Official Car rental September 2013...advice please

[BeerMe]

We are ten days out.....lets see those prices drop!

I hope so

Sent from my mobile device.

 

[bdtracey]

I just switched over from a minivan ($580) to a standard SUV ($475) with Alamo thru Costco for 14 days. We drive a GMC Acadia at home and I have a hard time believing that a minivan will provide the storage space that we need. Sure a minivan may have lots of seats but we only need 5 seats but will have 4 suitcases and a stroller.

Plus I can feel my testosterone levels dropping just thinking about driving a minivan...not my style at all.

 

[EeyoreME]

I just checked and my rates went Up. Still checking though... Flying out next saturday

 

[SAT887]

My rates are up as well.... I fly out this Saturday. If they don't drop tomorrow morning I will do online check in then.

 

[QueenQueso]

Plus I can feel my testosterone levels dropping just thinking about driving a minivan...not my style at all.

Right?? While I'm not personally worried about the testosterone issue, I feel a little icky each time I check prices. We've never driven one before but we are sticking with it for this trip at least because we are travelling with a carseat, a booster seat and my grandma, so putting them three across in a backseat could get a bit annoying.

I am 11 days out and I am at 238 (tax inc) with Dollar. EZ is lower, but I've read some pretty awful reviews. Have been checking each day to see if anything else is going to drop!

 

[EeyoreME]

48 hours before my trip and the rates haven't dropped yet. They're sitting higher than they were about a month ago. Book early and continue to watch; my lowest cost came at 10 days out. (alamo)

Our first reservation was with ez, and we called with some questions and received some of the worst customer service ever. Needless to say I cancelled and booked with someone else!

 

[aubriee]

Ok, I'm eight days out, leaving next Saturday for nine days (9/14-9/22). I have several reservations that are all about the same price. I guess it's time to cancel the ones I won't be using. I'll be solo and doing carry on only, so all I need is a compact. Prices listed are total drive out, including taxes/fees. Which would you keep?

Dollar $145.46
Alamo $155.59
Budget through Costco $151.40
Enterprise through Costco $145.86

Anyone think they are going to drop any lower?

 

[Gruff320]

I've recently read some advice that, at least with Alamo, that you should request an agent to inspect your car for previous damage before you leave the rental lot. Is this true? Does anyone currently do this or do they automatically do this when you check out at the booth? Thanks in advance for any insight...

 

[3forWDW]

For our September trip, I reserved a Full-Size car for 7 days, unlimited mileage, with Avis for total $182.92 (fees & taxes included). I am still hoping that it gets cheaper the closer we get to the end of September.

I (like most of us here) have continued to check on the above posted reservation I made in June with Avis. It has not gone down yet, has just went up in price. I am limited in choices of companies because we do not have Dollar or Alamo located here to rent from. However, while looking for new discounts codes released for September travel, I found a code with Budget for a Premium Class car for $169 a week. I was really surprised when I put the code in and it came to a total of $195.13 AND had Unlimited Mileage. I didn't think a Premium Class ever had unlimited mileage (which we must have for the MS to FL drive). So for the $13 difference we will have much more comfort (I hope!) plus still a pretty good price. I also saw a great price for Intermediate SUV class at $139 a week with Budget.

 

[ktate82]

I've recently read some advice that, at least with Alamo, that you should request an agent to inspect your car for previous damage before you leave the rental lot. Is this true? Does anyone currently do this or do they automatically do this when you check out at the booth? Thanks in advance for any insight...

We didn't do this, but we do walk around the car while taking a video with the cell phone, noting verbally any marks.

 

[Gruff320]

We didn't do this, but we do walk around the car while taking a video with the cell phone, noting verbally any marks.

Thanks for the idea!

 

[andigomeep]

With Alamo and Dollar within $1 of each other, I'm guessing Alamo is the better choice? Need to do online check in tonight for tomorrow.

