car rental economics
I'm considering renting a car for when I go to the south this summer. Looking on the Budget site, I selected a five day rental and accidentally checked the "I'll be returning the car to the same rental location" box, giving me a price of $178.99. Noticing my mistake I went back and changed the destination, then got a new price of $845.99. Whoa!
So I did a little experimenting. Going from Oakland airport to various locations got these prices:
New York, NY: $717.99
Los Angeles, CA: $700.00
Jackson, MS: $845.99
Yuma, AZ: $445.99
Miami, FL: $717.99
New Orleans, LA: $845.99
Memphis, TN: $625.00
Then I tried the reverse, Little Rock to Oakland: $423.99.
Here's the real kicker - after noticing an "airport concession fee" I changed pick-up location from Oakland airport to Gilman Street in Berkeley, dropping off in Little Rock. New price: $329.99.
Lesson: don't rent your a from Budget's airport location (same trick made no change when looking at the Avis site), or if you do be sure to return it there!
P.S. This and the previous KTC Death Penalty Project posts are friends-only because not all applicants have been told whether they got in so we've been asked to keep it quiet.
So I did a little experimenting. Going from Oakland airport to various locations got these prices:
New York, NY: $717.99
Los Angeles, CA: $700.00
Jackson, MS: $845.99
Yuma, AZ: $445.99
Miami, FL: $717.99
New Orleans, LA: $845.99
Memphis, TN: $625.00
Then I tried the reverse, Little Rock to Oakland: $423.99.
Here's the real kicker - after noticing an "airport concession fee" I changed pick-up location from Oakland airport to Gilman Street in Berkeley, dropping off in Little Rock. New price: $329.99.
Lesson: don't rent your a from Budget's airport location (same trick made no change when looking at the Avis site), or if you do be sure to return it there!
P.S. This and the previous KTC Death Penalty Project posts are friends-only because not all applicants have been told whether they got in so we've been asked to keep it quiet.