Higher prices with contract code
 

Anyone noticed higher prices when using the contract/discount code? I was booking a car for my wife and thought I'd see if my corporate discount helped at all. It ended up pretty much doubling the cost. I then went back and found that removing the code for a reservation next week reduced the daily rate by about $30.

I'm happy to pay National a premium for service/ease, but having prices further marked up by using a company "discount" seems a bit over the top.

No idea what your employer's negotiated rate includes or what the rate you found does and does not include, but it is pretty common for negotiated discounts to still cost more than the cheapest possible rate. That is because some companies want LDW or other features and that may jack the rate somewhat.

Needless to say, if you are paying out of pocket and have the choice between the use of a corporate rate for personal leisure travel for others and a lower rate, you should choose the lower rate if it includes the features you want.