Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Priceline Car Rentals

I am 21- legally old enough to "bid" on Priceline for cars- one question though- as with hotels, airlines etc. the price shown on the screen is the price paid period- if i won a car rental- would i be subject to the underage fee (under 25???) THanks!

See http://pub4.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding
for a priceline forum. I believe you still pay the car company's (very steep) younguns fee.

In their FAQ section on rental cars they suggest you put in the extra $20 to $50 per day in your bid for underage rentals. They say they can do 21 to 25 at select locations, and 18 to 21 in New York.

They also say there if you didn't represent your age correctly when you bit, you will have to pay it at the counter.

I wouldn't be surprized then if you got a car without the fee and were asked to pay it at the counter, no matter what you were told by Priceline.

The link is
http://www.priceline.com/CustomerService/FAQ/rentalcars/rentalCarMain.asp

Being under 25, I always rent from Dollar using my Student Advantage card (www.studentadvantage.com). It's a free card. With it they waive the under 25 fee and give you a discount. I've never had a problem with them. The only restrictions (I think) are that the offer is not valid on convertibles, SUV's or luxury rentals. Other than that, all is fair game.

thanks guys!- i'll look into Dollar- i have a Candian Version of that student card-hopefully it'll work!

Those under 25 -- I envy you all-- should be very careful about making any kind of car reservation. New York forces the rental companies to rent to underage -- Hertz for example charges about $50 per day for underage insurance (I don't think they want your business). Alamo I belive charges $25 a day in the US and Dollar has a plan. But by and large, I think car rental agencies will just refuse to rent you a car at any price regardless of your reservation.

As a traveling 22-year-old, I've hit my head on this many times. Very frustrating!

If you're "underage" and make a bid at Priceline, it includes the underage fee that most agencies would charge. For example, I bid on a compact out of Denver at $38/day and that price included fees for being under 25.

Besides the Student Advantage idea (which is a great one!), Enterprise Rent-A-Car rents to us underagers without a fee in quite a few locations. I often rent from them in Indianapolis, for example, and am not subject to any additional fees or discriminating looks. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif

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"What do you mean you didn't get miles for that?!"

FYI, Hertz rents to 18-25 yr olds who have an American Express Platinum, with no additional underage fee (you have to make your res thru AmEx Platinum Travel). Except where specifically required to do so by law, Hertz otherwise turns away <25 yr old renters.

Oh, to be under 25 with these problems.

Seems a shame that the years everybody wants to re-live (16-25?) must be bothered by car rental agencies (not to mention drinking and gambling age restrictions)...

[This message has been edited by Goldlust (edited 09-20-2001).]