samtrinh
Jan 20, 05, 11:51 am
I was checking out the prices of rentals on hertz and it was $127 weekly but then the next day it jumped to $170.99. Is there a way to "trick" the system to allow cheaper reservations?
Hertz - Why is it more expensive on some days and not others?
View Full Version : Why is it more expensive on some days and not others?
SEA_Tigger
Jan 20, 05, 12:32 pm
Supply and demand, I imagine. Weekends are often cheaper (especially at airport locations) since they have less traffic and need to push cars.
pinniped
Jan 20, 05, 3:22 pm
You're asking two questions:
(1) Why do rental cars cost more on some days than others? Sea Tigger answered that one pretty well.
(2) Why are eight day rentals a pain in the arse in most rental car systems? (5-day, 9-day, and 12-day rentals are sometimes a pain, too.)
The problem is that the systems are based on weekly, daily, and weekend rates. An eight day rental nearly always prices as a weekly+daily - even on a Sat-Sun rental. Weekly rates can usually be brought down with a good CDP/PC combo - I'm assuming that's how you got $127. But the daily rate that they tack on is still a crappy one-day rate, usually 1/5th or 1/6th of the base weekly rate.
The only "tricks" are to try your entire repertoire of CDP/PC's and try breaking it into two rentals. If two rentals yields cheaper rates, you can then decide if making a car swap is worth it. (Yes, they physically make you swap cars.) I do this on 10-day rentals a couple of times a year: it's worth the time if I can get a weekly + weekend with optimal CDP/PC's on both.
Finally, if you are still unsatisfied with the rates, you can see what Priceline has to offer. If a cheap small car is what you are after, you might be able to get one in the low teens per day. The trade-off is Hertz service vs. a potential airport hassle somewhere else.
If it were me, I'd probably take the $171 and be done with it. I don't think the other options will save you enough money to justify the hassle. Hard to say without knowing airport/dates...
(1) Why do rental cars cost more on some days than others? Sea Tigger answered that one pretty well.
(2) Why are eight day rentals a pain in the arse in most rental car systems? (5-day, 9-day, and 12-day rentals are sometimes a pain, too.)
The problem is that the systems are based on weekly, daily, and weekend rates. An eight day rental nearly always prices as a weekly+daily - even on a Sat-Sun rental. Weekly rates can usually be brought down with a good CDP/PC combo - I'm assuming that's how you got $127. But the daily rate that they tack on is still a crappy one-day rate, usually 1/5th or 1/6th of the base weekly rate.
The only "tricks" are to try your entire repertoire of CDP/PC's and try breaking it into two rentals. If two rentals yields cheaper rates, you can then decide if making a car swap is worth it. (Yes, they physically make you swap cars.) I do this on 10-day rentals a couple of times a year: it's worth the time if I can get a weekly + weekend with optimal CDP/PC's on both.
Finally, if you are still unsatisfied with the rates, you can see what Priceline has to offer. If a cheap small car is what you are after, you might be able to get one in the low teens per day. The trade-off is Hertz service vs. a potential airport hassle somewhere else.
If it were me, I'd probably take the $171 and be done with it. I don't think the other options will save you enough money to justify the hassle. Hard to say without knowing airport/dates...
SealBeach
Jan 20, 05, 4:40 pm
It's been my experience, and I've been told this repeatedly by Hertz CSRs, that rates increase as inventory dwindles for a given date at a given location. Rental charges can shoot up 25% or 50% in a matter of hours.
Also, weekend rates usually begin at noon on Thursday, so if your rentals have begun on both sides of that time threshold, you'll likely have seed a huge difference for what might look like a weekday rental.
Also, weekend rates usually begin at noon on Thursday, so if your rentals have begun on both sides of that time threshold, you'll likely have seed a huge difference for what might look like a weekday rental.