Things are changing. How to save money on your Hawaii car rentals throughout 2023..
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679 thoughts on “Savings Guide: 2023 Hawaii Car Rentals”
Things are changing. How to save money on your Hawaii car rentals throughout 2023..
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Aloha,
Hawaii car rental prices certainly border on gouging but I think you have misrepresented the percentage increase. In your example, the rental price went from $500 to $1, 249. That is a 150% increase, not 250%. Still extremely painful but not quite as bad as you described. I suggest your clarify for your readers.
Mahalo,
Gary C
Hi Gary.
Thanks. We reworded that part to reflect that prices are now as much as 250% of what they were earlier in the crisis.
Aloha.
It is difficult to understand why people are so desperate to go to Hawaii right now. The islands aren’t going anywhere. Things will eventually settle down and this “new normal” will go back to the “old normal”. Try wait.
Hello I enjoy reading your information about Hawaii. I am planning a September vacation and in April I booked a rental with Hertz thru Rental Cars of Hawaii. It is for 9 days at a total of $771. I was really bummed at the time but it looks golden right now. Have you heard of rental companies not honoring these prebooked contracts?
Keep up the good work and information.
Hi Bill.
We have heard only a couple of times about reservations not being honored. I’m sure people will add to this if that was their experience. So we do assume, overall, that is not the case.
Aloha.
Thanks for the updated information on rentals. We had a family trip planned and paid for late May and early June with a great price on a car. I canceled our trip when the Covid rules kept changing with the tide. I had hoped to reschedule this fall, but if car rentals continue to be difficult and expensive I suspect I will continue to delay our trip. I will keep my eye on rentals and hope that more become available, if not I am sad to say our vacation dollars will go elsewhere again. Someday we will get back to Hawaii. Thanks again for your updates.
Hi Tammy.
You’re most welcome and thank you for your many comments. We hope you can return again soon.
Aloha.
Greed rules with this pandemic crap. We see it in many things. Very sad the world gets this. It is totally greed. Nothing else.
I remember years ago that there were a number of alternative rental car players, Tropical Rent-a-Car was one that comes to mind. Whatever happened to them? The big players better be careful; this is a perfect opportunity for a startup to fulfill a supply and pricing need. O’m guessing there will be new players in a year.
Love your blog. Very helpful.
We leave for Honolulu next Monday with kids and grandkids. We have a minivan reservation for a week for $800 with Enterprise at an off airport site. This morning I checked to see if there were any better rates and wasn’t fully awake when I saw $750 on airport. I clicked through and saw that it was the daily rate and the total was over $5700. I laughed and felt lucky to have my cheap $800 rental which I have just reconfirmed. Thanks for all the good info.
Hi Randy.
Thanks. That quite a difference $800 a day vs. $800 a week. Glad you got a relatively good rate and have a great time on Oahu.
Aloha.
We’re planning on a possible trip in January. Taking your suggestions I checked the rates from Costco and AARP.
1/2 – 1/9 to ogg.
Costco was 427.00 total for a Maxima or similar
AARP was 900.00 more!!!!
Definitely do your homework.
HUGE difference.
Mahalo
For my month long stay on Maui this summer, I got an full size thru Budget via Costco for $1,500 — I think I booked it back in March so I consider myself lucky!!!
Dear Brian, I hope that you had a wonderful time in Hawaii on your vacation! 🏝 I’m planning my life long dream vacation trip to Oahu next year & I’m getting very excited & can’t wait♡♡ God bless you always….Psalms 91:11
I made a reservation for three months next winter on the Big Island through Costco. Glad I did; the rates through Costco are now $2,500 higher than what I booked.
We made car arrangement for 7 days with a reputable rental company at the Kona Airport several months ago at a reasonable rate for a trip in late August. Do you think the agency will honor the reservation?
Yes, it is different this year. Last year in October, I got a Hertz car on Maui for 5 weeks for a total of $675.00, everything included. I just rented a another from Hertz for October gain, $ 800 a week. What difference a year makes.
How about don’t bother going to Hawaii right now…
This is the conclusion my wife and I are coming to. Unless something breaks, our vacation money will be spent elsewhere because in a cost/benefit analysis, Hawaii is becoming no longer worth it.
