FAQ: How to find the best car rental deals

Yes - put some glue on this!

I've been using this same technique for a couple of years. Find the best deal, book it. Then work Priceline to beat it. I've saved up to 50% off my best coupon/ costco deal and several times it's the same chain I've booked with.

JonesBeach said: One major downside of using a blind booking engine is that you have to stand in line at the rental car check in counter. This can be a VERY time-consuming exercise depending on location and date.

If you are not already a member of the preferred program for the rental company you end up with, join before you leave - most rental companies allow you to join online, for free; the travel forums offer links for most that don't. While you won't earn points or bennies for the rental, you can go to the preferred counter at the airport, show your membership number, and avoid the wait.

JonesBeach said: Another tip for finding great rates is to scour the flyertalk.com car rental forums for coupons and discount codes, of which there are many, and which can make a substantial dent in the cost of renting. AAA and AARP and major corporation (e.g. IBM) rates often can be substantially less than rack rates.

When was the last time you rented a car? As suggested in the links above, standard rates have skyrocketed, and even with some of the better codes, there is a significant premium over what can be had on the opaque sites.

I just rented a car for $140 total for a week with the help of the codes on here

I'm a car rental noob and can use some sage advice. Do you buy rental insurance?

I recently completed a trip. Initially car rental reserved online was ~$160, but at the counter I decided to get the "loss" waiver for an added $22 per day, which bumped it up to ~$280, sticker shock indeed. Per my understanding, the waiver covered up to the full value of the car if it was stolen or damaged--it didn't cover bodily injury.

I wanted the comfort of knowing if those events did happen I was covered. My personal insurance did not cover car rentals. Unfortunately, I didn't call them up either prior to my somewhat immediate trip.

I almost did get into an accident too, I almost bumped the car in front of me as it slowed down in the middle of the highway.

One thing that did run across my mind was I wanted to put a dent/scratch on the car and get my money's worth.

Nakatomi said: I'm a car rental noob and can use some sage advice. Do you buy rental insurance?

I recently completed a trip. Initially car rental reserved online was ~$160, but at the counter I decided to get the "loss" waiver for an added $22 per day, which bumped it up to ~$280, sticker shock indeed. Per my understanding, the waiver covered up to the full value of the car if it was stolen or damaged--it didn't cover bodily injury.

I wanted the comfort of knowing if those events did happen I was covered. My personal insurance did not cover car rentals. Unfortunately, I didn't call them up either prior to my somewhat immediate trip.

I almost did get into an accident too, I almost bumped the car in front of me as it slowed down in the middle of the highway.

One thing that did run across my mind was I wanted to put a dent/scratch on the car and get my money's worth.

Check with your credit card and car insurance providers for the right answer. There are also some threads in the travel deal forum on this subject. Personally, I decline coverage, and stay away from companies like Hertz, who are very picky about minor damage and have unfriendly policies when it comes to accidents.

Nakatomi said: I'm a car rental noob and can use some sage advice. Do you buy rental insurance?

I recently completed a trip. Initially car rental reserved online was ~$160, but at the counter I decided to get the "loss" waiver for an added $22 per day, which bumped it up to ~$280, sticker shock indeed. Per my understanding, the waiver covered up to the full value of the car if it was stolen or damaged--it didn't cover bodily injury.

I wanted the comfort of knowing if those events did happen I was covered. My personal insurance did not cover car rentals. Unfortunately, I didn't call them up either prior to my somewhat immediate trip.

I almost did get into an accident too, I almost bumped the car in front of me as it slowed down in the middle of the highway.

One thing that did run across my mind was I wanted to put a dent/scratch on the car and get my money's worth.Check your personal auto insurance. If you have Collision coverage for your regular car, most likely they'll cover you for your rental. The gotcha, however, is called "Loss of Use." Since most people are now hip to the fact that they don't need the extra insurance, if you do get in an accident, the rental company will charge you for Loss of Use. This can add up, and most Auto Insurance policies won't cover that.

Also check with your CC company. If you have a Gold or Platinum or even a regular card, sometimes they throw in extra insurance when you pay with their card.

