Jan 6, 2018, 11:23 am
Last edit by: AutoSlash
AutoSlash automatically searches thousands of coupon codes to find the best one that slashes your rental car rate!
How to use AutoSlash:- Request a quote at https://www.autoslash.com/quote. You'll get an email usually within 10-15 minutes with the best rates (it takes a few minutes to scan through thousands of coupons!). The email will have a link to view your quote results. The quote will include the best rates (after discounts and coupons) from each major rental company that AutoSlash was able to find. Choose which one you want to book and you can then complete your reservation.
- If you've already booked a rental elsewhere (or after you book one through step #1 above), register your reservation at https://www.autoslash.com/track. AutoSlash will periodically check your reservation for lower rates and will email you if and when a lower rate is available.
AutoSlash searches and books two different types of rates:
- "Pay Later" — retail pay-at-counter rates, just like the ones you can book directly at the rental car companies' websites, but with coupons applied to slash the rate
- "Pay Now" — specially-negotiated "Slash Deals" prepaid rates that can often be a significant discount from retail rates
"Pay Now" Slash Deals rates are booked directly with AutoSlash.
FlyerTalk Advanced Questions (FAQs):
Is there a fee to use AutoSlash?
No, AutoSlash doesn't charge for its services.
How does AutoSlash stay in business, then?
AutoSlash gets a little bit of affiliate revenue from the booking links in the quotes.
What big evil corporation is behind AutoSlash?
None. AutoSlash is a bootstrapped start-up birthed by FlyerTalkers (and even still employing mostly FlyerTalk members) with an initial goal of automating what many FlyerTalk members were already doing (manually testing dozens or hundreds of coupon and discount codes for each rental) and now aiming to be the best and cheapest place on the Internet to book rental cars. There are no plans to shut down or sell out, but if someone wants to match or beat this offer...
Why do I have to provide my email address?
It takes a few minutes to scan through all of the different coupon and discount codes, so a real-time search system isn't really possible. An email alert will be sent when your quote is ready, usually within about 10-15 minutes.
Why haven't I still haven't gotten my quote after 15 minutes?
During periods of heavy demand, the system may get a little backed up. Quotes are generally processed in order of pick-up date (rates for rentals several months out usually don't fluctuate very often), though there's a bit of logic in the system to try to make sure that people don't wait too long (more than an hour or so) for a quote, even when AutoSlash is featured on national news money-saving segments. Also, if you request a quote that doesn't return any results (like trying to pick up off-airport at 3am or searching for a convertible in Duluth in January—yes, those are real requests), your request goes into a queue for manual review, where a support agent will review things to see if your quote can be adjusted to find a result. That should be processed within a few hours at most (but often much faster). Also, try checking your junk or spam folder. Some ISPs tend to be aggressive about bouncing AutoSlash quote emails; feel free to reach out to AutoSlash support to check on your quote email status if you can't find it.
How can I get support from AutoSlash?
[email protected] is the best way to get in touch. A support agent is usually online Monday-Friday 8am to midnight Eastern time and Saturday/Sunday 10am to 8pm Eastern time. During that time, you'll usually get a reply within five to 30 minutes or so and pretty much never more than an hour or two. Most agents are long-time FlyerTalk members, meaning your response generally comes from the perspective of a frequent traveler (if not an outright travel hacker), not some clueless offshore call-center script-reader.
Since it's a small team, not to mention they're FlyerTalkers and often traveling themselves (and working from on-board wifi), phone support isn't currently provided. Messaging (privately) on Facebook works, too, with similar response time to email (it goes to the same support agents). Public Facebook wall posts and tweeting @autoslash on Twitter as well as posting in this thread aren't as fast (the support team doesn't monitor those, so they're not the best channels for individual support). (Original post)Why should I use AutoSlash instead of just going directly to Priceline?
If you search on Priceline.com's homepage for a rental car rate, you'll just get the same rack rates that you'll find on the rental car companies' own sites (plus a mix of nonrefundable prepaid Express Deals rates). The pay-at-counter rates AutoSlash finds are different (and usually significantly lower) than the rates you'd find looking directly on Priceline due to the coupons and discounts AutoSlash applies.
Why are rates on AutoSlash the same or higher than what I've already found elsewhere?
Could be a couple of reasons. If any time has elapsed since you found the lower rate elsewhere, rates simply may have gone up. Compare rates within a few minutes of each other to make sure both results are fresh. A lower rate you found last week really means nothing if you compare it to a rate you found today. Also, make sure you're searching for the exact same itinerary--even adjusting the pick-up or drop-off time by one minute could affect rates, sometimes drastically, especially with all of the rate management games the rental companies engage in these days. Make sure, too, you're searching the exact same location--a small difference in location can be easily overlooked when searching for off-airport rentals. The easiest solution is to book what you found elsewhere and then submit it for price tracking—that way, it's assured to be an apples-to-apples comparison. If you found or booked the lower rate elsewhere within the last hour and AutoSlash can't beat it, there's probably something wrong somewhere. Reach out to [email protected] for assistance and you're virtually assured to come out with an even lower rate.