Agreed! Hawaii has done nothing but ruin the vacation experience. The expense is so high, the red tape is rediculous. We loved Hawaii, bit will be going elsewhere.
The car rentals can raise the prices 250% because they make more mo Et that way than buying a new fleet of cars! It’s simple economics.
However people will start going to Florida, Mexico and the Carribean. Is that what we really want????
Just a good example of price gouging!!! Just like when a hurricane is predicted the price of plywood, water, generators skyrockets.
It is price gouging pure and simple and the state should put a stop to it. I did notice that prices were coming down next year ($55-60 a day) but they were still were up quite a bit when compared to 2019 rates.
If I booked a rental car back before the prices went up. Will they still have to honor the contract. Thanks
Hi William.
We aren’t the car rental companies, so obviously can’t say with any certainty. Visitors are reporting that they are successfully obtaining their reserved rentals.
Aloha.
I certainly HOPE SO! We reserved a vehicle nearly a year ago when we made our condo reservation. It ‘seemed steep’ at the time, but by today’s standards it turns out to be a bargain. And, Yes, we hope the the contract is honored. Wonder if there is any recourse it they don’t? We will have a ‘baby on board’ this trip and we surely don’t need the hassle after a long flight with the grand child. Thanks for the tips. But, truthfully, had we not already gotten a vehicle at a reasonable price, we would be heading to Mexico or Florida instead. Why throw so much money away on an auto rental. Too many other places to go. Just wait for Hawaii to ‘normalize’ – if that ever happens.
I booked a rental car about 3 months ago for June 25th, pick up in Kailua. I’m very concerned that the car won’t be available when we arrive. It’s booked at $225 for the entire week. Crossing my fingers…
We will be headed back to the BI in January and have got all our reservations. My question is, have there been any problems for people who booked well ahead of time not having a car available when they arrive?
We booked our car for Kauai in October last year and when we arrived in May they did not have any cars available. We along with nearly 50 other tourists were stuck at the car rental agency without transportation. Good luck!
My wife and I booked through Turo back in late April and had no issues whatsoever. Communication with the owner was great. The best part was being able to walk directly to our car at the airport and not having to wait in a long line at a car rental counter. And I got the car I wanted – no surprises. Was told by my insurance company that they would cover the car, just like a regular rental. I will definitely look at using them from now on. This was in Maui
I made my car reservation a couple of months ago for our September trip. Just checked the reservation and everything is the same as when I made the reservation. $500 for 10 days through National Car Rental (I’m Executive status in their Emerald Club, so I can choose any vehicle I want in the Emerald Aisle and pay the mid-sized car price), but the airport/concession and taxes add another $234!
Mahalo, BOH!
Hi Ed.
Thanks. Smart move to have gotten that reservation nailed down back then!
Aloha.
I was able to use my Autoslash bookings through Hertz in Honolulu and Lihue without a problem and got the quoted (and unbelievable) discounted price. I am so grateful to BOH for pointing out this amazing resource! There were plenty of cars in both lots when I was there.
Hi Aniruddh.
Glad to hear that Autoslash worked out for your two rentals.
Aloha.
Before the pandemic in Feb 2020, I was paying $40 day for a 4×4 Jeep in Kauai. I have paid $20 a day for basic car on the Big Island. These prices are ridiculous!!!!
My wife and I booked through Turo back in late April and had no issues whatsoever. Communication with the owner was great. The best part was being able to walk directly to our car at the airport and not having to wait in a long line at a car rental counter. And I got the car I wanted – no surprises. Was told by my insurance company that they would cover the car, just like a regular rental. I will definitely look at using them from now on.
Stay away from greedy rental companies. Kihei Rent a Car doesnt gouge.
Thanks
I wanted to let everyone and Aniruddh P know that our rental car situation on Maui from May 22nd through May 28th worked out just fine. We used autoslash per the recommendation in this article and got a rate of a $407 for the week for a compact car. It was actually booked through auto slash and then Priceline with Hertz. I was worried because Hertz website showed a higher rate but we had no problem when we got to the rental car agency and showed them our confirmation. There were only two cars on the lot available but it all worked out.
