JLB1

Hi Y'all. I've been lurking for quite awhile, but registered cuz I've got a question.

I have rented a minivan or SUV for Florida in January for many years. Normally I get a National contract ID here. Although I won't go into the one that did not work last year, I'm wondering what's up for this coming January . . . everything is coming back very high and not even Priceline is coming through.

Anyone wanna see what they can get for this:

Minivan or midsize SUV

Pickup 10:00 PM 1/2/2010 PIE
Dropoff 3:00 PM 1/15/2010 PIE

Thanks.

ElmhurstNick

Welcome to Flyertalk!

I was getting a ridiculous price with the default Emerald Aisle code - well over $600/week plus taxes. Even the fullsize were going for $357/week.

Can you rent out of Tampa instead? Maybe that would be lower?

JLB1

Same here.

We are arriving at PIE at 10 PM, so Tampa would be highly inconvenient. Even more highly inconvenient than just a cab ride from Tampa.

Priceline is telling me I could probably get what we want if I went to $33/day, which would put us into the $600 range for our 13 days, with all the add-ons.

This is the first time Priceline has been available at PIE (or Sanford in Orlando) so I have always used National Emerald Club and the best Contract ID/Coupon.

In the past I have gotten National at around $550. Last year with the really good code I got $380, but it was flagged, took me two or three hours to get through it, and they finally gave it to me for about $450.
I had 3 people waiting.

We have been doing this for 20 years and in the past we have gotten Renevous, Uplanders, Trailblazers, etc.

I am on another forum, and with the same code no one else has been flagged anywhere. Folks there are also clueless about why this rental seems to be problematic.

MichaelColey

They'll probably drop as it gets closer. Keep checking, and try the different codes. I have several reservations in September for under $200/week all in.

JLB1

I'm not seeing a list of current codes; most of the ones on the Sticky are long expired.

JLB1

This is probably not the right place to post this, and if a moderator wants to move it, go ahead . . . . . .

I was checking prices on the Internet and used one called Discount Florida Rental Cars, which purports to search and notify you by email. They used that to harvest enough information to book a reservation, which they did without my permission, and for twice what we normally pay.

Likely some travel agent sitting somewhere, figuring if any of them stick it's bucks in their pocket.

The reservations were booked at 1:00 AM, a time when most people would not be checking their email.

JLB1

I'm really surprised that everyone seems to be as clueless as me, that there doesn't seem to be any good deals right now.

Hotwire is a bummer. I keep getting emails saying rental cars at PIE are now $18.95 a day, but when I click the link, what I need is the same it always has been, $35.95/day.

peteropny

I didn't post earlier since I have no idea what to recommend.

But welcome to Flyertalk & the National forum.

Perhaps what you should do is go ahead and book the best rate you can find. Then keep re-checking - I think that rates will go down (National's Last "Minute" rates have been lower than earlier this year - not as low as in prior years though) since the auto business seems to be settling down some. Its too early for Priceline / Hotwire in my opinion especially with the rental car business shakeup.

JLB1

That may be good advice if the best rates now were not Hotwire/Priceline, ones that cannot be cancelled.

peteropny

I guess I should clarify - book the best non-prepaid cancellable rate for now - and keep looking including at Hotwire/Priceline.

JLB1

They are all over $1000 for something I normally get for $500. Last year it was $370 on a code that I was the only one that got flagged on. They finally forced it through (after about two hours at the counter) by bumping it up to about $450.

We might as well buy a car there, bring it back home, and sell it.

JLB1

After a couple of months of searching here and elsewhere for a good deal and figuring out about what it was going to take on Priceline, I went ahead and got an SUV on Priceline.

The lowest I had gotten from National Emerald Club, including calling in to see if someone could override what I was seeing online, was around $1200. When I called in, they were $1400-ish; I was online myself and it was lower online.

I got it from Priceline for $563, about the normal amount, except for last year's unusually good contract ID.

Guess who I got it from . . . Yup, National.

JLB1

I inquired and our Priceline reservation cannot be shown under our Emerald Club membership.

Tuneman1984

Because you booked Priceline you will have to go to the counter. However by showing your Emerald Club they might link that up for you. On my own experience, my first rental ever with National was when I took my own car in for repairs and the repair shop contracted National to provide the courtesy car. I had signed up for Emerald Club but didn't even think of it, and then lo and behold I got an Emerald Club credit for the rental when I didn't even pay for it. So you should be able to get some Emerald Club benefits but perhaps someone with prepaid rental experience and/or an insider could weigh in as I'm not entirely sure.