Are reservations I book through Priceline refundable?
The Pay Later rates AutoSlash finds are not prepaid and generally don't even require providing a credit card (a few exceptions apply depending on company and location—no-show fees are starting to make some appearances). Be sure to look for rates marked "Pay Later," "Pay At Counter," "Free Cancellation," or similar, or just avoid booking anything that asks you to enter a credit card number, to avoid accidentally booking one of Priceline's prepaid and nonrefundable Express Deals. If you match the rate AutoSlash quotes exactly (i.e. AutoSlash quotes a rate with Alamo of $142.62, and you find a rate with Alamo on Priceline of $142.62), then it should be fully cancelable without a penalty.
Why do I have to prepay now? Why did you change?
Nothing's changed—only a new, extra option! AutoSlash still searches the same pay-at-counter rates it always has, and they're still in your quote (marked as "Pay Later" and bookable via major online travel agencies). In addition, AutoSlash now also offers the option to directly book highly-discounted prepaid rates, which are often lower (they're marked in your quote as "Pay Now" or "Slash Deals"). But prepaying for your rental doesn't mean you're trading flexibility—prepaid Slash Deals rates can be canceled for a full refund up to 48 hours before the scheduled pick-up time.
Are prepaid Slash Deals rates booked directly through AutoSlash refundable?
Slash Deals reservations can be canceled up to 48 hours before pick-up (in the local time zone of the rental office) for a full refund without a penalty. Within 48 hours of pick-up, cancellations are subject to a cancellation fee equal to 1 day's charges. After the pick-up time, reservations are nonrefundable.
I booked a prepaid Slash Deal. What if my flight is canceled or the rental agency won't rent me a car?
The cancellation fees are set by contract between the car rental companies and the booking vendor AutoSlash uses. AutoSlash has a limited ability to request exceptions to the cancellation policy but can't guarantee refunds. AutoSlash recommends you always carry a good travel insurance policy to help minimize issues with prepaid travel arrangements. (Original post)
Can I add my loyalty program to a prepaid Slash Deals reservation?
Unfortunately, there isn't a way to do this (though it's understandably important to most people on FlyerTalk!). However, due to the way National's program works, you can still receive your Emerald Club benefits on prepaid bookings--just book and then use National as normal, including skipping the counter and choosing a car from the Emerald Aisle or Executive Selection as applicable, and the agent at the exit gate will associate the rental to your Emerald Club account using your driver's license number. While not guaranteed, rental credits (including One-Two Free hits) should post normally. To date, no one's posted any experiences attempting this with other rental companies (please post if you try this!).
Are prepaid Slash Deals safe to book? Can I trust AutoSlash?
The booking vendor behind prepaid Slash Deals rates, Connexions Loyalty, is one of the largest vendors in this sector. They power the booking portals for many major financial institutions' rewards portals, including Citi ThankYou Points and (until recently) Chase Ultimate Rewards, both products used by tens of thousands of FlyerTalk members (so hardly a fly-by-night operator). Connexions has robust contracts with the rental car companies for rates and inventory. At no point does AutoSlash ever have access to your credit card information; the travel.autoslash.com subdomain for booking Slash Deals rates is actually hosted by Connexions.
What happened to the grid?
The previous booking platform AutoSlash used was discontinued (it was a division of Travelocity that got bought by Orbitz and eventually folded into Expedia and then sunsetted). AirportRentalCars.com, a subsidiary of Priceline, does have a grid that actually works reasonably well, but their support for coupons and discounts is broken at the moment--hopefully they'll get it fixed at some point. Most other sites out there we've found with grids have half-baked or zero support for coupons and discounts, making them a non-starter.
Known Issues and Workarounds:
Off-airport rate not found: Occasionally, a rate AutoSlash finds in an off-airport quote request won't show up when you click on the Priceline link. This is usually due to Priceline's default search not including the location AutoSlash found. (Priceline dynamically adjusts their search radius based on a number of factors, and they also always search from the geographic center of the city, regardless of ) The current best workaround is to take the Priceline URL and append &radius=25 to the end, which will force Priceline to show all locations within 25 miles of the city center (this can be hundreds of results). You can use the filters on the left sidebar to help narrow down the results and make it easier to find the rate you're looking for. (Original post)
Customizing tracking results: AutoSlash support agents can adjust the reservation parameters (date/time/location/car size/membership affiliations/etc.) as well as filter out specific rental car companies and disable searching for prepaid rates. Reach out to [email protected] or reply to your tracking confirmation or offer email for help with this.
