Travelers headed to Oahu during the peak Christmas and New Year’s holiday vacation period will be greeted once again this year by dramatically increased daily rates for car rentals booked at Honolulu Airport locations.
“Basically, it’s just a matter of supply and demand,” explained Corey Fockler, a travel consultant with Kahala Travel in San Diego. “That’s one of the busier times of the year, so consequently they raise the rates because they know they can, [and] we see it happen pretty much every year.”
A longtime Hawaii seller, Fockler said daily rates for car rentals picked up at the Honolulu Airport over the holiday season can be 25% to 30% more expensive than other times of the year.
“Sometimes it can be even more, depending on how far in advance you book it,” he added. “Obviously, if you do it last minute, it’s usually more expensive.”
One way to avoid high-priced rentals at the Honolulu Airport is to book vehicles instead at retail locations in Waikiki, such as Alamo, National and Enterprise. Rates at several Waikiki storefronts can be less expensive during the peak holiday season.
“Generally, what I do is reserve a car for clients in Waikiki and not at the airport during that time of year,” said Marilyn Clark, owner of Lighthouse Travel in Huntington Beach, Calif., adding that the National and Alamo retailers in Waikiki will drop vehicles off for customers.
“People also save on the parking, because they don’t have a car sitting at the hotel they’re not using,” she continued. “Then when they’re ready to use a car, whether it’s just to go out for the day around the island or maybe to check in out at [west Oahu’s] Ko Olina or Turtle Bay [on the North Shore], they can just pick it up there in Waikiki.”
Parking prices for many Waikiki hotels can be pretty steep, running as much as $35 a day at some properties.
“The parking fees are a big deal,” Fockler said. “When we tell people how much it will cost to park at the hotels, that can have a major bearing on what they decide to do.”
Both Fockler and Clark actively encourage Oahu visitors to get outside of Waikiki to enjoy more of what Oahu has to offer, but neither said that requires picking up a rental car from the Honolulu Airport immediately on arrival. Folks can get good rates on shuttle service or cab rides into Waikiki, and walking is a great way to get around once there. Plus, there are frequent trolleys folks can use to explore Hawaii’s most popular visitor district.
Fockler and Clark also mentioned the Oahu public bus system as another good way to get around Waikiki and to make shorter trips to downtown Honolulu museums, restaurants or even Iolani Palace. In fact, Clark rode the bus back from Iolani Palace during a recent Oahu visit.
“It was actually fun,” she said, noting that the bus ride cost her just $2.50. “Most of the people were residents, of course, and they were chatting with us, [and] to me the most popular attraction in Hawaii is the people who live there, and you get to know them a little if you take the bus.”
Clark also noted that losing out on some commission revenue by not booking a car at the Honolulu Airport for Oahu clients can make good business sense in the long term.
“I’m making plenty of money off the hotel and other things, especially over the holidays,” she said. “So if I give up a few dollars’ commission on the car rental, I could care less. It makes the clients happy, and obviously that’s the bottom line. Then they’re going to come back to you — if you meet their needs and save them some money.”