$1 per day Car Rentals

Just found this superb deal on one-way car rentals.

~ $1 per day car rentals from Thrifty for one-way travel
~ pick up in Seattle, Portland or Boise
~ return to major airports in California, Arizona and Las Vegas
~ rent (pickup and return) between September 21 and October 31
~ more details: http://bit.ly/cOau9X

Cheap Rental Car Rates from Florida

It is that time of year again. The rental car companies need their cars to leave Florida for other parts of the United States. They are offering low, low daily rates for one-way rentals.

Hertz, for instance, has rates as low as $3 per day for rentals in March. For April, I just booked a week's rental for $30 and am also considering upgrading to a RAV for an extra $10 a day ($100 total).

National has a similar promotion for $10 a day.

If you are planning a trip between now and Labor Day, consider driving one of these cars out of Florida to another state. You can easily fly one-way into Florida. For instance, flights between Dulles and Ft. Lauderdale on JetBlue are only $74.

Quantity Discounts - NOT

You would think that by buying more of a product that you would get a price break. Sure, that works in practically every industry, except travel. What can you do about it?

First, let me explain a bit. You should already know, if you are a loyal reader or just a common sense travel consumer, that travel suppliers charge more when there is higher demand. Rates (airfares, cruise prices, lodging, car rentals) are at their peak, for instance, during the New Year's break in the Caribbean and many destinations. Makes sense, right? On a micro level, airlines charge more when capacity is fillings and hotels charge more during the week than on weekends.

Let's say that you are a group of four travelers. There are only two seats on a flight at the lowest price. However, when making your reservation (whatever source you use), the airline will charge the higher price times four. Hotels do the same thing. The weekend rate is substantially lower than the weekday rate but the property will charge you the weekday rate for each day; or they will charge you less each weekend day but not as low as the available weekend rate. I have seen it time and time and time again.

What can consumers do?

For the airfare situation, I will find out what the price is for one passenger (then two, then three, until I find the "magic" price break point). Many times, I have broken the group reservation into two separate itineraries to save money. For example, if two seats are available at $100 but the next two are $150, then I will buy 2 @ $100 and 2 @ $150, instead of 4 @ $150 (and save $100).

A similar process works for lodging and rental cars. I will find out the rate for each day and for each set of days. Similarly, I can make separate reservations at the same property for consecutive days in order to save money. For example, their weekend rate is $99 (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) and their weekday rate is $199. For an entire week, they may quote $199 for each day or perhaps $199 each weekday plus a "discounted rate" for $159 for the weekend. By booking separate weekday and weekend stays, I would save $180 ($60 for each of the three nights).

Add this strategy to your travel planning arsenal and save money on your next--and EVERY--trip.

© 2009, Charles McCool

Hertz Florida car exodus part 2

In June, I rented a RAV4 from Hertz in Orlando and returned it to a location in Virginia. The excellent one-way rate was indeed only $100, as I mentioned in a previous post.

Just a quick note to let you know that my rate was further discounted 15% because I always use my AAA discount for all of my Hertz rentals. I was pleasantly surprised to get a rate of $85 for that weekly rental.

© 2009, Charles McCool

Hertz Florida car exodus sale

Hertz is having its annual Florida exodus sale. They need lots of cars there for the winter months and then they need the cars to go elsewhere for the summer. Instead of hiring drivers or trucks to transport the cars, Hertz offers super low rates to persons that can drive them one way.

Get these low rates while they are hot. I just looked at a random week in May, picking up in Ft. Lauderdale and returning to a DC airport location. The WEEKLY (not daily) rates were:

- $25 for economy class
- $30 for compact class
- $50 for midsize class
- $75 for fullsize class
- $100 for midsize SUV

Fantastic deals. You should be able to find a decent one-way flight or train ticket to get to Florida (before or after the car rental).

© 2009, Charles McCool

Road Trip Cost Cutting Tips

Rental car rates can vary much even at locations in the same geographic area. You can save money by shopping around.

A recent example. I am planning a trip to visit Little Rock, Tuscaloosa, and parts between and around. It does not matter where I fly into. In fact, I redeemed a frequent flyer award (more below). Since I am using a frequent flyer award and visiting several areas, I have the flexibility to fly into any area airport. I researched flights and rental car rates at most locations between Tulsa, Memphis, Huntsville, Mobile, and Houston.

Checking around, rental car rates were relatively expensive from Little Rock, Memphis, Birmingham, and others; mostly in the $250 to $300 a week range. One location was much less expensive than the others. Drum roll.... It was Shreveport, about $150 with Hertz. So, I booked my frequent flyer flight to Shreveport which would have cost $536.

I considered driving instead of flying. It would have been about 2,000 miles just getting there and back, plus another 1,000 miles in the area. I used Cost2Drive to calculate fuel usage and carbon output. That certainly helped me decide to fly, although I put the true cost of driving my own vehicle at about 50 cents per mile including wear and tear, etc. I also realized that about three days would have been burned driving there and back, leaving me less time to research and explore.