Feature Requests:
- User profiles -- it's coming--slowly, yes, but it's finally on the development timeline
- Mobile-friendly design -- in progress
- App -- not much benefit to one until user profiles are rolled out. Let's get mobile-friendly design perfected first.
- Retain membership/affiliation choices in a cookie -- RESOLVED
Autoslash (General Discussion)
Feb 3, 2015, 6:17 am
#77
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
Assuming you're renting in the US, our prices never include CDW. Our "point of sale" per se is in the US, so rentals are booked through US systems and thus don't include any coverage--the same as if you book on Expedia.com or Thrifty.com or wherever. (All-inclusive rentals in the US are typically booked through overseas-based sites and are often prepaid.)
Are you asking to note if CDW was included on a reservation that you are trying to track with us? If so, I'm not sure what we would be able to do with that since there's no simple way to do an apples-to-apples comparison.
Open to ideas though...
Are you asking to note if CDW was included on a reservation that you are trying to track with us? If so, I'm not sure what we would be able to do with that since there's no simple way to do an apples-to-apples comparison.
Open to ideas though...
Feb 3, 2015, 9:29 am
#78
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
I don't buy CDW myself, but I don't think it offers a discount if purchased in advance, does it? So my suggestion to plentyofroomattheback would be to reserve without it, submit the reservation to AutoSlash for tracking, then go back to add the CDW (or just wait until you check in to pick up the car).
As for including the cost of any prepurchased CDW, those are usually only available from third-party OTAs like Orbitz, Expedia, etc., and AFAIK, they are itemized separately from the cost of the reservation. (Note that these are separate insurance products sold by companies like Allianz and TravelGuard--you're not actually prepaying for the CDW with the rental company itself.) So it should be fairly easy to "unbundle" the cost of CDW insurance if you've bought it from a third-party site, but I don't think that's what the OP is referring to.
Last edited by AutoSlash; Feb 3, 2015 at 9:42 am
Feb 4, 2015, 8:23 pm
#79
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: Qantas
Posts: 12
Yes, I'm in Australia, G'day.
I've two booking through Autoslash and I've been in contact with J there about them. One in the UK, where the hiring company are refusing to accept that CDW is included in the price, and the second in Ireland where CDW is not included in some of the quotes but is in others. Most of the T&C's of the hire companies do not allow you to remove CDW unless you have a very specific type of credit card. I have to say that I've found it all rather confusing and unnecessarily problematic. While I understand that being CDW-less is the norm in the US, it is not something that I have had to deal with before.
And yes, I'm referring to the all inclusive price.
This has however, taught me a very valuable lesson. Read the small print on everything a long time before you go and double check everything.
I've two booking through Autoslash and I've been in contact with J there about them. One in the UK, where the hiring company are refusing to accept that CDW is included in the price, and the second in Ireland where CDW is not included in some of the quotes but is in others. Most of the T&C's of the hire companies do not allow you to remove CDW unless you have a very specific type of credit card. I have to say that I've found it all rather confusing and unnecessarily problematic. While I understand that being CDW-less is the norm in the US, it is not something that I have had to deal with before.
And yes, I'm referring to the all inclusive price.
This has however, taught me a very valuable lesson. Read the small print on everything a long time before you go and double check everything.
Feb 5, 2015, 4:29 am
#80
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 973
one way car rental DC to Texas
Have read about autoslash, but not sure if they can help to lower the costs of one way car rental from Washington DC to Texas. We are flying into IAD and out of AUS in October. We would like to rent a car from DC to drive to Texas to sightsee along the way for 10 days. I have been to a number of car rental websites to get quotes and they were so expensive for one way rental. It is doubled the normal rental costs - total approx. $1,200. I wonder if there is a better way of doing this? Also, if autoslash can really lower the costs? Any idea / suggestion will be much appreciated. [otherwise, it will be flying!]
Feb 5, 2015, 9:22 am
#81
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
Have read about autoslash, but not sure if they can help to lower the costs of one way car rental from Washington DC to Texas. We are flying into IAD and out of AUS in October. We would like to rent a car from DC to drive to Texas to sightsee along the way for 10 days. I have been to a number of car rental websites to get quotes and they were so expensive for one way rental. It is doubled the normal rental costs - total approx. $1,200. I wonder if there is a better way of doing this? Also, if autoslash can really lower the costs? Any idea / suggestion will be much appreciated. [otherwise, it will be flying!]
Still, the way to see what we can do is to have us give you a quote. Just click here and fill out the form and we'll let you know what the best prices are!
Feb 9, 2015, 9:36 am
#83
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
If you request an Intermediate SUV, we will look at Intermediate, Standard, Fullsize, Premium and Luxury SUV's.
Hope this helps.
Feb 9, 2015, 9:49 am
#84
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 3
We will look for Standard cars and above which means Fullsize, Premium and Luxury cars. We will basically search for better/larger vehicles in the same category.