I agree with the credit card route for the damage waiver. Most credit cards will cover the damage waiver with their own if you pay for the rental with their card. It is as simple as just calling them and asking if you are covered on a rental, it should take only a few minutes to find out. I recently rented a full size car for a week and got it for under $200. First off, even if you are just renting a car for a trip and leaving from your local area be sure to pick it up at an airport. That alone can save you as much as $40 from my experience. AAA usually also has a good coupon for some partner companies.

Here is a recent article about rental car insurance. Well worth the read. Should clear up some of the questions about buying insurance from the rental companies.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32304252/ns/business-consumer_news//

Just wanted to add that its a good idea to join mailing list of car companies from your area or in general.I don't think they are so many companies.You can maintain a separate folder in your mail box.You will be first one to hear from them for on going promotions.Plus you can always look at coupon forum.

How do I find the best deal on one way rental from San Diego to Los Angeles airport?

Crap article. It confuses what rental car companies bill you for and what you are actually liable for. I've been billed for a lot of things by rental car companies that I've never actually paid for -- cleaning charges, fuel charges, etc. Rental car companies are not the ultimate judge of who is at fault in an auto accident and just because they billed me for 30 days of repairs doesn't mean I would pay it or that it would be legally enforcable.

Furthermore, the author doesn't really reconcile the need for insurance with the fact that it is still extremely overpriced. I'm also guessing that the Insurance Information Institute is funded by some companies that have an interest in people buying unnecssary insurance. Just a hunch, though. Anyone who is interested in the matter should do a bit more reading on the subject before deciding to buy rental insruance from a rental car company.

Hi this forum was very useful for me. The information proved to be useful since i am a first time visitor to this forum i found it worthy.

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I have a Discover Card that I know carries insurance on rentals. Not sure about the others. I don't know how much I trust it though.

the AMEX links appear to be just to apply for a card, NOT info about the primary insurance program.

Car rental always is a problem but if you do some researches you can find some good advices like in this blog Car Hire News Advice & Reviews . Blog author is working many years in this field.

I recently took a trip to St Maarten, and didnt want to risk being uninsured out-of-country with a rental vehicle. I only have minimum liability on my policies at home, and there are quite a few restrictions to the credit card protections when you've read through the fine print.

I chose to go with a 3rd party provider which was cheaper by a few bucks/day than what the rental company offered... Google rental car insurance and you'll find some.

Generally, I pass on the insurance... and have never had an accident or an issue... but I have done a lot of research and find that some places are riskier than others, particularly, Mexico... where after reading some of the traveler's posts I would not even bother to rent a vehicle, too much risk!

"anyone ever noticed if there are any perks (free) that one rental company offers that others don't?"

Car rental Gatwick offers free meet and greet service on special promotions. I recently hired a vehicle with this company. I added Meet and Greet service to my rental and this made my vehicle collection hassle free. A representative met me at the arrival lounge, helped me in taking the baggages to the vehicle and delivered the vehicle within the terminal itself. Visit gatwick-car-hire.com

shank said: Several times per week, someone posts a request, looking for help with a car rental. In most cases, they are experiencing sticker shock with the recent increase in car rental rates, which those of us who travel regularly are painfully aware, but in fact has been well documented:
Rental car rates skyrocket, despite recession
HUGE increase in rental car rates, and nothing about in on Flyertalk???

The first article offers what I have found to be the best guidance:
Try a blind-booking site like Hotwire or Priceline, which offer cars only from a handful of top national chains. Pre-pay your booking, and you'll save up to 40 percent. The catch? If you cancel your trip, you'll be out the money.
Here is my approach - learned from reading countless threads in this forum:
1. Use the car rental coupon thread and travel search sites to find the lower cost companies at the desired dates and location, then book at least one on the rental agency's own site.
2. Periodically search for new promotions, offers
3. Approximately 2 weeks before the rental date, research betterbidding.com, and try my luck on Hotwire and Priceline. If I can save at least 20%, pull the trigger and cancel #1.
where are you? with rented car