Last week (8/14) I booked a 4 day rental with Alamo through Travelocity. I believe I will need the vehicle for 7 days but the daily rate was less than 1/7th of the weekly rate, so I booked 4 days at the daily rate and figured I'd just extend if needed. The price quoted was $135 for the 4 days, and at the time of the booking, the extra day fees were quoted at approximately $34 total per day. Seemed like a no-brainer at the time.

Today I checked the reservation on Travelocity and the extra day fees magically increased to $254 per day, an increase of 750%. I called both Travelocity and Alamo, and the story I'm getting is that Alamo has the right to change those extra day fees based on market demand. Alamo claims they have an obligation to honor the original 4 day rental, but not the extra day fees quoted at that time which "fluctuate based on changes in demand".

My thought is that all rates change based on fluctuations in demand, but that Alamo and I entered into a contract based on Alamo's assessment of market demand at that point in time. I should know the extra day/hour fees or any other hidden fees at the time I make the booking. Just as an airline shouldn't be able to lure you in with a $200 fare with $25 bag fees but then tell you afterwards they've decided to increase the bag fees to $250.

In honesty, I can see this from Alamo's lenses too - if everyone were to return their cars 3 days late during times of peak demand, they wouldn't have any cars for the next arriving guests. But if that's the case, feels like they should not stipulate the extra day fees to me at time of booking, or at a minimum, specifically state that they are subject to change.

I guess part of this is just me venting, but is this standard practice in the car rental industry or is Alamo misbehaving here?