by: Steven Anderson
Travelers have found that sometimes, just before departure, they can find greatly reduced deals on airfare as the airlines try and fill empty seats. This is, of course, a gamble but it does work out sometimes for the last minute traveler. In my experience, rental cars do not work this way.
The car rental agencies will stock their fleets at a level they hope will be profitable. This means they want to limit the amount of cars sitting around during slow times but have enough on hand to get the most profit during Hawaii's peak travel season. Because of this, they are willing and plan to accept a low percentage of idle cars and thus do not cut rates at the last minute to increase rentals.
Tourism in Hawaii is at its peak from December 15th to March 1st. The last two weeks of December tend to be so busy that the majority of rental car companies will increase their rates greatly over this period of time. If you search far enough in advance, you may find a company which offers flat rates over that period of time but they will be completely sold out 3 to 4 months in advance of the peak season.
As far as rental classes, Minivans will sell out first. Generally, minivan inventory on all islands is sold out three months in advance of the peak season. Minivans you find after this time frame usually come at a steep premium. If you want to find the best deals, you need to reserve your minivan six months in advance, not at the last minute.
SUVs tend to sell out next as they tend to carry 5 passengers, have a lot of room for luggage and usually four wheel drive capability. SUVs will sell out about 2 weeks after the minivans are sold out.
The next spike in tourism in Hawaii comes over the summer months. Again, many rental agencies increase rates over the summer. Several are now offering flat rates through the summer; so again, it behooves one to rent 3 months in advance of the summer season.
Car rental availability also depends on the destination island. Hawaii is the island which experiences the most tourism in the Hawaiian Island chain. As such, it sells out earlier than the others. There are two major airports on Hawaii, "The Big Island", Hilo and Kona. Hilo is the smaller of the two and thus sells out sooner as it has less inventory. By the end of November, Kona tends to be completely sold out of every type of vehicle let alone the vehicle of your choice.
Molokai sells out next due to its small size and limited car inventory. Next comes Kahului on Maui and then Lihue on Kauai. By the first week in December, you are no longer searching for deals on your desired car, but merely searching for any available car. Instead of a minivan, you are now renting two full size vehicles, etc.
One other issue to consider is that the major rental agencies do not charge for cancellations or changes. With this in mind, there is little or no monetary risk involved in making an early reservation.
So, a few rules of thumb:
1. Make your car rental reservations six months in advance for the last two weeks of December. Remember that minivans sell out early in the process.
2. Rent at least three months in advance of travel over the summer season.
3.
If you are going to the Big Island, you may want to move this timetable up by a full month.
So, in summary, rent 6 months in advance of the peak winter season and at least 3 months in advance of the busy summer season. Remember, there are no penalties for cancellation and changes. Take the money you save on your car rental and use it to buy additional activities to maximize your vacation fun.
About The Author
Steven Anderson is the Reservations Manager for Wailua Bay Car Rentals, specializing in Hawaii car rentals. He has personally researched and experienced many of the Hawaiian activities as described above. Please visit http://www.wailuabay.com/car_rentals.html.
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Reward your Employees with Travel Incentives
Reward your Employees with Travel Incentives
by: Sheryl Strasser
Motivating employees, especially highly competitive employees like inside and outside salespersons and telemarketers, can be a challenge. Sure, everyone likes cash, but what if you could offer a incentive that was worth more than cash? That's what travel incentives are all about.
What do you think would generate more excitement among your employees; offering $50 to the person who sets the most appointments in one day, or offering a 3 day and 2 nights hotel stay in Hawaii including airfare? I'll bet that you didn't have to think about that for too long. The Hawaii trip wins hands down.
I'll also bet that you're thinking "sure, I would love to give away a travel incentive deal like that, but how can I afford it?" Prepare to be shocked. You see, travel incentive coupons sell for pennies on the dollar. The key to success in offering travel incentives is their perceived value...
Reward your Employees with Travel Incentives
Airfare > Reward your Employees with Travel Incentives
How To Save Your Traveling Cost
How To Save Your Traveling Cost
by: Susan Wong
Have you ever dreamt of sampling local wines in Tuscany in September? Will it be a wonderful time to visit Paris in the spring? Enjoy the English countryside in the summer? You may think this is just a dream and cannot reach. It doesn't have to be.
You can travel to some of the world's most interesting and beautiful locations and you will only pay for airfare, dining out and tourist attractions!
Now, you may have questions whether how this can be? The concept is so easy you just use a housing exchange service. You may not know that this service is widely used in Europe, Asia and Australia.
It is so simple like this. You just choose a country you want to visit, duration, and the exact time you want to go. Arrangements are made, and you exchange homes with someone else.
This is how it works and you can cut your costs up to 75 percent. By staying in a home, you're not paying the...
How To Save Your Traveling Cost
Airfare > How To Save Your Traveling Cost
Hilton Head Island: Golf Vacation Paradise
Hilton Head Island: Golf Vacation Paradise
by: Shawn Kosloff
Imagine yourself playing a round of golf with names like Nicklaus, Palmer, and Player. While you may never actually get to play a round with Jack, Arnie, and Gary, you can walk in their footsteps while you play a round or two on one of their championship golf courses on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
You may have heard of a few other golf course architects that have designed a course or two in the area. Names like Pete Dye, George Fazio, Fuzzy Zoeller, George Cobb, Tom Fazio, Arthur Hills, Robert Trent Jones, and Clyde Johnston. It doesn?t matter if you?re a duffer or a scratch golfer, there are a wide variety of courses with unique layouts and challenges for golfers of all skill levels.
Planning Your Hilton Head Vacation
Beginning in the 1960?s, developer Charles Fraser developed a master plan for Hilton Head Island in which all of the homes, structures, and facilities...
Hilton Head Island: Golf Vacation Paradise
Airfare > Hilton Head Island: Golf Vacation Paradise
Find Out How You Could Find Low Airfares
Find Out How You Could Find Low Airfares
by: John Navata
Unless you are planning a short domestic trip, the cost of airfare is usually a deciding factor in an overseas trip. Most people with moderate incomes simply can't afford to fly regularly, as much as they would like to. There are, however, some people out there who are flying all the time on regular incomes. The secret to achieving this is a willingness to be flexible and shop around with airfares, as well as employing some tried and true discount travel techniques.
The key to getting a cheap flight is to shop around, and the internet makes this easy for almost anyone to do. There are a plethora of websites that will conduct searches around the world for cheap airfares. Although the internet is a valuable tool in discovering cheap airfares, it's important that you don't rely on it entirely. Many sites claim they are searching "all flights" for the cheapest possible fare, but you really...
Find Out How You Could Find Low Airfares
Airfare > Find Out How You Could Find Low Airfares
How To Save Your Traveling Cost
How To Save Your Traveling Cost
by: Susan Wong
Have you ever dreamt of sampling local wines in Tuscany in September? Will it be a wonderful time to visit Paris in the spring? Enjoy the English countryside in the summer? You may think this is just a dream and cannot reach. It doesn't have to be.
You can travel to some of the world's most interesting and beautiful locations and you will only pay for airfare, dining out and tourist attractions!
Now, you may have questions whether how this can be? The concept is so easy you just use a housing exchange service. You may not know that this service is widely used in Europe, Asia and Australia.
It is so simple like this. You just choose a country you want to visit, duration, and the exact time you want to go. Arrangements are made, and you exchange homes with someone else.
This is how it works and you can cut your costs up to 75 percent. By staying in a home, you're not paying the...
How To Save Your Traveling Cost
Airfare > How To Save Your Traveling Cost