Tampa & National Rental Question

[traveljunkie]

Hello,
In March I will be flying into Tampa and driving to WDW. Currently I have 2 rentals on hold. I REALLY need a minivan or an SUV as there are 6 of us travelling. Based on what I've seen since booking, my minivan rental ($382 - 9 days) is reasonable but my full size is REALLY reasonable ($258). I am an Emerald member (not executive). What are the chances of an SUV/Mini being in the lot and available in place of the fullsize? Is that ever allowed?

I've been searching almost daily for minivan rates and am not finding any better rates-most are double-. BTW this price was WITHOUT any coupon codes. Any great codes for minivans for March? None of my Entertainment coupons seem to have availability.

Usually we end up bidding on Priceline the week before but that doesn't always work to our benefit.

Thanks for any insight on Tampa's rental situation!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Book the smallest car you can comfortably use (ie. in your case a minivan). I would NEVER recommend assuming that there will be an upgraded vehicle available. Even if someone posts that they saw one, that doesn't mean when you go there will be one. If you go and there isn't one, what would you do?

As a general EA member you have access to the Emerald Aisle and as your car is a Full Size reservation Emerald Reserve Full Size. The chances of a minivan in either is going to be low and random, at any airport location. I also wouldn't consider $382 a bad price for a 9 day rental in a minivan. You're talking about a week and two days, so in this case the week rental is probably $270 and the two days is about $50/day, which is very reasonable.

You're going to have a hard time finding the old school $150 - $200 minivan rentals anymore as the fleets at rental companies are smaller and demand has risen.

 

[webworm]

Hello,
In March I will be flying into Tampa and driving to WDW. Currently I have 2 rentals on hold. I REALLY need a minivan or an SUV as there are 6 of us travelling. Based on what I've seen since booking, my minivan rental ($382 - 9 days) is reasonable but my full size is REALLY reasonable ($258). I am an Emerald member (not executive). What are the chances of an SUV/Mini being in the lot and available in place of the fullsize? Is that ever allowed?

I've been searching almost daily for minivan rates and am not finding any better rates-most are double-. BTW this price was WITHOUT any coupon codes. Any great codes for minivans for March? None of my Entertainment coupons seem to have availability.

Usually we end up bidding on Priceline the week before but that doesn't always work to our benefit.

Thanks for any insight on Tampa's rental situation!

You might want to try Budget as well using BCD Number x474200 (Travelocity public code) and E-Coupon MUGZ029 for $30.00 off. The coupon is applied when you return the vehicle. It usually gives a pretty good rate for a minivan.

 

[traveljunkie]

I've tried that Budget code before (and just now) and it ends up being about $6.00 less. For that difference I think I'd rather 1) have the rate up front and not have it taken off at the end and 2) using Nationals Emerald club quick checkout. But I keep checking all the time for something cheaper. I'm not really unhappy about the rate I have because I have seen SO MUCH WORSE, like $700-900. I just keep looking up until departure. Thanks for the information!

 

[Tisha_PA]

We flew into Tampa in Mar 2009 and used National for our rental car. We had reserved a full size car but chose a Toyota Sienna off the emerald aisle. At that time, there were alot of minivans and suvs in the emeral aisle, not sure if that is the case now or not.

 

[traveljunkie]

Never done this but what if I arrive with both reservations and there was a minivan or SUV available in the Emerald Aisle, can I cancel the minivan reservation at the last second and use the full size price? With other companies, I've been upgraded before from a compact to luxury and a fullsize to SUV but that was ONLY because they didn't have any cars to offer in the size I reserved.

Thanks!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Never done this but what if I arrive with both reservations and there was a minivan or SUV available in the Emerald Aisle, can I cancel the minivan reservation at the last second and use the full size price? With other companies, I've been upgraded before from a compact to luxury and a fullsize to SUV but that was ONLY because they didn't have any cars to offer in the size I reserved.

Thanks!

I do not agree with holding two (or more) reservations. It is a poor action, I understand the desire to save money, but it is still not a good action as it only continues to increase rental prices. Yes, rental companies do assume a certain percentage of rentals are no-shows, but likewise rates are percentage based. As the inventory is booked (or overbooked), the rates increase, as the inventory is left open/unbooked, rates decrease.

 

[Tisha_PA]

Never done this but what if I arrive with both reservations and there was a minivan or SUV available in the Emerald Aisle, can I cancel the minivan reservation at the last second and use the full size price? With other companies, I've been upgraded before from a compact to luxury and a fullsize to SUV but that was ONLY because they didn't have any cars to offer in the size I reserved.

Thanks!

If you used a credit card to hold your reservations, you should read through it first to see if you will be penalized. I think National penalizes you if you don't cancel within 24 hours of your pick up time.

 

[traveljunkie]

yeah, you're right. I will release the full size car and just concentrate on the minivan prices. They don't require a credit card to hold but since I'm an Emerald member, they have one on file.
Thanks for the input.

 

[uva185]

Last month I needed a SUV for a one way rental from PDX-RDM. I reserved a full size in hopes of an upgrade for $31/day and an SUV for $50/day with hopes that a SUV would be on the Executive Aisle. I got to PDX and there were no SUVs on the aisle so I went and grabbed an SUV from the SUV aisle and left (showing a drivers license and credit card at the gate). Upon returning the car I realized the agent had checked me out on my Full Size reservation instead of the SUV reservation. Whoops!