Costco prices not changing

[Keacc]

We have a trip planned for 12-2-2023 thru 12-9-2023. I have been checking Costco prices for the last month and a half and the prices have not changed. Is this normal?

 

[EACarlson]

No idea, but rather than checking yourself I would suggest using www.autoslash.com They check multiple times a day for lower prices, including Costco rates. Then they email you if they find something cheaper. Recently I've been hearing about other discount codes being much better than Costco.

 

[SteveH]

We're in Maui for two weeks in December. I keep pricing a Jeep Wrangler out. Though availability is better (all 4 rental agencies show availability now, before it was just 1 or 2) but price haven't dropped below my best price that I booked a couple months ago.

 

[dward1961]

I’m traveling in August and have noticed prices are lower directly through Dollar and Hertz than Costco using AAA discount.

 

[katallo]

Agree. Costco pricing is not great. We have much better rates directly with companies or car rental savers. Auto slash is another good one.

 

[gmi3804]

I've hardly used a Costco booking for about two years after discovering AutoSlash. These days, I even let AutoSlash quote my rental, which I'll then book, and then they usually beat that rate!

 

[SWofDisorder]

Thanks for posting autoslash. We are booked for 9 days in early December and now have a compact car for around $570. I keep checking regularly.

 

[gmi3804]

Thanks for posting autoslash. We are booked for 9 days in early December and now have a compact car for around $570. I keep checking regularly.

I can't remember a time when AutoSlash didn't beat Costco's price. AutoSlash will keep checking Costco if you marked that you have a Costco membership.

 

[McMonsters]

I’m going in a couple weeks and Costco Alamo was high until almost exactly 2 weeks out. 10 days out and it jumped back up.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

@gmi3804 Do you ever find deals for the companies that are in the airport or mostly off-site?

 

[gmi3804]

@gmi3804 Do you ever find deals for the companies that are in the airport or mostly off-site?

I only search for on-airport locations. Offsite companies are typically much cheaper, but I’m not interested in those companies.

 

[Lynne G]

My end of September one just went down 15 more dollars, and my end of August just went down 50 dollars on Costco’s website.

December is so far out. Keep checking. I call it rinse and repeat. Cancel, rebook, cancel, rebook. Until almost day of.

My August one I think I’ve cancelled to get lowest so far, five or six times since first booking. My September one, started at almost 400 dollars more than I have now. That one has been cancelled and rebooked at least six or more times. I never use pay now. Use that free to cancel until day before.

Good luck. I always say, the most I have to pay is the one I first book, and if find no better, at least I know that’s the final cost. But I’ve also snagged a much better rate than I first booked by checking every day, at different times in the day, until I start to last minute pack.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

I always book on-site car rentals. I just checked Autoslash for my trip next month and the prices for on-site companies was the same as Costco. Maybe it’s because it’s so soon. I’ll check it with my subsequent trips.

 

[katallo]

I'm hoping Fall pricing lowers soon. As far as Costco, they have been expensive. We primarily had the Costco membership for travel but may now renew this year.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

I think that rental prices are just crazy right now.

 

[mmouse50]

Been checking for a SUV rental through Costco for over 1.5 months - the price has gone down in the last couple of days for mid size SUVs but not on my Suburban.

 

[EACarlson]

I think that rental prices are just crazy right now.

Rental prices are much lower now than they were at this time in 2021 or 2022. Unless you are locked into one company or vehicle type, there are many deals to be had. It is going to seem expensive compared to 2019 or before, that should not be surprising as everything costs more now that it did in 2019.

 

[holyrita]

Rental prices are much lower now than they were at this time in 2021 or 2022. Unless you are locked into one company or vehicle type, there are many deals to be had. It is going to seem expensive compared to 2019 or before, that should not be surprising as everything costs more now that it did in 2019.

I'm a bit of a data nut and save all my data for comparison. We traveled the same corresponding dates last September as we will this September, and the rental prices listed on 8/16/22 averaged $32/day, whereas today 8/16/23 they're averaging $45/day. Definitely an uptick year over year but I'm still hopeful they'll come down to the same lower rate as last year as we get a little closer to the pickup date.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

Rental prices are much lower now than they were at this time in 2021 or 2022. Unless you are locked into one company or vehicle type, there are many deals to be had. It is going to seem expensive compared to 2019 or before, that should not be surprising as everything costs more now that it did in 2019.

No, we aren’t locked into a certain company. I use Costco Travel and then double check with individual companies. I also keep re-checking and re-book for better deals.

Just glancing back at our trips over the past 3 years, we paid more in 2022 than we did in 2021 or currently have booked for this year.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

I'm a bit of a data nut and save all my data for comparison. We traveled the same corresponding dates last September as we will this September, and the rental prices listed on 8/16/22 averaged $32/day, whereas today 8/16/23 they're averaging $45/day. Definitely an uptick year over year but I'm still hopeful they'll come down to the same lower rate as last year as we get a little closer to the pickup date.

Glad to see that I’m not the only one.

Edited to add: I also keep track of each time that I find another deal so I can show my husband how much I’ve “saved” us.