Car rental deals?

[Ryan Coke]

Yeah that kihei rent a car is great for cheap used wheels. Also, for any car rental, keep checking rates. You can book, then if you see a cheaper price come up you just book again and cancel the old one. The price variation from the main car rental companies is astounding....it changes several times a day sometimes.

I use the carrentals.com app, and just keep checking it. I am also signed up with several car companies frequent rent programs which then give you a discount. So after you find a good deal on carrentals.com, then go to the company website and login and get the better price there. Generally the reseller websites (kayak, expedia, carrentals.com, etc) are all the same.
But keep checking regularly, and re book whenever you find a cheaper rate. And then cancel the old one.

[gasman]

We have always used discounthawaiicarrentals.com when in Hawaii. I've used them 4 times and got killer deals compared to booking direct to the car rental place. They still use the big names and there is no deposit or credit card required.

[csnarpy]

seriously, go to www.costco.com

go to their travel section. they always have 30% off with free upgrades.

[Calgary14]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Might be Kehei rentals that you are thinking of. If I'm not mistaken they are the cheapest place in Maui but they also don't have new vehicles. They are older cars but they get the job done.

I think it might be this one (Kahului)

https://kimosrentacar.com

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by ken0042

What about local Calgary rentals? I need to rent a car in April for a week. Anybody know of a place that has good deals on rentals in town?

Expect to pay about 2x the prices listed in this thread.......car rentals and cellphone bills are two places were Canucks get boned!!

[Stealth22]

Originally Posted by cral12

Any updates on suggested ways to get best deals for car rental. In this case, headed to Hawaii, Maui that is.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

What days are you looking at?

I usually book with National...if you're an Emerald Club member, you get to skip the line at the counter and pick your own car from the Emerald section. Their rates are usually pretty reasonable, and I haven't had issues with them in terms of customer service. Failing that, I usually try the AMA codes with Hertz, or the WestJet code with Budget.

Check http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com as well...last time we went to Hawaii, the rental rates were sky high. I'm talking, like, $900 to $1000 for a week for a full-size sedan, with all the usual suspects. I eventually found a midsize SUV with Budget for $500 with the WestJet code. It was the cheapest I could find, even discounthawaiicarrental.com couldn't beat it.

I've read that you need a WJ boarding pass if you go that route with Budget. We were flying WestJet, so it was all good, but I was never asked for one. I'd check Costco Travel as well, if you're a member there.

[Byrns]

Typically I book with Budget using the Costco discount. I've found that to be about as good as it gets. I also use http://www.carrentalsavers.com/ to compare prices.

[cral12]

Great tips from a bunch of CPers; many thanks.
Definitely will check out http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com as well as considering other suggestions.

[shane_c]

Originally Posted by fotze

Whatever you do, take a shuttle to the rental desk while the SO waits for luggage.

Do not do the fuel option even when the lady lies to you and says the gas is cheaper. It's a bargain there compared to here.

I'll be renting a car in the Yukon in July and my flight leaves very early in the morning so I doubt I'll find a gas station open at that hour. From what I read with Budget it appears their fuel option would charge a reduced rate X the capacity of the tank. If I understand right I would get charged a full tank of fuel even if it only needed a few liters. Is this right? If I didn't bring it back full would I only get charged for the liters needed at a higher rate?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by shane_c

I'll be renting a car in the Yukon in July and my flight leaves very early in the morning so I doubt I'll find a gas station open at that hour. From what I read with Budget it appears their fuel option would charge a reduced rate X the capacity of the tank. If I understand right I would get charged a full tank of fuel even if it only needed a few liters. Is this right? If I didn't bring it back full would I only get charged for the liters needed at a higher rate?

Yes, that's correct. Their "lower rate" is for a full tank. So, if the car has a 60L gas tank, you'll pay for 60L, regardless of how much it will actually take to fill it.

Also, keep in mind that with most vehicles, you can drive 20km or more after filling up before the needle actually moves off of Full, so you can fill up the night before and as long as you're not too far away from the airport, it will still likely be on Full when you return it.

[redforever]

I have consistently used this agency any time I have gone to Hawaii, any of the islands, and found them to be the cheapest, with good vehicles, and no hassle. Also, you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance with no cost.

http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/