Which portal is good for Car rental reservation?

LearnMS

Level 2 Member
Looking for Alamo rental. Is it TCB and the like ?

Or Expedia, hotwire that have higher cash back? Thx
 

GA400

Level 2 Member
For cashback, I seem to get the best cashback by starting at cashback monitor and comparing all the options available. For absolute best cost, I recommend using Costco Travel if you are a member, or Kayak if not. Then use Autoslash to track the rental, they will let you know if they find a lower price then you can rebook.
 

cdancer20

Level 2 Member
I second cashbackmonitor or cashbackholic. Then do the math comparison. I also suggest checking out retailmenot or even flytertalk for coupons.
 

MickiSue

Level 2 Member
Unless it's a pretty known quantity for a site that I use frequently, I always start at CBM. It's a nice way to thank them for steering me in the right direction, as they, of course, make a small referral fee every time somebody clicks through them.
 

Alice

Level 2 Member
Don't forget to check the rates through Ultimate Rewards as well. I often find better rates there than whatever Kayak or other sites are showing.
 

chicago2world

Level 2 Member
For cashback, I seem to get the best cashback by starting at cashback monitor and comparing all the options available. For absolute best cost, I recommend using Costco Travel if you are a member, or Kayak if not. Then use Autoslash to track the rental, they will let you know if they find a lower price then you can rebook.
FWIW, my last rental with Avis via Costco Travel was so cheap, I kept the car another week. Rental price seems to be just a little more than owning, which makes it a good alternative to a second vehicle.
 

MickiSue

Level 2 Member
Word to the wise, if you are planning to rent in Jamaica. Do NOT object to a car with dents and bumps. TAKE IT! The combination of high curbs, inconsistent to terrible roads and unfamiliar driving style, i.e. British style drive on the left rules can, and probably will combine to cause at least one or two new scrapes during your time there.

Husband was trying to find a better looking car, when we went out to get ours. I took him aside and told him we should be fine with one that was already banged up. So, guess who scraped the curb? Yup. Him. AND it was on a wheel cover that had already been scraped.

Even after driving through the Blue Mountains, gorgeous but THE scariest road in condition, width and location at the edge of the mountainside, we had zero extra charges for damage to the car. An added bonus, of course, is that you look like a local as you are driving along, because everyone has dings on their cars!
 

LearnMS

Level 2 Member
Great stuff!

This is what I did. Got a good rate on Alamo. So went through CBM and reserved it. Now I used Discover certificate $20 of $40. So I don;t know if I will get the CB for that rental....
 

mtnAVman

Level 2 Member
On a recent trip to Italy I used a third part website to get a rental car Rome. They had great rates so I thought it was a good way to go. The listing said that the rental center was off airport... have seen this in the US several times I assumed that was for all the auto rentals and that there would be a transfer via bus to the rental location. That was a mistake! All of the other rentals were at the airport except for the one I chose. When we arrived there was no signage anywhere for the company we were looking for. I waited in line at one of the rental desks to asked for help and of course they didn't know anything. I eventually found someone that knew something and they pointed us outside to pick up their transportation which we never found. It was just a short distance from the airport, so we ended up paying twenty euros for a taxi ride. So I learned the lesson the hard way, know where the rental center is located, especially if you're where you don't speak the language!
 

jumpyshoes

Level 2 Member
If you use Jet, Jet Anywhere can have decent rates on car rentals. The rates don't show up on CBM, so you'll have to check manually though.
 

FullMoonMadness

Level 2 Member
If you value the "skip the counter" option, booking at third-party sites may preclude you from being able to take advantage of that time savings. I used AutoSlash once, experienced a massive line in Atlanta, and tried to check-in on my phone while waiting, and was unable.

Since then, I go through a portal directly to the rental agency, and make my reservation. I value skipping the counter, and unless the cost is exorbitant, I am willing to pay more for it too.
 

MickiSue

Level 2 Member
If you can get yourself signed up as a person who is eligible for a corporate discount of any kind at all, you will have better luck with even the big-name car rental companies then the little guys.

You can still go through the portal, and when you sign in, the rates you'll be shown arecorporate rates. It's pretty amazing the differences between them and retail rates.
 

SanDiego1K

Level 2 Member
I hope everyone is using Autoslash.com. I've saved substantial money by doing so. They got so much positive press that some of the car rental companies no longer allowed them to show their rates. However, you can input the rate you found on their site and they will usually be able to better it by the time of your rental.
 

billygoat

Level 2 Member
I hope everyone is using Autoslash.com. I've saved substantial money by doing so. They got so much positive press that some of the car rental companies no longer allowed them to show their rates. However, you can input the rate you found on their site and they will usually be able to better it by the time of your rental.
Just as a point of info - I like autoslash too, but its terrible for international travel. Maybe it was just my locations Portugal, one-way, to Spain. kayak.com was the best I've found. Any other suggestions?
 

SanDiego1K

Level 2 Member
I am surprised. It's been on international rentals where autoslash has delivered big savings. Hopefully someone else will have a great alternative suggestion.
 
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