 

[gmeh1]

I've recently read some advice that, at least with Alamo, that you should request an agent to inspect your car for previous damage before you leave the rental lot. Is this true? Does anyone currently do this or do they automatically do this when you check out at the booth? Thanks in advance for any insight...

No, the agent will not inspect the car, you do. They will not sign anything regarding damage to the car, they are forbidden to. What they will do is note any damage (within the guidelines of the handy dandy guage they have) in the computer under your reservation. Don't ask for a copy cause it won't print out. You can ask to see what they have entered in the computer.

 

[gmeh1]

We have an Alamo reservation for Saturday. I did the on-line checkin so that we could go straight to the garage. I need to add DH as a driver. I am assuming I need to add him at the booth at the garage or do I do it as we exit?

You can add him at the kiosk or at the exit booth. It is better to add him at the kiosk as it holds up the exit line and makes people very angry. Why didn't you add him online?

Just a FYI, not just for you, when adding an additonal driver, the add.driver needs to be with you & must have a valid license. I cannot tell you how many times people just show up and want to add a driver without the driver being there.

 

[gmeh1]

Still hanging at $112 for alamo and $113 for dollar. Question though. Last time we rented a car they told us to walk right out to the garage but had assigned us a car in the opposite terminal, it was a big pain to get corrected. How do I know which side I go to? A or B?

Are you flying into MCO? If so, they don't assign cars, you do to the garage and select a car, after you either check in online, use the kiosk or counter, do not just go to the garage without doing one of these things first, it does not matter which side. This is for Alamo. I don't know what Dollar does.

 

[gmeh1]

Are you an insider? I used the regular insider discount, combined with the free upgrade for insiders. My price was for a standard, which at MCO let's you choose from the full size aisle. I tried your dates, assuming a noon drop off and pick up, and got the same neighborhood as you for price, but if I put in one less day, it's back into the $70s total. Maybe try booking the 4 days, then call and jut ask to add a day at the same rate? Maybe gmeh1 can tell us if that might work.

At 5 days the rate jumps to weekly rates. That is why her rate is higher.

 

[gmeh1]

I just switched over from a minivan ($580) to a standard SUV ($475) with Alamo thru Costco for 14 days. We drive a GMC Acadia at home and I have a hard time believing that a minivan will provide the storage space that we need. Sure a minivan may have lots of seats but we only need 5 seats but will have 4 suitcases and a stroller.

Plus I can feel my testosterone levels dropping just thinking about driving a minivan...not my style at all.

The entire back row drops down to make a huge amount of space. Hence the name, Stow and go. The nice thing is that the rear seat is split. So, you can either drop the side with the two seats or the side with one seat. You can fit an amazing amount of "stuff" in those vans.

 

[Gruff320]

No, the agent will not inspect the car, you do. They will not sign anything regarding damage to the car, they are forbidden to. What they will do is note any damage (within the guidelines of the handy dandy guage they have) in the computer under your reservation. Don't ask for a copy cause it won't print out. You can ask to see what they have entered in the computer.

Thanks for this info!

 

[Gruff320]

Are you flying into MCO? If so, they don't assign cars, you do to the garage and select a car, after you either check in online, use the kiosk or counter, do not just go to the garage without doing one of these things first, it does not matter which side. This is for Alamo. I don't know what Dollar does.

Piggybacking on this, I am using a debit card for Alamo so I have to show our round-trip itinerary. Can I still do online check-in or kiosk and show the itinerary at the booth on the way out or do I need to go to the counter?

 

[gmeh1]

Thanks for this info!

You are most welcome. Don't go crazy with the scratches. They need to be approx. 5" long and the dents need to be the size of a silver dollar before anyone gets "edgy". There will be a million scratches on the bumper by the trunk, don't worry about them.
I once had a person who called me to note the scratches, they were so tiny that you needed a magnifying glass to see them. And the small dings were the ones everyone gets from highway dirt/pebbles. I noted it on the reservation because they were very very anal about it, but, normally, they are not worth mentioning.