TravelPhotographer

(NOTE: THREAD LEADS INTO DAILY PRICE CHECK RECHECK EXERCISE)

BOS via priceline.com:
(still 3+ wks away)

Full Size
Weekly Rate (1 x $294.35): $294.35
Extra Day Rate (4 x $42.05): $168.20
Subtotal: $462.55
Taxes and Fees: $179.53
Estimated Total Charges: $642.08

Any advice, codes, on getting better rate from any popular agency appreciated. Never tried any way other than priceline.com in past. Just joined AAA, have multiple Chase & citi cards. Thanks in advance!

(there is no general rental car questions forum?)
(is there overall general forum for newbies?)

rhinok

It depends on the dates, but I was able to get the following directly from alamo.com (who I rent through almost exclusively):


Base Rate - Midsize (USD)
(1) Time & Distance ($282.11/Week) $282.11
(4) Extra - Time & Distance ($40.30/Day) $161.20
Discount ($44.33)
Upgrade Coupon Accepted
Contract I.D. Alamo Insiders Members
Inclusive Rate Items
Guaranteed Base Rate Included
(1) Additional Driver Included
Unlimited Miles Included
Subtotal $398.98

Customer Facility Charge $6.00/day $66.00
Concession Recovery Fee 11.11 % $46.47
Convention Ctr Surchg 10.00/rental $10.00
Parking Surcharge .60/rental $0.60
Veh Lic Recovery Fee 1.75/day $19.25
Sales Tax (6.250%) $26.18
Subtotal $168.50

Estimated Total $567.48

That's almost $75 cheaper.

As an insiders member, which you can become for free, you can use a double-upgrade code, which lets you reserve a fullsize for a midsize rate (assuming the code is valid for the dates you want - AU2852SDA is valid through August 30, 2012).

I used to rent via hotwire for personal trips because prepaying through them saved a ton of money off local fees. Unfortunately, hotwire doesn't really work that way anymore. Recently, I got quoted for a future trip for significantly higher than I could get through alamo.com directly. As such, I'd recommend going through alamo.com.

TravelPhotographer

Thanks! Will investigate! regards.

bludnik

try ID 7015504 and Coupon Code AD2338FDF from Visa... with that i bumped my kayak rate down by $78.73...

i have a 2 week rental from ord to lax which went from $1,374.46 to $1,295.73...

Dieuwer

Here are some more coupons: http://www.autoslash.com/coupons

AutoSlash

What's your pick-up date and time and drop-off date and time?

TravelPhotographer

Thanks for all responses above. Will investigate.

**Aug 16 afternoon to Aug 27 afternoon;
Any popular agency OK, mid-size up OK;
(no smaller than Ford Fusion)
Am AAA member.

AutoSlash

Advantage - $445.54 (CDP: 03350 / PC: 166924). You can click here to book via Travelocity.

bludnik

lowered my rate to $1,247.01 with corp id 7015135 (alamo insiders) and coupon AD2359FDF... thanks! ^^^^

TravelPhotographer

Are CDP & PC discount codes? I entered them as that but got closer to $595+, not $445. Any help in beating this, directly from alamo.com, obtained by joining "Insider" & using coupon codes above, downgrading to standard size:

Base Rate - Standard (USD)
(1) Time & Distance ($276.95/Week) $276.95
(4) Extra - Time & Distance ($39.56/Day) $158.24
Discount ($43.52)
Discount Coupon Accepted ($35.00)
Contract I.D. Alamo Insiders Members
Inclusive Rate Items
Guaranteed Base Rate Included
(1) Additional Driver Included
Unlimited Miles Included
Subtotal $356.67
Taxes, Surcharges and Fees Customer Facility Charge $6.00/day $66.00
Concession Recovery Fee 11.11 % $41.76
Convention Ctr Surchg 10.00/rental $10.00
Parking Surcharge .60/rental $0.60
Veh Lic Recovery Fee 1.75/day $19.25
Sales Tax (6.250%) $23.53
Fttxrsu (0.0%) $0.74
Subtotal $161.88
Estimated Total Estimated charges are confirmed based on the information you have provided; only taxes, fees, and surcharges are subject to change. $518.55

rdaven2003

I have always found that hotwire is the cheapest. I am not sure of your dates but I plugged in 8/23 to 9/1 and came up with $267.96. You will not get any points or miles but the saving sill far pay for this.

TravelPhotographer

Location: Boston Logan Intl Arpt/Shuttle (BOST71)
Date & Time: Thursday, August 16, 2012
Dropoff Information
Location: Boston Logan Intl Arpt/Shuttle (BOST71)
Date & Time: Monday, August 27, 2012
Base Rate - Standard (USD)
(1) Week Rate ($261.86/week) $261.86
(4) Day Rate ($37.41/day) $149.64
Contract I.D. Alamo Insiders Members
Guaranteed Base Rate Included
(1) Additional Driver Included
Unlimited Miles Included
Subtotal.......................................... ...$411.50
Discounts
Discount ($41.15)
American Airlines Valley Offer ($35.00)
Subtotal.......................................... ..($76.15)
Taxes, Surcharges and Fees
Customer Facility Charge $6.00/day $66.00
Concession Recovery Fee 11.11 % $39.40
Convention Ctr Surchg 10.00/rental $10.00
Parking Surcharge .60/rental $0.60
Veh Lic Recovery Fee 1.75/day $19.25
Sales Tax (6.250%) $22.20
Fttxrsu (0.0%) $0.74
Subtotal.......................................... ...$158.19
Estimated Total......................................$493.54

AutoSlash

Whoops, sorry about that. The link in the last post was for MDW, not BOS.

$459.25 for Intermediate at Alamo in BOS. Link to Travelocity search results.

povertyjetset

carrentals.com

TravelPhotographer

It seems like competing consolidating sites act as "hint" as to which company site might be lowest at that moment when codes are inserted? And then unpredictably, there are temporary lows, e.g., how I got standard @$493.54.

But frequent checking is counter-productive time-wise. Any other way to know when temporary down-spikes occur? Thanks.