HUGE increase in rental car rates, and nothing about in on Flyertalk???
#76
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1
yes there has been an obscene increase in short rental car rates
at airports....they're claiming it's the smaller fleets and the hard time the companies are having selling their used cars as well but it's highway robbery
in this supposedly 'deflationary spiral' period and I don't think they will be able to sustain this gouging for long
in this supposedly 'deflationary spiral' period and I don't think they will be able to sustain this gouging for long
#78
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Tampa Bay area
Posts: 2
Taxes 70% of base rate in SEA?
Seems like the taxes/fees used to be 50% of the base rate in Seattle. I was looking to book a reservation in November and the taxes/fees are now 70%. Did something change?
Sorry to post without an introduction. I'll go do that now.
Sorry to post without an introduction. I'll go do that now.
#79
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Tampa Bay area
Posts: 2
Posting to add email notification to thread.
#80
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Posts: 1,310
I'm still finding ridiculous rates ($100+) for one day rentals, and others much higher than usual...While I did get a $35 Thrifty rental at MCI earlier this month, that was very unusual this year. Typically, if I must have a car on a trip, I have wound up going with Avis with a corporate rate of about $52-64 a day; otherwise trying to get a decent rate through Priceline, which has worked a few times.
ie - $100+ per day for SFO or SMF in early November $35 for Las Vegas per day for a subcompact in late September...(I recently got a $22 rate for the Vegas trip through Priceline as prices have NOT dropped..or only a few dollars at most)
Same $100+ per day for BWI, EWR, BOS, PVD, etc. in October...
So for those who thought $300 a week was too high a year ago....how about $100 per day?
As I mentioned in another thread under Thrifty, I refuse to pay those kind of rates and in several instances this summer have just skipped the rental and gone with airport shuttles...
ie - $100+ per day for SFO or SMF in early November $35 for Las Vegas per day for a subcompact in late September...(I recently got a $22 rate for the Vegas trip through Priceline as prices have NOT dropped..or only a few dollars at most)
Same $100+ per day for BWI, EWR, BOS, PVD, etc. in October...
So for those who thought $300 a week was too high a year ago....how about $100 per day?
As I mentioned in another thread under Thrifty, I refuse to pay those kind of rates and in several instances this summer have just skipped the rental and gone with airport shuttles...
#81
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 1,170
As someone who rents cars from various cities and various agencies 365 days a year, I could tell you a lot of stories. As I vaguely recall, I believe I started this thread way back when I was younger. Yes, rental prices are ridiculous, they got hiked up some time ago and have never come down (and if a certain person wants to show up here and defend the rental companies that they are adhering to their cost model, been there, done that). Rates have NOT been responsive to demand, they have held up the rates. Certain non-corporate locations have yelled foul with no success, and they have gotten around corporate in certain ways I won't mention here. Perhaps the model has been broken, cause in many cases the charges simply don't make business sense, and as a result, I have pursued other options. The current prices bear no resemblance to what the prices were over a year ago. Blame it on their fleet purchase prices or whatever, or the fact that they need to report a profitable quarter, the end result to me (and you) when it comes to a subcompact, compact, or etc. car, is out of whack.
#82
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,712
Was visiting AUS for a day and a half this week, looked up compact rental rates, couldn't find anything under $98 / day, or $230 all in for my stay, from any company. Absurd. I rented nothing, actually used Super Shuttle in protest.
#83
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York suburbs
Posts: 4,206
In some places, where the airport is far from town, airport rental car rates can be surprisingly high and there are few if any off-airport branches nearby. (Ex Kansas City, Norfolk, Cedar Rapids) This makes shared shuttle vans a competitive option. In fact, I've used Super Shuttle in Kansas City. They have a presence in several markets. The rates are relatively good, especially if the group you're visiting has a corporate rate plan. The downside is they frequently circle around for an hour and leave once the blue 15 passenger van is finally full. (One row of seats is removed to make room for luggage, so it's not necessarily as annoying as you might think.)
Hotel courtesy shuttles can also be a good deal. I've used many of them, but be advised that those hotels tend to be in heavily travelled areas where the rates can be high. Also, with all shuttles, watch out for reliability and scheduling glitches.
Hotel courtesy shuttles can also be a good deal. I've used many of them, but be advised that those hotels tend to be in heavily travelled areas where the rates can be high. Also, with all shuttles, watch out for reliability and scheduling glitches.
#84
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Posts: 1,310
Here's a price example from my San Francisco mention above.....November 3rd, one day, typical rate for a compact, $180 with taxes ($129 base rate, $51 taxes)...are you kidding me?