© 2009, Charles McCool

Check for Lower Rates After Making Your Reservations

Earlier today I checked the current rates at a property I have a reservation at later this month. Sure enough, I found a lower rate, which I quickly reserved. I cancelled the original reservation after receiving confirmation of the new rate. For my trips, I typically re-check lodging and car rental rates after making my reservation and before the actual date. Of course, I encourage my clients and you to do the same.

No, the rates are not always lower. Unfortunately, rates usually increase. Sometimes, though, like today, I find a lower rate. Most often, when I find a lower subsequent rate (after initial booking), it is for car rentals rather than lodging. I sometimes find better quality lodging or car options, whether or not the rate is lower.

This is my first post of 2009 and I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Incorporate this technique into your existing travel process and you will likely save money on at least one trip this year.

© 2009, Charles McCool

Creative Rental Car Uses

For our family trip last summer, I booked our outgoing flight from Baltimore (BWI). After three weeks, we were to return to Dulles. If we were to return to BWI, I would have looked into one of those stay and park deals at a hotel near BWI or just used long-term parking. Instead, I needed to find someone to give us a ride (75 minutes each way) or pay $100+ for a shuttle. On a whim, because that's the way I roll, I checked the car rental companies. Hertz and Avis were too much. National, though, charged $30 total for the one-way rental. Sweet!

I have used rental cars to move between residences, when my car was too small (or broken) or I did not have a car at the time. Of course, those were the days when I did not have much stuff. I have used rental cars to move across the country. I would rent a car (or van) for three weeks, giving me enough time to drive each way between California and Florida with some time to visit. I did this three times in a row (nine weeks total). At about $100 a week, it was less expensive and more luxurious than a moving truck. On the other hand, I have seen U-Haul dealers offering trucks for $100 or less, because they needed to get them to another location. Sort of similar to the Florida exodus car deals in the spring.

Of course, people rent cars for many purposes--to haul junk to the dump, to haul people around town, car is in the shop, whatever. If you need a car only for a short time, Zipcar is a cool concept. They rent cars by the hour.

What are your experiences with rental cars? Anything creative? Let me know.

© 2008, Charles McCool

Stealthy Rental Car Maneuvers

Some tactics to help you save money, time, and stress on car rentals:

One way rentals may cost LESS than standard rentals (pick up and return to same location).

For a trip to Germany, I planned to fly into Frankfurt and then visit Trier, Saar and Mosel valleys, and the area. When I compared rental car rates, it cost less to pick up in Trier and return to Frankfurt than to pick up and return to Frankfurt. Why? I don't know, but I took advantage of it. Bonus was being able to take the train from Frankfurt airport to Trier (very nice) and get some tips from the passengers.

Every year, during late spring, there is an exodus of cars from Florida. Car rental companies rent cars for as low as $1 a day. You can find great deals on one-way rentals. Book early (before March) for the best deals (rates and availability).

Car rental companies want their cars to be as close as possible to the home location (where the car is registered). Someone may pay a relatively high rate for a one-way rental but the return one-way rate will be relatively low. I had a RAV4 this summer, between Vancouver and Calgary, at a rate lower than other rental classes. The car was registered in Alberta and Avis was happy for me to drive it one way. I was happy to get a nice vehicle for a great rate.

Matching Rates or LESS

Different locations usually match rates. During trips, I often find an office that is more convenient than where I rented. There may be a downtown or suburb location that is better for me than going back to the airport. Even though my reservation is set up to pick up and return from the airport, I will return it to another location and get the same rate. Sometimes it is even LESS because of some promotion or fewer taxes and fees.

On one of these returns, I asked if I could get the same rate on a future rental. The agent said it was a fantastic rate, she did not think so, pushed some buttons and booked it. It never hurts to ask!

For that Vancouver to Calgary rental, I had a reservation at the downtown location but noticed a desk when I arrived at the train station. He had a low mileage (kilometerage?) RAV4 for the same rate as my reservation (midsize car).

Free (or Cheap) Upgrades

When an agent offers me an upgrade, I view that as an invitation to negotiate. For instance, I reserve an economy (i.e., cheapest rate) car and the agent offers a better car for "only $10 a day extra." Agents receive commissions or bonuses on their upgrades.

My first question is always, "do you have any economy cars?" If they do not have cars in the class I rented than I ask for one in whatever class they do have. I have ended up with luxury cars, jeeps, SUVs, even a monster Ford Expedition one time. So, free upgrades are certainly possible. The larger car might end up consuming much more gas and thus not be a good deal for you.

If I cannot convince them to give me a free upgrade, then I negotiate the price of the upgrade. When they offer something for only $10 more per day, I counter with $2 a day. I have not paid more than $4 extra per day but sometimes they are not willing to negotiate.

