what is up with car rental prices???

[ChisJo]

Just needed to vent...I cannot believe how much car rentals have increased in the last couple of years. I remember getting car rentals for sometimes under $100 for a week, now it seems almost impossible to get a car rental for under $200. I booked a car, thankfully, a month ago after searching for months for a car for our upcoming trip in May 2-11. I ended up using and booking with the Costco discount (intermediate $200 Alamo), but even that wasn't what I was hoping to get. That same car is now $341! Why the increase???

Just wanted to vent a little bit...I just cannot believe the amount of time I've wasted trying to find a better deal and to no avail. Should I hold out for a better deal, or should I just be content with this?

 

[skelooch]

Most codes don't go out that far yet, I would book the midsize now for $200 and keep checking regularly. Unfortunately to get the best deals nowadays you really have to work at it.
I'm currently looking for something for May also, and the best I'm finding is about $195 for a compact, but I don't have a Sat night keep which hurts.

I recently had (Feb) a midsize with Alamo for 6 days for $59 incl taxes and fees, when we got to the midsize aisle there were mini vans and SUVs in it, of course we took a mini van. Best deal I ever got, but it took a lot of work.

 

[sharona]

I checked for weeks and prices just kept going up up up. I finally got tired of checking and decided the time cost to save a few bucks wasn't worth it. I booked through hotwire.com: $200 for 9.5 days the second week of May for a standard size. The rate is $13.95/day for the weekly part and a bit more for the "extra" time - and the taxes/fees are just outrageous. $78 in taxes and fees - that is about 66% added to the rental price! Apparently they are trying to support the entire state with the fees and taxes they can get from Orlando visitors.

Good Luck!

 

[n2mm]

They seem to have gone crazy lately. I've been renting forever, 4-5 times a year, but this is the worse I've ever seen them. I'm guessing they are high because of spring break right now and demand is high. I've gotten a decent rate for my May 12 day rental. Paying $272 total after taxes. Not the greatest, but compared to what's out there, I'm glad I booked it months ago. All you can do is watch for those last minute rates, which have been pretty good lately. I'm watching for my August and October trips, and so far the prices are ugly.

 

[tlenzendorf]

I've found a site recently that I really like and has been quite a bit cheaper than the car discounts. Not sure if it will work for you all going soon, but for October it's been quite a bit less. It's carrentals.com.

 

[sassyredhead]

DH received a double upgrade email for Alamo in September, which we used to book a rental for May 27th - June 8th (compact upgraded to standard). First week is 131.89, 5 extra days is 94.20; total is 285.96. Not the best rate, but closer to $100/week than $200/week.

Maybe sign up for the Alamo Insiders and you'll get a discount email?

Ps--I just checked Alamo for the same dates as our current reservation, and the rate is 1,514.80 for a midsize, which is smaller than a standard! Ouch!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

There has been consolidation in the car rental industry... so fewer players to compete for you allows higher prices.

Detroit is not making NEAR the "sweetheart" deals they used to fleet cars to the agencies. So the agencies have higher costs.

Put it all togehter and rental cars cost more.

 

[ChisJo]

I've found a site recently that I really like and has been quite a bit cheaper than the car discounts. Not sure if it will work for you all going soon, but for October it's been quite a bit less. It's carrentals.com.

I checked with carrentals.com and although they were at one time $5 less, it didn't include the extra driver, which I want for our trip. Now though, they are $35 more than the $200 rental that I got.

Ps--I just checked Alamo for the same dates as our current reservation, and the rate is 1,514.80 for a midsize, which is smaller than a standard! Ouch!/QUOTE]

Thats what I mean....how can they justify that price? even if supply is low, why would they charge astronomical prices for the ones they have left? Wouldn't they want to rent those out instead of having them on the lot? Doesn't seem very profitable to me to have a car sitting on the lot than renting it out.

$78 in taxes and fees - that is about 66% added to the rental price!/QUOTE]

I know that when I use a code, that basically is only covering all the taxes and fees of the car. Ridiculous really, considering where I live, taxes and fees for that same car would only be about $15.

Most codes don't go out that far yet, I would book the midsize now for $200 and keep checking regularly. Unfortunately to get the best deals nowadays you really have to work at it. /QUOTE]

Oh - I'm looking. All my friends and family look to me for car rentals because I always get the best deal. However, I feel like I"m letting them down this time around because I can't find anything worth bragging about. I booked the midsize about 2 months ago, but keep trying to get a better deal, but to no avail.

All the coupons on the Alamo website are good until the end of April. When will the ones for May come out? Probably May 1, and we leave May 2. I will probably keep the Costco deal.

 

[mikehn]

Now that the economy has rebounded, business travelers are paying these prices, and so the rental companies will rent them for these prices so long as travelers are willing to pay. These prices are driven by supply and demand. Its that simple.

