with Dollar at $332.00. I really don't want to pay these prices but we have several things planned offsite & plan to eat more meals offsite so I don't see any other options. Feeling sad.

 

[booger73]

horselover: Did you or anyone have a chase freedom/etc something to access ultimate rewards?

If you do, try booking a car through their ultimaterewards->travel..

I did earlier last month and it allows access to everything - I got a fullsize through dollar (initially thinking it was $244.30 + taxes and fees.. i.e. about 330 something), but low and behold to find it.. it was 244 total.. (for 12/19-27)

I just plugged in mco 12/18-25 and it looks like similarly it's ~225.. total!

 

[horselover]

horselover: Did you or anyone have a chase freedom/etc something to access ultimate rewards?

If you do, try booking a car through their ultimaterewards->travel..

I did earlier last month and it allows access to everything - I got a fullsize through dollar (initially thinking it was $244.30 + taxes and fees.. i.e. about 330 something), but low and behold to find it.. it was 244 total.. (for 12/19-27)

I just plugged in mco 12/18-25 and it looks like similarly it's ~225.. total!

I have 3 Chase cards but not Freedom rewards. I have Chase Rewards, SWA Rewards, & Disney Visa. Would any of those work? Would I find it on my Chase accounts page?

 

[pigletto]

I am seeing some good rates using the "specials" link on Budget.com for my dates (12/13 -12/22). There are a few coupons/promos to pick from. It offers me a Standard or a Fullsize for the same price (around $190). My Alamo rate is still a few dollars cheaper so I'll stick with that, but thought I'd mention it for anyone still looking for a rental in an around those dates.

 

[rangerxenos]

thanks..I just checked & mine is still the same. What are your dates?

December 4 - 12, I'm down to $145 for a Fullsize through Budget. I had checked with Costco yesterday morning, they were still $180, but yesterday afternoon I checked again and it had gone down.

 

[aubriee]

I just checked the Costco site again and got a midsize for eleven days (Dec 6th-16th) for $179.46 all taxes and fees. Early this morning it was $230.71. The only thing is with the $230.71 one I had, I went over to the Alamo site and used the Costco code along with the Alamo free upgrade coupon (AU5224JAB) and upgraded that midsize to a full size. The Alamo site won't let me do that now with this new Costco price.

 

[justplaingoofy]

December 4 - 12, I'm down to $145 for a Fullsize through Budget. I had checked with Costco yesterday morning, they were still $180, but yesterday afternoon I checked again and it had gone down.

thanks... i was curious with your dates because my dates (prices)haven't budged. It seems like my magic number with Alamo is usually 21 days prior to date the rate drops. Glad you got your rate lower

 

[horselover]

horselover: Did you or anyone have a chase freedom/etc something to access ultimate rewards?

If you do, try booking a car through their ultimaterewards->travel..

I did earlier last month and it allows access to everything - I got a fullsize through dollar (initially thinking it was $244.30 + taxes and fees.. i.e. about 330 something), but low and behold to find it.. it was 244 total.. (for 12/19-27)

I just plugged in mco 12/18-25 and it looks like similarly it's ~225.. total!

I have 3 Chase cards but not Freedom rewards. I have Chase Rewards, SWA Rewards, & Disney Visa. Would any of those work? Would I find it on my Chase accounts page?

Well it turns out I have Ultimate Rewards with my Freedom Rewards card. Unfortunately it didn't help me at all. The cheapest standard car for my dates is with Hertz at price of $441.63. I'll keep checking but I have a bad feeling my prices are just not going to come down this year.

Thanks for the info though!

 

[robinb]

My rates are just ugly. I have never paid more then $225 for a midsize over Christmas. This year my dates are 12/18-25. Best rate I've found is with National picking up Dolphin on 12/19 & returning to MCO on 12/25. $297.00 Cheapest MCO pick up on 12/18 is with Dollar at $332.00. I really don't want to pay these prices but we have several things planned offsite & plan to eat more meals offsite so I don't see any other options. Feeling sad.

Can you take ME back to the airport?

Alamo
"706768"
pick up 12/18 MCO
return 12/25 Car Care Center
$181.78 with taxes.

ETA: same price with the Alamo Insiders discount.

 

[booger73]

Did you try:
MCO, 12/18/2013 12noon, 12/25/2013 12noon

No preference, all car types?

I just did that (and true Hertz was $399 for a standard).. but Dollar and Thrifty are $231.82 for a full size (that's the same Nissan Altima ..)

 

[horselover]

Did you try:
MCO, 12/18/2013 12noon, 12/25/2013 12noon

No preference, all car types?

I just did that (and true Hertz was $399 for a standard).. but Dollar and Thrifty are $231.82 for a full size (that's the same Nissan Altima ..)

I just checked again. My times are off from yours. I'm doing a 5:00 p.m. arrival & a 6:00 p.m drop off. Dollar is $253.77 for an intermediate. It's requiring prepayment though. Not sure I really want to do that. Not likely the price will drop but you never know. I'll check with my DH & see what he wants to do. Thanks for all your help!

 

[booger73]

Including taxes and all fees I'm not sure you can go much lower in advance
That's probably.. ~200 total + 50 in tax/fees so appx ~$28/day rental for the intermediate

I think the only time you'll see lower is waiting ~2 weeks prior or catching it on hotwire/priceline at the right time

 

[horselover]

Including taxes and all fees I'm not sure you can go much lower in advance
That's probably.. ~200 total + 50 in tax/fees so appx ~$28/day rental for the intermediate

I think the only time you'll see lower is waiting ~2 weeks prior or catching it on hotwire/priceline at the right time

You're probably right. Is this a refundable rate do you know? I can't quite figure it out without going all the way through to checking out. It looks like they're saying if you cancel before 48 hours prior to pick up there's no cancellation fee. I'm also wondering if I can add my Dollar Express # after the fact. That's one of the reasons I like renting with Dollar. I prefer to go right to the garage, jump in my car & go. The rental car lines at MCO have been ridiculously long the last few times I've passed through. Always makes me happy I don't have to wait in them.