If a rental company pays $300/mo to own the car, and let's say they can sell it for the remaining balance, it would only take them 3 days or so per month of rental to break even; if they actually have it rented half the month, what a windfall...
No freaking way would I pay $180 a day for a car! My roundtrip cost across country is less than that!
Adios car rental ripoffs; it's no wonder your business is down...I'll go with airport shuttles.
If a rental company pays $300/mo to own the car, and let's say they can sell it for the remaining balance, it would only take them 3 days or so per month of rental to break even; if they actually have it rented half the month, what a windfall...
No freaking way would I pay $180 a day for a car! My roundtrip cost across country is less than that!
Adios car rental ripoffs; it's no wonder your business is down...I'll go with airport shuttles.
#85
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,185
Most rental cars are leased on short lease cycles.
That puts the cost much closer to about $750 per month (for a typical midsize vehicle). Higher when you count in maintenance costs, overhead (staff to handle the fleet management), uncollectable damages, etc.
If an agency can maintain a year-round occupancy rate of 80% (fairly good for an average), that means that the break-even point is $31.25 per day. And every time you pay less than $31.25 per day, or the low season makes occupancy rates fall below 80%, someone somewhere else is having to pay more. Hopefully not $100 per day more (I'll agree that's insane), but if you're going to make an argument, at least base it on realistic numbers.
Look for more rental agencies to start buying and owning their own cars (and holding onto them for much longer---60,000+ miles), which will bring the costs down closer to (but not quite what) you gave.
Oh, and think of the value you're still getting: you're renting a $20,000+ car for less than you can rent a $2,000 (used) Genie 36" man lift for a day. Maybe we should storm the gates of equipment rental places with our angry lynch mob--they're the ones truly ripping us off!
Last edited by jackal; Sep 22, 2009 at 3:15 pm
#86
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: aeroplan,amex platinum,hilton honours, emerald club elite, priority club
Posts: 212
Here's a price example from my San Francisco mention above.....November 3rd, one day, typical rate for a compact, $180 with taxes ($129 base rate, $51 taxes)...are you kidding me?
If a rental company pays $300/mo to own the car, and let's say they can sell it for the remaining balance, it would only take them 3 days or so per month of rental to break even; if they actually have it rented half the month, what a windfall...
No freaking way would I pay $180 a day for a car! My roundtrip cost across country is less than that!
Adios car rental ripoffs; it's no wonder your business is down...I'll go with airport shuttles.
If a rental company pays $300/mo to own the car, and let's say they can sell it for the remaining balance, it would only take them 3 days or so per month of rental to break even; if they actually have it rented half the month, what a windfall...
No freaking way would I pay $180 a day for a car! My roundtrip cost across country is less than that!
Adios car rental ripoffs; it's no wonder your business is down...I'll go with airport shuttles.
#87
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: TPA
Programs: UA 1PP MM
Posts: 328
What's with BOS?
Every day from May thru......... the cheapest car in BOS is $70 per day.
Not seeing these prices anywhere else.
Anyone have a clue??
Not seeing these prices anywhere else.
Anyone have a clue??
#88
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,645
On a random day in May (May 15), I'm seeing $45ish/day for Thrifty and other companies, which with tax is about $70. I was able to get the base rate down to about $35 with discount codes, but the total is still $60ish due to the high taxes in BOS.
Those aren't particularly great rates, but they're not all that high, either (BOS's high taxes make them seem higher than they are). That said, the BOS market isn't generally a very cheap market--all the companies have a big presence, so it's not due to lack of competition. It's possible the local managers are less aggressive with their rates or something.
#89
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: TPA
Programs: UA 1PP MM
Posts: 328
Yeah, I can find the $46 also.
But there is no variation of price day to day, week to week for months.
Never seen that in any city.
$46 a day is a July/August price for BOS not May.
Done BOS 10 times a year for the last 20 years. Never seen this.
But there is no variation of price day to day, week to week for months.
Never seen that in any city.
$46 a day is a July/August price for BOS not May.
Done BOS 10 times a year for the last 20 years. Never seen this.
#90
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Diego
Programs: Marriott Rewards Silver Elite, AA Lifetime Plat 4.5M, DL Medallion Lifetime Silver, DL MillionMiler
Posts: 1,263
For the past year and a half I had been renting cars through various agencies, and have noticed a triple rate increase for the next few weeks.
Have been renting for $89 or $94 per 4 day week, the rates are now $300+.
I was surprised that I haven't seen anything posted on FlyerTalk about it also.
Have been renting for $89 or $94 per 4 day week, the rates are now $300+.
I was surprised that I haven't seen anything posted on FlyerTalk about it also.