If you request an Intermediate SUV, we will look at Intermediate, Standard, Fullsize, Premium and Luxury SUV's.
Hope this helps.
If you request an Intermediate SUV, we will look at Intermediate, Standard, Fullsize, Premium and Luxury SUV's.
Hope this helps.
Last edited by koolkris76; Feb 9, 2015 at 9:50 am Reason: typo
Feb 9, 2015, 9:55 am
#85
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
1. Book with us and we continue to look for better rates/deals and we'll drop your rate automatically if it's same company/same vehicle class. If we find something different (other company or higher class), we'll email you to ask for permission before switching.
2. Track a reservation with us and we'll email if you we find a better deal and let you know how to book it.
3. Submit a request for a quote and we'll send you the best deals we can find. This is a one-shot deal, meaning you won't receive further emails from us unless you book.
So in short if you go with #1 or #2, then we will watch prices, whereas #3 is a single price quote at a point in time.
Either way, it's best to submit a new quote request (#3 above) and make sure to specify an SUV. The original booking link you received was optimized for the best discount codes available at that time for the car size you selected. If you resubmit a new request for an SUV, our system can see if there are new discounts and coupons available and make sure to find the best one that applies to an SUV.
Feb 9, 2015, 12:10 pm
#86
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
In my experience, #2 is easiest. I go to Orbitz, find whomever has the cheapest car through their Matrix and book it through the rental car company so it's cancelable/refundable. Then I give the details to Autoslash and have them monitor it for me.
At most there has been one reservation they didn't save me money on.
At most there has been one reservation they didn't save me money on.
Feb 9, 2015, 12:20 pm
#87
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
In my experience, #2 is easiest. I go to Orbitz, find whomever has the cheapest car through their Matrix and book it through the rental car company so it's cancelable/refundable. Then I give the details to Autoslash and have them monitor it for me.
At most there has been one reservation they didn't save me money on.
At most there has been one reservation they didn't save me money on.
If you submit a rental for tracking, there's quite a bit of manual work required on our end to input that reservation into our system and analyze and email you the best rates. Sometimes that can cause delays and missed discount opportunities.
If you request a price quote (http://www.autoslash.com/quote), you'll have the very best prices on the entire market inside of half an hour. Much easier and faster!
Note that quote link is different than the regular search on our main homepage, which is limited and doesn't show discounted rates due to industry contractual agreements.
Feb 10, 2015, 5:25 am
#88
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
Actually, #3 is even easier.
If you submit a rental for tracking, there's quite a bit of manual work required on our end to input that reservation into our system and analyze and email you the best rates. Sometimes that can cause delays and missed discount opportunities.
If you request a price quote (http://www.autoslash.com/quote), you'll have the very best prices on the entire market inside of half an hour. Much easier and faster!
Note that quote link is different than the regular search on our main homepage, which is limited and doesn't show discounted rates due to industry contractual agreements.
If you submit a rental for tracking, there's quite a bit of manual work required on our end to input that reservation into our system and analyze and email you the best rates. Sometimes that can cause delays and missed discount opportunities.
If you request a price quote (http://www.autoslash.com/quote), you'll have the very best prices on the entire market inside of half an hour. Much easier and faster!
Note that quote link is different than the regular search on our main homepage, which is limited and doesn't show discounted rates due to industry contractual agreements.
If you would rather we use #3, I'd suggest adding that to your home page (unless the "industry contractual agreements" somehow prohibit that also).
In any case, thanks again for running this service.
Feb 11, 2015, 6:03 am
#89
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Atlanta, GA Hub Captive
Programs: DL GM, FL A+ Elite, WN A List
Posts: 303
I did not know about the quoting either but it is good to know...
I'm tracking a reservation that I made about 6 months ago to rent an SUV in HNL in a few weeks. Auto Slash has come back about 4 times and lowered my price from $280/wk down to $180/wk...
Love it.
I'm tracking a reservation that I made about 6 months ago to rent an SUV in HNL in a few weeks. Auto Slash has come back about 4 times and lowered my price from $280/wk down to $180/wk...
Love it.
Feb 11, 2015, 9:17 pm
#90
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
Wow. I'm a frequent slasher, averaging 2 or 3 reservations a month, and I had no idea about option 3. And if I had, I would have guessed that was more manual work for you than option 2, not less.
If you would rather we use #3, I'd suggest adding that to your home page (unless the "industry contractual agreements" somehow prohibit that also).
In any case, thanks again for running this service.
If you would rather we use #3, I'd suggest adding that to your home page (unless the "industry contractual agreements" somehow prohibit that also).
In any case, thanks again for running this service.
It's still easier (on both us and you) to use the quote system, but we should now be much better at catching and alerting you of lower rates if you submit a reservation for price tracking.
We would love to advertise the quote system more prominently, but that's not something doable at this time.