September 2021 Car Rental Watch

[archdandy]

Lucky! Every little bit counts to getting it lower. I've double checked mine and it's a no go for a lower price today. I'll try again tomorrow! We need to get some discount codes going and then we'll be seeing some decent rates.

 

[Lynne G]

Yep cancelled my electric car and full size car to get a mid size for 714.00 for 19 Sept to 2 Oct. Best so far. But I keep checking and repeating to see if I can get even lower.

 

[georgina]

Yep cancelled my electric car and full size car to get a mid size for 714.00 for 19 Sept to 2 Oct. Best so far. But I keep checking and repeating to see if I can get even lower.

I didn't even know my previous reservation was for an electric car! I do need to start checking every day. Mine was $523 yesterday, $543 today. So strange!

 

[Lynne G]

Yeah Georgina, I had booked the electric car for both my August and September trips. But also was reading about the leaf they reference, and not good reviews for them, but was the lowest priced car of the smallest I was willing to book, when I first started. Then finally, a small SUV was much cheaper for my August week, and while I had a full size for 744, I can live with a mid size for 30 dollars difference for my September trip.

But as any reservation that I don’t pay before, I keep checking, booking new and canceling old, until I’m on the plane. You never know, but I always figure I’m okay with a starting price if I hope, but can’t get it lower. I’m still annoyed that last year was still almost half the price for the two weeks this September. Oh well.

I really like having a car. It’s all about supply availability as to price, as people change plans all the time. So I don’t mind the swings in price, I’m just after the lowest I can get.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I was able to knock another $9 off my rate today, switching out my midsize truck for a midsize SUV. Had we been willing to go down to a compact SUV, we could have shaved off another $20+ but DH is a big fella and a bigger vehicle will bring him some comfort.

Wednesdays seem to be the trend for the Costco rates changing. This is the 3rd Wednesday in a row that rates have gone down for me. At least we are still trending in the right direction, albeit slowly!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Check those rates again, folks. My rate is down another $23 today. Currently at $455 on an intermediate SUV with Alamo and a free extra driver (through Costco).

 

[billycwhatup]

Budget BCD S341840 still working well.

 

[holyrita]

Budget BCD S341840 still working well.

WOW. Where is this code from??

I'm seeing a shockingly low price with Budget for my week in September ($270 intermediate SUV). This price is directly with Budget, allowing me to skip the line with fastbreak, which significantly reduces my anxiety over using Budget!

 

[katallo]

Offers a good price but we won’t use it without knowing where it comes from. Tried googling…no success.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Yes rates better today, dropped my Budget to return to my usual (Costco) Alamo, 8 day mid SUV for $540. Not great, but will keep checking. I enjoy choosing my own car, to check for smoke smell, model, keyfobs. (pick up 9-25)

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Budget BCD S341840 still working well.

In our experience, Budget is the rental car equivalent to Spirit Airlines. It's cheaper than the rest and when things go well, it can be a great deal. But their customer service is simply abysmal and things have a tendency to go wrong as often as they go right. Every time (and I mean EVERY TIME) we fly into Orlando, their lines at the counter are the longest of any agency. And we personally have been the victim of "oh, sorry....we don't have a car for you" when we booked one of those great low rates.

If you're booking with Budget, just be sure you manage your expectations accordingly.

 

[PixiePlns]

Question for you all. I just rebooked at Alamo with the Costco rate for a 3 night rental at $210 for a compact SUV. Would those rates go lower you think? If not, when should I go ahead & pay to skip the counter? I don't want to wait until the last minute for it.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Question for you all. I just rebooked at Alamo with the Costco rate for a 3 night rental at $210 for a compact SUV. Would those rates go lower you think? If not, when should I go ahead & pay to skip the counter? I don't want to wait until the last minute for it.

Me personally, I wouldn't do online check-in just yet. Our trip is early September (the 4th to 11th) and I likely won't check in and pay until the 1st. Especially this trip, when things are really wonky with the Delta variant (so many people just on these boards alone are posting that they are cancelling their vacations.....which I completely understand, especially for those with kids too young to be vaccinated), I'll hold out hope that rates may drop right up until the last few days before we travel.

 

[PatMcDuck]

You do not pay to Skip the Counter at Alamo. I do it all the time (well 2-3X a year). Just sign in on the Alamo website, the Costco reservation gives you the Alamo reservation #. Enter all your info. You get charged at the return, so you can still cancel it, revise it. I do it a few days before.

 

[PixiePlns]

You do not pay to Skip the Counter at Alamo. I do it all the time (well 2-3X a year). Just sign in on the Alamo website, the Costco reservation gives you the Alamo reservation #. Enter all your info. You get charged at the return, so you can still cancel it, revise it. I do it a few days before.

Thanks! That was helpful! I didn't realize that you get charged at the return. I thought it was when you sign in to the website & put in your credit card information. I just cancelled my prior reservation, which was super easy to do & booked a different car (an SUV) for a cheaper rate for our dates.

 

[georgina]

Check those rates again, folks. My rate is down another $23 today. Currently at $455 on an intermediate SUV with Alamo and a free extra driver (through Costco).

Thanks! My 9 day rate just dropped another $80, from $523 to $443! Yay

 

[Lynne G]

Thanks, today, Alamo and Costco code, 2 week standard size, 611, a 100 dollar drop, and almost half at what I started with. Also took about 30 dollars off my week in August for standard size.

I will keep checking. Keep getting lower!

 

[holyrita]

I suspect prices for September will come down more substantially than we've seen due to many cancellations.

Last week there was zero DVC studio availability and I've noticed over the past few days more and more availability. I was also able to rebook my flights for $75 cheaper (and that's saying something.. I booked in Feb 2021 the morning the Sept flight schedule was released and the outlook was still pretty grim pre-vaccine and prices were low then.. I think that's telling..)

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Down another $7 for me today.

Cue the limbo song.....how low can you go??? lol

 

[PatMcDuck]

Mine dropped $70 today, Costco Alamo mid SUV, 9/25 to 10/3. Now $477, was $540. Good news for us today, still want lower of course.