Renting a car, for most people, is kind of an open-and-shut thing. You call, or go online, tell or put in the info like airport, time and date the car is needed, and when you will drop it back off. You agree to their price, pay and you’re done with it.We used to do it that way, too, but no more! We have found that you can save hundreds of dollars by re-visiting the rental car websites and monitoring the prices. Most people don’t know that these prices change often, sometimes daily. The following is the “now-normal” Meninga Method for Renting a Car.
Let’s say we need a car for Las Vegas, and it will be just the two of us. That means a bare bones economy type car, as we could care less what kind of car it is as long as it has 4 wheels. Over the years I have found our best deals with Thrifty and Alamo, so usually those are the ones that I check religiously. Occasionally Dollar has come in the cheapest, though it is usually Alamo that triumphs when it’s down to the wire.
I check prices online right after I book the airfare and know the flight times. Even if it is 6 or 8 months out, it’s worth it to book a car. You don’t have to give a credit card number to any of these rental companies mentioned, thus you can cancel later if you find a better deal. (Some companies like Payless and Enterprise do require a credit card. I don’t bother with them, and they are usually not the cheapest, anyway.)
Now we come to the car rental codes. Yes, they can be a pain, especially Alamo’s, but they will save you money. You can find some discount codes at either coupon chief or www.rentalcodes.com. You might also check online your credit union, Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, and anyone else that you think might offer discounts. There is also www.Retailmenot.com. You can sign up for free and they will Email you whenever a new Alamo coupon pops up.
It’s important to try the discount codes in different combinations. With Alamo you can put in an I.D/Corp. I.D number and also a coupon code. Sometimes using both of these will get you bigger discounts. For example, the NEA (National Education ASSN.) ID is 7014162. I can then use a coupon code of AD7929SDN. They take $10 off for the ID, then another $20 for the coupon. You can access other coupons at this site: http://www.dealigg.com/story-Alamo-Coupons-Alamo-Coupon-Code or simply do a Google search for Alamo car rental discount coupons.
Okay, so you’ve booked your car, and have a confirmation number. Put it in your travel folder, but before you do, jot down the particulars and keep that paper by your computer. Then, in the ensuing weeks/months before your trip, you can check current rates whenever you have a few extra minutes. If you find a better deal, book the car and cancel the first one.
Another good thing to know is that you can book an economy car, but they are frequently out of them when you arrive to pick up your car. Guess what?! You get a free upgrade! This has happened to us probably about 75% of the time. Of course, if we know that we’re going to have 4 people and lots of luggage, we don’t chance it!
It’s that easy. Sometimes the prices don’t vary all that much, but we saved well over $200 when booking a car for a Hawaii trip. We have always saved on every car we’ve booked since we’ve been using this method. Give it a try–then you’ll have more money to spend on future timeshare vacations!
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