I booked thru Discount Hawaiian car rentals many times. This year I booked in January for February of 2022 for $611 for 2 weeks. Now it is over 1000 and up. Sure glad I did early.
A few months ago I reserved a Jeep for our June Kauai trip through your affiliate Discount Hawaii Car Rental. They sent me a confirmation for Alamo. I am so worried that when I show up, the vehicle won’t be available. Either because I used a third party, or because Alamo overbooked. Has anyone had any issues like that?
Is Uber available in Kauai? I have never used it, but I may have no choice! 😉
I would just keep checking your confirmation. We’ve NEVER had a problem with them. I FINALLY got a great price for our February stay on Maui, and no problem. Aloha!
We just used Discount Hawaiian and had no problems. I was unsure just like you but EVERY site you book thru is 3rd party unless you book directly with the car agency. We did find Auto Slash to be a 4th party in that they linked to Priceline who then booked with the agency. Never a problem with any. We’ve always book a lower “class” car and have virtually always gotten an upgrade. A pleasant Aloha attitude with the agent can do wonders!
I used Discount for Maui + Kona in May. No problems at all getting the cars. Well, maybe the gas cap that wouldn’t open so we could fill it up! Something new to check before leaving the lot!
I used Discount Hawaii Car Rental for my current one month rental on Kauai. Also concerned, I contacted the company several times to insure my reservations would be honored. They were great in reassuring me that all reservations being made through them were being honored.
A little nervous, as I’d never used Thrifty before. Yes, I was there for 2 hours until I got my car. Part of that time was due to my refusal to accept a convertible. I ended up with something semi-close to what I expected, and was very relieved to get a car! ($1289 for 28 days)
Was going to call off a Maui vacation because of the car rates, but given the cheap airfare it’s a bit of wash.
Booked first two weeks of August for about $110/day or something crazy. Here’s hoping some new vehicles hit the island soon and bring rates down a bit.
Auto Slash did not give me a better deal.
I was planning a vacation in July and really wanted to go to Hawaii. I booked the plane tickets and was blown away by how the weekly rental prices cost more than the roundtrip flight from the east coast! Your Autoslash suggestion is definitely great. I had never heard of it and it brought the price down by a few hundred. Overall the renal costs were still egregious and more than the plane or hotel. I ended up canceling my flights just within the 24 hr window and am going to go to the Caribbean instead. I’d rather hemorrhage money at a fancy resort than for an economy car. Ridiculous.
The Autoslash tip is nothing short of a miracle. I hope Hertz honors the discounted rates. I’ll let you know how it goes on the day of the actual rental pickup.
When do you go on your trip? I also found a great rate for Hertz for our trip that starts on May 22. I am anxious to hear from someone who had no problems getting their car with the low rate on the confirmation!
I go in June. I emailed the Autoslash folks and they said that if hertz didn’t honor it despite escalation to their customer service after the trip, they would cover the difference in cost of quoted and actual price. They said they have had most prices accepted. Again, not sure how much weight to put in it but sounds favorable.
Update: When I booked through Autoslash for early June trip, I got a great deal with Hertz, $450 for a week of compact rental. I had put in my Hertz Gold ID when I ordered it. The rates matched in Hertz and Priceline/Autoslash quotes. I just checked my Hertz account today and it is now $1,850 for the same reservation. Priceline still says $450… Not sure what to do now.
Hi Aniruddh – When I saw your message I looked at my reservation on Hertz.com again and, like you, it said the rate was now $1500! So, I called Hertz customer service. She said the rate shows $1500 and asked if I had modified the reservation. I said no, I only clicked on it to review the rate. In any case, she said if I have my Priceline itinerary that shows the rate I booked when I go, they will honor that rate. She gave me the number of the local office to confirm but I couldn’t get through there. I then chatted with Priceline who said they would honor the rate with my itinerary. Then contacted AutoSlash who said the same thing, So, I can only hope that is what happens!
