Maybe I've been under a rock, but I just went to book my car for my annual two weeks in Kona and the prices have doubled! We do this every year, yeah ok, at high season over New Years + two weeks, but I've never paid more than $600 for that whole time. Now the cheapest I'm seeing is $1100, for something I'm not certain comes with tires. I'm I trying this too early - or am I missing a new revenue scheme?

Although we haven't done it in Hawaii, we've had good luck in multiple other places using Priceline to rent cars.

Priceline seems to be about the same - and there's no way I'm paying up front.

Just wait a while. We go to Kauai every year. This year, we saw rates of $1200+ for our dates, waited a while, checking every couple of weeks, and eventually got a car for $600 for the month. It used to be that booking far in advance got us great rates, now it seems that waiting longer gets us much better rates.

Are those "annual two weeks" coincidental with anything ELSE that might be happening there?

I noticed that for our annual fall vacation as well (not Hawaii). When I booked earlier, I got a $712 rate from Costco Travel and thought that was higher (years before around $500+ for same vehicle type and rental length). Not much later, the rates went to around $1500 for the same rental, out of Spokane. It's been higher this year generally for our short trips as well.

Thanks, Kathie, and others. I think I'll wait a bit, altho I routinely book air a year in advance (nuts, I know, but I think I save a bundle)but the rates in Hawaii just got crazy real fast. I'm traveling several other places through the summer and don't see as much disparity.

Book the best you can find now, then keep checking.
2 weeks KOA in May has gone down from $1200 to $700, now $550; and as I check its back to the $1000 range. No logic as far as I can tell but I check right up til departure and then do hotwire or price line checks. Usually Costco or discounthawaiincar are the best final price.

I used discounthawaiicarrental.com for my last trip to Kauai and got a nice midsize from Avis, if you keep checking often the rates go down and you can rebook, but this might not apply over the holidays.

It's simply supply and demand. If you can bump your vacation to after New Year's, the price difference is substantial. Just for a test we tried Jan. 5-19 at Alamo and rates started at under $700 for the two weeks. One week prior (Dec. 29-Jan. 12) and nothing was under $1100.

We got a mid-sized SUV from Avis on Kauai in January for $300 a week.

I'm going to keep working on this but I did reserve at $1100 and nearly choked. This January I paid $454 for those same two weeks, but I had booked in February 2015, not waiting like now until April. Now I really get why I love booking a year in advance.

Good luck. My res is for August from KOA Crazy expensive.
But not half as crazy as airfare, considering the price of gas is down. On cars, I thought I caught a deal and realized as I was printing that it was a Kona off airport deal which just isn't convenient. Loook at the details!

Ouch, a SUV will be $900 for 12 days for me. Between now and winter I will be watching it, and will rebook when it drops. Best prepay deal is $780. Its crazy, considering its more than air

fyi- Air from MSP is only $515 on United

costco might b cheaper