Hertz - Hertz multiple rentals vs long term

Please tell me that I am overlooking something obvious here. I need a long term rental that I mentioned in another thread from end of May to end of June. I have looked at prices from IAD and Bolling AFB HLE. The HLE is actually more expensive, but that is not the subject of this thread.

I have found that it is actually cheaper to to consecutive weekly rentals than to try for a month long rental.

After taxes I am getting $995 a month for a midsized from IAD.
Weekly, the car is $203.

That is nearly $200 in savings to return the car every week and get a new washed car. What am I missing here?

The hassle of going back, but I've done it.

Also note that if the rental is "too long" then the coverage by your credit card won't apply, so you get a benefit of the shorter rentals. I think this length varies by credit card.

Do you have to go back? I thought you could always call to extend at the same rate.

Do you have to go back? I thought you could always call to extend at the same rate.

This is interesting. I mean, I'd just assume go back and turn in my car and get a "fresh" car. The cost to me would be my time. Which for a price difference of nearly $400 over the contract, seems to me is worth it.

What I really do not understand is why my local HLE is so much more expensive on a weekly basis than the airport rates.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I am going to cancel my monthly today and reserve weekly's.

Weekly will get you closer to PC or 5* status and closer to a free earned rental day certificate. Also, if you are able to use one of those "Birthday" promo codes, you'll get 300 more points per week.

I'm playing a similar game over Memorial Day. We're starting with a family trip to PHL, then they fly home and I"m going to NYC on business. It would have been $405 to rent the car for 4 days on a one-way. But, since I'm bringing the family to PHL for their flight home, I did a local rental back-to-back with a one day one-way, and my total cost is $168.

As I don't own a car, anymore, I rent about 360 days per year.

Hence, this is a question I had to ask myself several times.

Here's the deal:

* yes, 4 weekend rates can indeed be cheaper than 1 monthly rates. Especially when you can apply a weekly discount voucher.

* yes, weekly rates can be extended (simple phone call) to a maximum of 61 (or 62?) days. Hertz will charge you the rate of the first week for the extension, but you may lose the voucher advantage (which could be as much as $60 per week with current vouchers). You'll also lose out on extra "per rental" FF miles and "per rental" Hertz status qualification. Recent personal example: When Hertz gave me a brand new (14 miles) 350Z convertible in February, I happily extended that 1 week rental to the maximum of 61 (or 62) days.

As I don't own a car, anymore, I rent about 360 days per year.

Hence, this is a question I had to ask myself several times.

Here's the deal:

* yes, 4 weekend rates can indeed be cheaper than 1 monthly rates. Especially when you can apply a weekly discount voucher.

* yes, weekly rates can be extended (simple phone call) to a maximum of 61 (or 62?) days. Hertz will charge you the rate of the first week for the extension, but you may lose the voucher advantage (which could be as much as $60 per week with current vouchers). You'll also lose out on extra "per rental" FF miles and "per rental" Hertz status qualification. Recent personal example: When Hertz gave me a brand new (14 miles) 350Z convertible in February, I happily extended that 1 week rental to the maximum of 61 (or 62) days.


Thanks for the information everybody. I have sliced and diced this every way possible and it seems unanimous. Weekly, with or without a coupon is a far better deal. I have canceled my monthly which I worked very hard to get a nice coupon for and have signed up for a sequence of monthly's. I have no problem driving the few miles and turning the car in for an exchange every Monday morning.

The only thing that still surprises me at this point is why the HLE is so much more expensive than the airport rates.

Be VERY sure to check that all the airport taxes are included in the rate you are using. Also, don't forget that Hertz lowered the grace time on returns. Thus you'll probably lose an hour each week on the rental (or pay a hefty per hour charge).

I find that a 7-12 day rental is substantially cheaper than a 4-day rental. I commute to the DC area each week - what I normally do is take the car upon arrival, and drop it on the second Friday... saves one weekend out of every two. I've seen no substantial price difference for a 3 or 4 week rental vs a 12 day rental on the USAA rate, except for the fact that I'm saving the cost of a weekend every other week.

I have found that HLE rentals are typically more expensive for weekly/longer rates, but they tend to be cheaper after all airport taxes for shorter-term (1-4 day) rentals. There is an HLE at Pentagon City, just a short walk from Metro, and 2 stops from DCA... it's often been cheaper than DCA for daily rentals, especially after airport taxes.

So, for me, I've been 2 rentals a month. Also note that I've found Avis to be somewhat cheaper at IAD, but Hertz to have better pricing at DCA and BWI.