Thanks Tammy! Good to know that Hertz, Priceline, and Autoslash are all in agreement. I contacted the Autoslash folks, and they are working to figure out what happened because the rates are guaranteed. They were able to rebook at the lower rate for one of my reservations (shows up in sync with hertz, too) and are working on the other one. The Autoslash customer service is terrific.
How did the rental work out?
Rented car from budget last Nov for week in June 16-23. Paid for at that time. Reservation was in brothers name and he isn’t going now. Called to put in sister-in-laws name they said we would have to cancel and rebook. They then told us there were no cars available in Kauai on the date we just cancelled do to name change. Then they proceeded to charge us $50 for the cancellation. Now we are without a car and our $50. Need help
Wow! Never pay ahead. Try Discount Hawai’i or other. I’ve ALWAYS found Discount Hawai’i car rental to be very reliable. They are like a broker and never have to pay, & can cancel without fee. Good luck.
Your article freaked me out but saved me nonetheless! We regularly use Costco to book car rentals, however, I completely forgot to book a car for our upcoming summer trip to Maui. Costco had zero availability for the week and my heart sank! Luckily, your article introduced me to Autoslash. AutoSlash found a rate via Hertz (reserving through Priceline) for a moderately price gauging rate on a compact vehicle!! Grateful that I could reserve it with free cancellation! I will hold out and hope prices come down over the next few months, however, grateful to have hopefully locked something in!
Hi There,
Thanks for putting together this article. AutoSlash worked magic. I got better result then in 3 days of self search.
Hi Tanya.
Thanks for your comment, and letting us know that your car rental worked out.
Aloha.
We have been seeing a lot of “Rainbow” plates here in Southern California. I guess we know where they all went.
I just booked the rental car for September dates through “Auto Slash” as you recommended! I saved over $400! Thank you so much!
And it was easy!
Hi Timmie.
thanks. Glad to hear that worked for you.
Aloha.
ALOHA! Even tho our trip this time is to Big Island, we booked rental car 5 months ago and got a week for $347 jumping thru a couple of pickup and drop off hoops. Checked last week and rates were still north of $1k for the week. Checked this morning, 6 days before arrival and got a Costco rate of $336 pickup/drop off @ KOA. NO PRE-PAY either. Pays to not sweat and wait it out. Not a good forecast tho for LIH.
Hi Gary.
Yes, good suggestion. We have always checked car rentals right up until a day or two before, and it has saved thousands over the years.
Aloha.
10 days in LIH (end of July) is $2,000 right now!!!!
We have early July and car rates on Big Island are more than our air. How they go down a little before we go. I had called 5 other companies and no one has cars available. Just happy to one. Love Beat of Hawaii. I am not alone in this.
Hi Beverly.
Thank you! You just made our weekend!
Aloha.
Was consider an August trip, but with car prices this high, forget it.
See my comment above! Try Auto Slash!
I always always rent through Costco now. No gouging, guaranteed car.
Auto Slash beat Costco by more than $400!
read the Costco Vacation bundle disclaimer; a car may not be available
You can rent a car through Costco without the vacation bundle.
I tried Turo once in Pittsburgh. Remember these are private owners renting their cars. Read the fine print. I got sideswiped in a parking lot and didn’t take his insurance. I figured my own would cover it, but they don’t with Turo. I ended up having to give the guy $500 cash. Wouldn’t use again.
Are Uber and Lyft doing much business on Kauai? If so, are they available in most areas of the island?
Thanks
Hi Tom.
We can’t say. In the past, we’ve had a hard time finding Uber availability here on Kauai (but definitely not in Honolulu). Maybe others can give us a hand.
Aloha.
Hi BOH ! As usual awesome article- when I share article link through a web link it it says “25 tips ….2020” in link. May I suggest you look at it & change it to 2021 as you have recently updated. I have many friends heading to the island the next month or two and I forwarded the best articles out. Mahalo!!
Hi Nita.
Thanks so much for that and all your comments! Just fixed.
Aloha.
Have the car companies been honoring reservations? I’m just wondering if people are showing up at the counter with reservations, only to be told that nothing is available. I booked our rental last year, and am hoping to show up and have the car be available, and at the price I reserved it for. So far, everything is still showing up in the reservation system, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.