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Rental car blues

Discussion in 'Getting There & Getting Around' started by Vegas Insight, Sep 1, 2015.

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  1. Vegas Insight

    Vegas Insight MIA

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    I'm a frequent renter of motorized transportation when in Vegas. It doesn't work for everyone, but it works well for me.

    I have used Costco almost exclusively the past five years, and had always found they offered me the best rate. Alamo is my agency of choice.

    Prices weren't so great via Costco this spring, but they weren't out of line with the rest of the rental world. I'm running into the same experience for September. The less than $25/day rate I'm use to paying for a full-size car is no longer the norm, it appears. :mad:

    So I'm looking at other options. About right now I wish I had booked a "Hotwire" choice for a full-size car for under $150 for my five-day stay.

    I also happen to have a Sam's Club membership, and they offer some better deals than Costco is offering. (I can't get a car via Costco for less than $250, and this is for a five-night trip, Sunday thru Friday.) Their better deals are all via Sixt, which people seem to be happy with, even if you have to take a second shuttle to get there. They sound very customer friendly.

    So, have we seen a permanent shift in the market for Vegas rental cars, or has Costco simply stopped cutting deals on rental cars? I got so use to using Costco that I rarely shopped any other service, and I always found Costco's rates for Alamo to be cheaper than Alamo directly.

    I have no loyalty, per se, but I've had good experiences with Alamo, and like it much better than Budget, so I'd pay a few bucks more for an Alamo car, but it may be time to give my business to Sixt. I'm guessing they don't let me choose my vehicle, a la Alamo, and I can live with that. Anything I need to watch out for if I use Sixt?

    Thanks, and blessings to all.
     
  2. wanker751

    wanker751 Dutch Rudder Enthusiast

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    Try putting reservation into Autoslash.com after you book.
     
  3. Vegas Insight

    Vegas Insight MIA

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    huh... not familiar with that. thanks.
     
  4. wanker751

    wanker751 Dutch Rudder Enthusiast

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    You can book as normal.... then go to site, enter your rental information and they will email you if price drops so you can rebook.

    Got my october rental, premium from Alamo down from $151 to $121 Four days.

    Got my mom in tulsa 3 days for like $30 down from $55.
     
  5. mjames1229

    mjames1229 # of visits includes only trips w/ hotel stays

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    I don't see any significant shift in pricing... it may be related to "stuff" going on in Vegas while you are there, and the normal ebbs and flows of supply and demand.

    If you are going over a weekend, try Alamo with Contract ID 7014970 and Coupon AF2639AGQ

    If you look at Dollar, use Promo Code CHEP
     
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  6. Vegas Insight

    Vegas Insight MIA

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    Thanks for the suggestions.

    As for shifts in pricing, I've rented full-size cars for about $25/day during the past few years. The best I could do was near $40/day in May, and I'm not finding many options for later this month at less than $40/day. There are a few OK offers right now, for smaller cars at second-tier agencies... I might have to give Sixt a try. If you're finding that the rates are the same as they've always been, count your blessings. I'm not the only one who has noted a shift in pricing across the board. There are still plenty of deals to be found if you're persistent and lucky, so I'm hoping to join that club.
     
  7. Foos

    Foos High-Roller

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    You don't need to take a second shuttle to get to Sixt because it is ACROSS THE STREET from the rental center.
     
  8. Vegas Insight

    Vegas Insight MIA

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    You may not need to, but on a hot day with multiple bags, I'm guessing I'll want to. It can't be that conveniently located across the street if they offer a shuttle service to their offices.
     
  9. STPFan

    STPFan VIP Whale

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    I too am looking for much higher prices this September/October than I am used to as well. I normally use Hertz and even with USAA or Costco discounts, it really high. I was able to get a managers special for 6 days for $233 but that will likely get me a go cart.

    Does anyone have experience with Sixt? They do have some mid range cars for a lower price than anywhere else. I am spoiled though cause I am used to bypassing the line and going straight to my car.
     
