January 2018 Car Rental Watch

[disneyeveryyear]

We are flying into Sanford airport on 1/26 and leaving 1/29. We have an intermediate SUV for $93 and as a back up, a minivan for $138. There will be 2 adults, 14 and 13 year old girls and an 11 year old boy. We will only have backpacks and one checked bag, so thinking the SUV will be fine for us.

I hope they are small children. I own a Ford Escape, which is considered an intermediate SUV by the car rental companies. While you can fit three in the back seat, it isn't the most comfortable ride for 3 adult size people. You should have enough room in the back for that luggage though.

 

[ktate82]

I hope they are small children. I own a Ford Escape, which is considered an intermediate SUV by the car rental companies. While you can fit three in the back seat, it isn't the most comfortable ride for 3 adult size people. You should have enough room in the back for that luggage though.

Thanks! Two of the kids are thin with one of them regular sized. I figured if we get there, and it's too small, we can switch over to the minivan. It's a $45 difference for just three days, but that's lunch!

 

[momto4obkids]

I just checked www.carrentalsavers.com and minivans at Dollar had gone down! I got one for $237 total January 26th to 30th.

Does anyone know if they do the $200 hold plus whatever the rental costs? I just like to be prepared, I know Alamo doesn't do that and we only ever rented from there.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

For those still heading out this weekend (like me), I just checked Costco and they rates have dropped considerably for Dollar. I think I am going to stick with my Alamo reservation so I can pick a car, but wanted to let you all know!

 

[DISfirstTimer]

Used the following code Budget sent me D956300. I also used the code for $25 off. By paying in advance it got me a standard SUV for a week (although I think technically I get charged 8 days because I return it so late) for $220. This saved me $20 over what I had already and Im sick of looking so I took it.

 

[Judyat]

Just a heads up. We keep an eye on car rates at Costco travel and they often go up and down. We prefer Alamo because we like to pick from the cars available. Did see Budget was cheaper recently so went with it. Well when we got to the car rentals the line for Budget was crazy long and only 2 people at the counter. After about 15 minutes of no movement we decided to pay a little more and do Alamo. I would say maybe this was not typical for Budget but it is as I remember they had an unbelievable long line months ago when we were here. I have found that Alamo gets pretty close to Budget and often is less than Budget. Who wants to wait hours for Budget. Will never even consider Budget again. Just NOT worth it.

 

[DISfirstTimer]

Just a heads up. We keep an eye on car rates at Costco travel and they often go up and down. We prefer Alamo because we like to pick from the cars available. Did see Budget was cheaper recently so went with it. Well when we got to the car rentals the line for Budget was crazy long and only 2 people at the counter. After about 15 minutes of no movement we decided to pay a little more and do Alamo. I would say maybe this was not typical for Budget but it is as I remember they had an unbelievable long line months ago when we were here. I have found that Alamo gets pretty close to Budget and often is less than Budget. Who wants to wait hours for Budget. Will never even consider Budget again. Just NOT worth it.

Yikes! I booked Budget! Did you notice a separate line for Fast Break? It’s our 1st time so I believe we have to go to counter

 

[Judyat]

I did see fast break signs for those with it. No monitors to check in like others offer. If we had stayed in that line it would have probably been more than a 2 hour wait. Good luck.

 

[MIChessGuy]

I am just back from a Jan 20-27 trip. As I walked past the main Budget counter on January 20, I noticed a fairly long line. My concern was that the separate Fastbreak counter (located inside the garage) would send me back to the main counter since I hadn't used Fastbreak before. However, the Fastbreak process went fine. I only had to wait for one person ahead of me, then the rental check-in took maybe five or ten minutes and I was sent to my assigned vehicle. There were no monitors, kiosks or anything of that sort at the Fastbreak counter; it was a standard check-in with a human being, just limited to Fastbreak renters only and without all the insurance upselling. One key difference from Alamo, as others mentioned in this thread, is that Budget does not do the 'choose your own car' thing. I was given a parking space number and my vehicle was waiting for me there.

Overall, I would say the Budget experience was positive, but the lesson for all these companies is the same -- make sure you are signed up and active in whatever loyalty/quickservice program they offer.

 

[momto4obkids]

We landed at about 9am on the 26th and the Budget line was crazy then also!

I had a reservation for a full size and a minivan just in case there were no minivans on the full size row. We went out and there were 3 on the full size, so I ended up getting the minivan for 189.00 instead of 245.00! I sat in the van and cancelled the minivan rental and checked in to the full size rental i had booked and had no problems.