 

[Obadiah Stane]

Just booked through Hotwire for May 12-19th. I used their Hot Rate feature which tells you after you book which company you will be with (it will be one of the major companies: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar (International only), Hertz, or National). You will know the price before accepting the deal, you just wont know which company you are with until after you book it.

I got a fullsize car through Hertz for $166 including all taxes and fees. This is pretty much the same deal I got from National for the same time last year so I am quite pleased with it. One thing to note: you cannot change or cancel the reservation so be sure you want the deal before you go to the final booking page.

 

[sharona]

I also booked through hotwire and got Hertz. That seems to be who everyone is getting from hotwire for May @ MCO.

Strange that when you go on the Hertz website for the same booking, instead of the hotwire daily rate of $12.95 for the week, you end up with $39.95 daily rate for the week.

I don't get the advantage to Hertz to have such high rates on their own website only to give the cars for less than half that via hotwire...

 

[sarcade]

I booked through priceline for the very first time, for the same reason....the rental cars prices are just terrible! I got a compact for $132 with all the taxes for June 19th through June 26th. Its also Hertz. Didn't want Hertz as they aren't in the airport, but the price is right. Just me and my three tween grandaughters are taking this trip so it will be part of our adventure!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Hertz's main base is business travelers who don't use Priceline. For example my trips often change so if I did PL and rented for a week and left after four days it might even cost more then just using my Hertz rate. They are just using PL to give you cars they can't rent using thier regular rates.

And Hertz is now in the airport.

 

[tlenzendorf]

I'm sorry carrentals.com didn't help you. They ended up being the cheapest for us until I looked into using my FF miles for a car. $113 for 10 days out of Tampa. I'll take it! FF miles are hard for me to use for flights, might as well use them for a car.

 

[Lewisc]

There has been consolidation in the car rental industry... so fewer players to compete for you allows higher prices.

Detroit is not making NEAR the "sweetheart" deals they used to fleet cars to the agencies. So the agencies have higher costs.

Put it all togehter and rental cars cost more.

+1

National/Alamo/Enterprise are one company.
Avis/Budget
Hertz/Advantage
Thrifty/Dollar

Detroit used to give rental agencies short term leases and/or guaranteed buy backs. Not as common. Rental agencies now sell more of the cars they no longer rent. Rental agencies found mileage greatly affects the re-sale value of the cars. It makes more sense to let a car sit on the lot rather then rent it at some of the rates we used to pay.

There are still deals to be found. Not as many. Not at the same very low prices we used to pay.

 

[n2mm]

I've still watching for my family and friends. Wanted to say that alot of the higher prices are dictated by location (supply and demand). I live outstide Wash. DC and I can rent a car during the same time for much, much cheaper than the rates I'm getting for MCO. Also, while crunching the numbers, it's cheaper to rent at CCC or dolphin and return at the airport than doing airport both ways, plus the suvs are better priced. I saw some rates for $234 a week for both size SUVs picking up at CCC/Dolp the first week of May. So folks should crunch those numbers too. I've been using codes 5007125 or 5007160 for the best rates so far, plus the $35 coupon ND8578ADT. This is only National, I've not crunched the numbers for Alamo which are normally cheaper. So take the DME, and pick up on property and return at the airport. Crazy, but it's an option.

 

[sarcade]

How much time should I allow to get to Hertz? Can't say I remember seeing a Hertz shuttle in the rental car area.
Also where is the 5007160 code from? I have it also but hesitated to use it as I Don't remember where I got it. Thanks!

 

[n2mm]

How much time should I allow to get to Hertz? Can't say I remember seeing a Hertz shuttle in the rental car area.
Also where is the 5007160 code from? I have it also but hesitated to use it as I Don't remember where I got it. Thanks!

it's continental airlines FF code. Anyone can sign up on the website.

 

[sharona]

How much time should I allow to get to Hertz? Can't say I remember seeing a Hertz shuttle in the rental car area.
Also where is the 5007160 code from? I have it also but hesitated to use it as I Don't remember where I got it. Thanks!

I was told that Hertz is not in terminal and you can walk over.

Can anyone confirm????????

 

[kelkel03]

i too need to rent a car for may17-24, so the best i have found is through hotwire for 167.00 everything in, should i just go ahead and book?, we could use our avion miles, but it only covers the cost of the car not taxes, and you have to book through the avion website, the total for a mid size car from avis would be 175.00, but then we have to pay the taxes at the car rental, the rep said the miles only cover car not taxes, so the taxes would be 50.40, sounds like a no-brainer, use the miles, and then pay only 50.00 for the car for the week, but we are thinking maybe it would be better to save our air miles for a later time, am i making any sense ???