  10. Foos

    Foos High-Roller

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    If you were able to get your bags to the rental car shuttle, this would be a lot shorter of a walk.


    sex1.jpg
     
  11. Vegas Insight

    Vegas Insight MIA

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    That leaves me dumbfounded as to why they have a shuttle service at all.
     
  12. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    For personal trips, I still use our in-house travel office. They can usually (but not always) beat the web rates. Lately it seems they've gotten good rates at Enterprise in LV. For a long time, when Advantage was affiliated with Hertz, that was the one they got the best rates on, but not lately. At the time, Advantage had free XM.

    Over the years, I've used most of the rental car companies in LV. The only one I really didn't like was Dollar, and that was because of a total @$$hole at the desk and the lying hard-sell on insurance. I also ran in to a VERY long line at Alamo once. A co-worker warned me about a totally monstrodious line at Advantage, but I have not used them recently.
     
  13. Mirageluvr

    Mirageluvr Let's Ride!

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  14. newmans

    newmans VIP Whale

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    We just re-booked our car with Enterprise. We are in Vegas 4 nights, but don't need a car the whole time. It's just easier with all the luggage to take a limo to the hotel.

    Enterprise has a special on right now for Friday to Monday at $14.99/day for an intermediate car. We only want a car for 2 days and it's $40 all in. That's off strip and Enterprise will pick you up and drop you off.
     
  15. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    A manager's special with Hertz yielded me a Chevy Sonic with a decent amount of miles. It felt like they went out of the way to get a crappy car for my reservation because I didn't see anything on the lot remotely like that car.
     
  16. mjames1229

    mjames1229 # of visits includes only trips w/ hotel stays

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    My only experience at Dollar was a negative one. I reserved a convertible for $57 all in for a two-day weekend. When I declined the hard-sell insurance, they tried for a reserve of $1000 on my credit card, which declined. My wife was there with her work AMEX, but when the clerk changed everything to her name, the rate jumped to about $60 per day. It took a lot of arguing to get it back to the $57 total... I'd bet I lost almost 45 minutes on that transaction.

    For Alamo, unless I am specifically going to beg for a free upgrade, I use the check-in kiosk.
     
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  17. STPFan

    STPFan VIP Whale

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    Which location where you looking at for those rates?. Having pick and drop off would work for us cause we only really need the car for hubby's golf days, which get too expensive with cabs/limos.
     
  18. newmans

    newmans VIP Whale

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    A few of the locations offer that rate. I'm using the Flamingo at Decatur location. It's not far from the strip. They will pick up and drop off, but they won't go to the strip at night...........too busy. You have to call them the day before to arrange for pick up.

    If you go to the enterprise.com site, you'll see $9.99 weekend special.

    Agreed, cabs are expensive to use to go golfing. I golfed with someone that told me it was a $150 cab from PH to Cascata.
     
  19. Vegas Insight

    Vegas Insight MIA

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    And that is why I've paid $5 to $10 more occasionally for a rental from Alamo over Budget. Best chump change I spend in Vegas.
     
  20. motownbob

    motownbob High-Roller

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    Here is my rate for Alamo for November for 8 days for a full size :
    1 Week(s) @94.76 $ 94.76
    1 Day(s) @13.53 $ 13.53
    1 Additional Driver INCLUDED
    UNLIMITED MILEAGE INCLUDED
    Consolidated Facility Chg 3.75/day $ 30.00
    Conc Rec 10 Pct (10.0%) $ 9.43
    Clark County Tax 2 Pct (2.0%) $ 1.57
    Vehicle License Cost 2.00/day $ 16.00
    Sales Tax (8.1%) $ 6.34
    Gov Fee (10.0%) $ 7.83
    Total Savings - $ 30.00

    Estimated Total: $ 149.46


    you just never know with car rates , my guess it's a high demand time ? Bob
     
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