Ask for a Better Car

Another way to get a free upgrade is to ask for a different car. I have received (and rejected) cars that were dirty, smoky, or damaged. I have requested larger vehicles because I intended to visit family or friends (and wanted to eliminate the hassle of more than one car). I have requested vehicles with low mileage, better traction (in winter weather), or certain models. I do not always have my request honored but asking ensures that it may happen.

What do you think? Do you have your own stealthy car rental tactics? Send me e-mail or post a comment. Thanks!

© 2008, Charles McCool

Luxury Does Not Always Cost More

With rental cars, the least expensive cars typically cost the least. The more expensive the car, the higher the rate. Makes sense, right?

This common-sense process, however, is not always true.

Car rental companies always have special deals. The special deals could be one free day, car class upgrades, dollars off the overall rate, free GPS/car seats, etc. Often, the special deal will be in certain car classes, because the car rental company has excess inventory (too many cars). A great example is car rental companies offering great daily and weekly rates on SUVs during the winter months in snowy destinations, such as Denver, Burlington VT, and Manchester NH. By the way, there are often too many convertibles in Florida during the winter months, so look for lower rates there and then.

To find these lower rates on higher class vehicles, intentionally show the rates for all vehicles (instead of just looking for the lowest rates). When the results are displayed for all car classes, I am often pleasantly surprised. A full sized car may be less than the economy class. A premium class may be less than the mid sized car. Another strategy is to look for these deals on information websites, like SmarterTravel.com. I have even rented from a company I usually would not because of a great deal. Two examples include a great daily rate on a jeep and a great weekly rate of a small pickup. Again, it all depends on the car company's inventory. If they predict that they will have too many cars in a certain class, then they will lower those rates.

© 2008, Charles McCool

The Almighty Rental Car Discount Code

Here is the secret to getting lower car rental rates. Are you listening? Ready?

THERE IS NO SECRET.

You can use a booking website, like Kayak or Orbitz, to scan and compare rates from various car rental firms. These rates, unfortunately, do not include any discounts. They are public or non-discounted rates. I call these rates the "sucker prices." Hardly anyone pays them. They are like rack rates for hotels and full fares for airfares. In my last blog post, I mentioned that discount codes are the key to getting lower car rental rates. Discount codes, then, are the secret to getting lower car rental rates; but, it is not really a secret.

How do you find a discount code?

Look, first, at your memberships. Rates on Hertz are heavily discounted with AAA discount codes; there is a different discount code (or CDP, in Hertz language) for each AAA club. Costco, Sam's Club, AARP, and many other organizations offer discount codes. ORganizations may have discounts for only one car rental firm (like AAA's discount for Hertz) or for many agencies (like Costco).

There are countless rental car discount codes and sources for discount codes. Your workplace, school or alumni association, or other group may have discount codes. In fact, if you have your own small business, contact car rental firms (and other travel suppliers) and negotiate your own discount code program. Discount codes may also appear in ads (internet, newspaper, magazines), be printed on inserts in your credit card bill or bank statement, or be presented by an airline's website after buying a ticket. The Entertainment book is a fantastic source of car rental discounts.

You can even scour the internet for codes. Just type "discount codes" and the name of the car company] into google.com. Many of the results point to unhelpful websites. Two excellent sources are Fatwallet.com and FlyerTalk.com.

Can you use discount codes for programs you do not belong to? Many people do. I have used codes that I found online or other sources to save loads of money. There were discount codes from organizations I did not belong to, nor would ever qualify for membership. I did my homework and suggest you do the same. Never use a code that is identified as for employees only, for instance. If the code is unknown, search for it online (type the code + the car company in google, e.g., avis K199060); that should reveal the source.

Now that you are aware of the power of car rental discount codes, find them and use them. No more sucker rates.

© 2008, Charles McCool

Myth #2: Hertz is Expensive

In my recent travel class, a well-travelled attendee was surprised that I frequently rent cars from Hertz. "After all," she said, "Hertz is the most expensive car rental company. Isn't it?"

Whenever I discuss rental cars in my classes, I specifically use Hertz as an example, because the general impression among travel consumers is that they charge more than other companies.

Is it true? Does Hertz charge more? Why do I use Hertz?

First, a crucial factor for getting lower car rental rates is the discount code. The next posting will focus on discount codes. My Hertz discount code gives me competitive rates.

True, Hertz' rates are usually higher, maybe even the highest, if you have no discount code. Hertz' rates are also higher for business rentals (during the week) than consumer rentals (weekend or weekly rentals).

Second, it is more convenient for me to use Hertz since I can usually get a car and leave the airport quicker than with other companies. Not always, but usually.

Combine competitive rates and convenience; it is a no-brainer. I often use Hertz.

© 2008, Charles McCool