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(c) Elliott Publishing.

Rental Price Chaos
Cheap Charlie · April 21, 1999

Ever tried to compare rental car rates?

If you have, then you've probably discovered that the basic so-much-a-day system has become as complicated as airline rates.

Perhaps even more so.

In addition to daily, weekly, weekend, subcompact, compact, mid-sized, and other variables, renters have to deal with frequent-flier rates, automobile club rates, and other special promotional rates. If you don't already have a good idea of what rate you want to pay, your chances of getting the lowest rate are significantly diminished.

Rental car companies have also thrown a new monkey wrench into the equation -- they don't necessarily match each other's rates. So, for renting a car, the adage that you need to compare rates has become even more important.

One of my rules when beginning a comparison of airline rates is to ask the reservationist what is the absolute lowest rate on a particular route. They will dutifully dig out that fare and I have something at which to aim as I begin my search. But with automobile rentals, the reservationist honestly can not tell you what the absolute lowest rate would be.

It is hard to believe, but most automobile rental agents can not inform potential renters of the lowest rates available unless prompted by references to specific promotional rates quoted from newspapers or frequent-flier brochures. With such a complicated matrix of prices, the rental agents simply have no idea of the "best" rate until they learn which associations, frequent flier clubs, insurance programs, travel clubs and so on to which you belong.

When you start making a reservation for a rental car keep these points in mind:

With rental car rates, research is as important as with airline tickets, even more so -- airline reservationists will almost always offer the lowest rate on a given flight on a specific day. Rental car reservationists must be carefully prompted to get the lowest rate.

Large associations like USAA and AAA have negotiated rates that are a bargain if you must rent a car on short notice during the week. However, these negotiated rates are not as big a bargain as many of the promotional and weekend rates touted in car rental company ads.

Often the best rates are through airline frequent-flier programs or associated with the airline upon which you arrive at the airport where you pick up your car. Reservationists have told me that great deals are available to members of wholesale clubs such as Sam's or Price/COSTCO.

Once you have made a reservation for a specific car at a specific rate, the rental car company is committed to providing you that rate, but not necessarily that size car. For example, if after making a reservation for a compact, you arrive and no compacts are available, the rental car company must provide you another car of the same or greater size for the same rate.

Charlie Leocha is the Boston-based author of Travel Rights: Know the Rules of the Road and the Air Before You Go. Cheap Charlie appears every Monday on this site. E-mail him at cheapch@aol.com or access his Web site.