AlphaTango

I'd always approached making a car rental reservation the same way as I approached airline tickets: the earlier you reserve, the best rate you get.

Maybe this was totally naive, but this is certainly not the case.

I had an upcoming weekly reservation for a midsize car for $288. I noticed in a recent email blast a $25 off weekly rate coupon, so I went to go use that. But instead of modifying the original res, I started a new one and noticed that the weekly rate for a standard SUV was cheaper than the midsize, both of which were substantially lower than my existing reservation.

Bottom line, I now have a new reservation for a standard SUV, with the coupon applied for $201 for the week all in.

Which leads me to my question: is there a better day to reserve cars than others? Or is it just a question of continually checking what's available and re-reserving if the rates go lower?

3Cforme

This strategy doesn't work for U.S. air carriers reliably, either. Airlines aren't motivated to sell the cheapest seats fast; if they have extra inventory they can be more heavily discounting it later. Regrets, but you just need to keep checking rates by car class.

peteropny

I usually book a car rental when my plans for a trip firm up. Then check periodically afterwards, particularly when the "last minute" specials are announced on Tuesdays up to 2 weeks before the trip and then again the week of the trip. Be sure to check the generic Emerald Club code 5007125 along with any corporate codes you are "entitled" to use since the cost may go down particularly with the generic Emerald Club code. It's good to lock in a rate once your trip is firm since there is no cancellation penalty with car rentals then check if you can improve the rate.

AlphaTango

Thanks for the reply. In the past, I really haven't had the time to play around with it - which is what I guess the rental companies rely on.

To your last point, it does seem as if the majors are trying to change this game a bit - with the heavily discounted, pre-paid option for which there IS a penalty for cancellation. I wonder if that's the way the whole industry is headed?

plagwate

I agree with peteropny. Recently, I've found my rates to improve significantly within a week of my rental. Both the "Last Minute Specials" and "Generic National Emerald Club" codes have been able to beat the various corporate codes listed in the Sticky when re-priced a few days out from pick-up.

formeraa

In other words, rental car companies are getting more sophisticated with their pricing and inventory management. You should treat a rental car booking more like a hotel booking. Once you book, keep checking periodically for specials and lower rates. If demand isn't as strong as expected or there is some type of corporate promo, the rates may well go down after you make your reservation.

Coastercameron

I have found that on some occasions you should check daily for a week or so before your pickup, as if they have severe excess capacity, they will lower the rates by a few bucks every day. This seems to be more applicable to weekend reservations though.