Does anyone know why there is such a difference in car rental prices? Avis asking for $430.00 for 9 days on Kauai and Dollar and Thrifty are 245-286 for same size car. What gives? All are pick up at airport so that doesn't effect the price. I know that in some areas airport pick up is more expensive. My DH reserved a car thru his work travel guide which is suppose to save them money and I went on line and found it cheaper (albeit with another car rental company) Any suggestions on how I gently tell him that he got rooked without hurting his feelings because he wanted to help plan this trip.

It's kinda like asking why sirloin is 3.99 this week at the Piggly Wiggly but 5.99 at Food Giant. Cheaper at one store even though you had a dollar coupon for the other.

Supply and Demand? Big group traveling together who all are renting from Avis? Several Avis cars have been taken away due to recall this month/ safety repairs? And on and on and on.

Avis is always more expensive. In Hawaii I have always gotten the best deals with Budget, Thrifty or Dollar.

$16/day from Alamo a few weeks ago thru Hotwire for a Chevy Impala with about 5,000 miles on it.

Do you have anything to gain by telling your hubs? My bet is he'll eventually find out on his own and feel bad enuff.
Maybe he can talk them into a free upgrade?

I did tell DH that I found a cheaper rental on line and he went for it. $140 is a lot of money that we could use for a snorkel trip. Still am amazed at the difference in prices.

Try discounthawaiicarrental.com, they are wholesalers who rent from the majors.

Ooops...thought the ressie he made was non-refundable. Congrats.
It can also pay for a few Bloody Marys at The Oly Cafe.

How to get a deal. Go through Costco, then Budget, then pay in advance all on-line of course. Great priority service with no hassle or surprises.

Shar and all- how far ahead do you recommend renting a car? I'm going in October.

Not Shar but I book my car rental when I book my plane fare and check it every month or so to see if it has gone down.

Ditto

Buff...as long as it's not a prepaid rental there is no harm in booking now and then continually checking back for lower rates.

Thanks janie99, martym and clark.

ditto from SHAR. Book in advance and keep checking .

Unless you need to rent from a large company, consider a cheaper, local company that rents "island cars." These are older cars, but much cheaper AND they aren't waving red flags to thieves as "rentals" because they look like what locals are driving. Typical rates are $25-40 per day, depending on size.

Start with Pete & Valerie at kauairentacar.com. Locally owned and operated. They take credit cards, your card insurance applies, etc.

Second option: Craig's List. Craig's List isn't "creepy" on Kauai as it is on the mainland, so you can get an honest deal. Check the Kauai used cars section and people rent vehicles all the time.

Enjoy!

I hear you !! We have had rates as low as $350 up to $880 - just depends on how long you are renting for, and the "big one", what time of year you are renting.
We paid $560 for 2 weeks over Christmas, and will be paying $440 for 2 weeks in March (spring break).
I just booked for next Christmas and managed to get a good deal with Avis for $516 (2 weeks). I have seen rates over Christmas over $2000.
Try the following website, I can pretty much guarantee you will get a better deal.

www.discounthawaiicarrental.com

Dumb question.
When you say "per week" or "a week" do you mean 5 days or a 7 day week?

Just found out something interesting. The price quoted me DID NOT include the 12.00 a DAY for spouse to drive! 9 days that adds up to an additional $108.00 I checked into it and that is what Hawaii charges.....Also noticed that Thrifty's "estimated total price" did not include the $40.50 Facility Charge that ALl the other car companies charge. Something fishy here...Going to contact them via phone to find out why they do not have that Facility Charge included and all the others do....This "deal" keeps increasing in price!

Thanks for the tip on Costco. Don't know why I didn't think of them. I have used them for travel packages many times for good prices. They have a good price but need to find out if it includes ad'l driver for free.

In the past when we have rented in Hawaii, Alamo did not charge extra for a spouse to drive the car. Don't know if that is still true.