Hotwire--is this the norm?

[twinglesmome]

Okay, I have been following advice that I've read here on the board regarding Priceline/Hotwire for rental car. I have been keeping track of Hotwire rates for my dates and am now a few weeks out. Today, the price has actually gone up

Is it normal for the rates at Hotwire to creep up (or seemingly so based on email alone)? In the past, when I have gotten the emails that state Hotwire found me a great rate, when I clicked the link to check it, I never saw the lower rate quoted Should I go ahead and try Priceline or wait it out a bit longer?

 

[bumbershoot]

The emails lie...the first page you get to when you're checking your trip lies too.

I think maybe that if you checked immediately after the email came through you might see the exact same price. Maybe.

But I've gotten emails that tell me the price went up by $20 day, then I check, and click "continue" on a type of car, and get much different prices than the email or that page with all the types states.

So be sure you're clicking continue on the class of car you want, when you go to check the trip you're watching.

We're leaving tomorrow, and yesterday I finally saw the email tell me it had gone into the teens, but I checked it hours later so things had changed, and it's still about the same as I've seen it ($21.95/day for an LAX trip)...so by the very end you might see it dip VERY low.

If you do priceline it now, don't check again!

 

[twinglesmome]

I have sometimes checked Hotwire as soon as I received the email and the stated rate is not there. It's ironic, I had received another message from Hotwire same evening as I posted here (rate had gone up), stating that the rate had gone down. I didn't bother to check it.

I am still holding off on Priceline a bit longer, though I guess I had better make another reservation just in case...

bumbershoot--have a good trip!

 

[jtmounce]

to get lowest price on minivan for 8 days?