Car rental help, please

[Coolcruise02]

I have never rented a car thru a rental agency and could use some help. I am looking at a web site (rentalcars.com) and the rental price is a lot less for the same company than what I was quoted over the phone. (Alamo) If I book on line how does the local company get my reservation. Do I get some sort of proof that the local company knows I'm reserved. If I call my pick-up location will they have all the info?

 

Sorry, I know these are dumb questions, but I don't understand why Alamo would let me book thru another company for their services and my money going to someone else.

 

Thanks :)

[Kiera99]

Great question. I've been on the Discount Hawaii Car Rental web site and their prices are great. I am tempted to go with them but I have the same questions you have. How do they get the low prices?

[lambs2]

They have a corporate rate! Somehow this will give you better car rental rates than you can get on your own! I found this out when I booked my rentals cars through Thrifty.com. I hear it works with the other rental car companies, too, but Thrifty is the only one I tried. I even became a Blue Chip member (it's free to join and you breeze through car pick ups!). If you go through the discount rental car website it will still take you to the rental car company websites, but automatically fills in the discounted corporate code for you, so you save! Today I saw another posting on this board for this discount code that you can enter yourself on the rental car sites...and I ended up getting the cars even cheaper than the original booking prices!! It is: PC2017. All four of the compact cars I am renting on different islands will be at a TOTAL cost (not including gas) of just slightly over $30. per day with unlimited mileage!

 

Make sure you cancel your previous bookings. The prices keep going down as I have kept checking online and trying these discount codes, so I have had to rebook my four different rental cars at least three times so far for my June 3 Hawaiian cruise! The differences have just been a few $$'s each, but they add up!

[lambs2]

They have a corporate rate! Somehow this will give you better car rental rates than you can get on your own! I found this out when I booked my rentals cars through Thrifty.com. I hear it works with the other rental car companies, too, but Thrifty is the only one I tried. I even became a Blue Chip member (it's free to join and you breeze through car pick ups!). If you go through the discount rental car website it will still take you to the rental car company websites, but automatically fills in the discounted corporate code for you, so you save! Today I saw another posting on this board for this discount code that you can enter yourself on the rental car sites...and I ended up getting the cars even cheaper than the original booking prices!! It is: PC2017. All four of the compact cars I am renting on different islands will be at a TOTAL cost (not including gas) of just slightly over $30. per day with unlimited mileage!

 

Make sure you cancel your previous bookings. The prices keep going down as I have kept checking online and trying these discount codes, so I have had to rebook my four different rental cars at least three times so far for my June 3 Hawaiian cruise! The differences have just been a few $$'s each, but they add up!

[monobrow1]

good advice;

 

I booked thrifty and paid $30.00 a day in Kauii,

but paid more in Hilo. Airport charges in Hilo add as much as $25.00.

Gas will cost you $3.60 per gallon so figure another $30.00 for gas.

[lambs2]

Some advice:

 

Keep checking the prices online. Since I booked my cars at the four ports the prices have dropped three times and I have rebooked. Just last night I got a car in Hilo through Thrifty using the Blue Chip program and the promotion code: PC2017 and got the base rate of $28. per day. previously it had been 33.92 per day, so I took those new reservations and cancelled the higher priced ones! In Maui, since I booked a two day rental, the base rate is now 25.90 per day!

[lambs2]

good advice;

 

I booked thrifty and paid $30.00 a day in Kauii,

but paid more in Hilo. Airport charges in Hilo add as much as $25.00.

Gas will cost you $3.60 per gallon so figure another $30.00 for gas.

 

 

I changed to a compact car in Kauii last night and using the PC2017 code got a base rate of 25.90 for the day!

[Kiera99]

Thanks lambs2

[ssbeard1]

Just rented with thrifty in Maui using SAMS (for sams club) and it gave me a better rate than the PC2017 code.

[Kiera99]

Do you need to be a Sam's Club member?

[lambs2]

Just rented with thrifty in Maui using SAMS (for sams club) and it gave me a better rate than the PC2017 code.

 

 

Was the rate with the Sam's code BETTER than 25.90 per day? If so, do you have to have a SAM'S card when you get to the Thrifty desk?

[bearette]

You have to have a sams club card and they will ask you for it. If you have costco or AAA they have discount codes for them too. Some credit card companies give out discounts too like MBNA so try your credit card companies websites as well. Just make sure whatever code you use you have the card/credit card for since they will require proof of membership or make you use that credit card to rent the vehicle. You don't want to get stuck paying a lot more money because you cheated the discount code.

 

When I used to book military rates when I visited my husband out of state every time (about 5 times) they asked me for the paperwork proving he was stationed there so I could get the discount. They want to make sure they don't give you any discount you are not entitled to.