Several routes to cutting the cost of a rental car

Ever tried to rent a car for a single 24-hour period at $29.99 a day then received a bill of $100 or more?

All you wanted was the car, which clearly itself didn't cost very much at $29.99 a day. But you found yourself paying for satellite radio, GPS system, Nick on the Go entertainment unit, child safety seats (shouldn't they just have to give this to us?), prepaid fuel and insurance.

Some rental companies even charge a tire fee. Are tires on the car now considered an option, too? Next they'll charge us for the windshield wiper blades, headlight bulbs and the battery. Anyone want seats? Doors?

Well, I had a chat with AAA to help consumers at the car rental counter as the Memorial Day holiday and the summer vacation season approaches. Know this: Car rental companies are looking for every avenue to tack on a fee, but you can avoid some of those costs.

"They've become very much like the airlines with all the excessive taxes and fees," said Janet Stevens, manager of travel services for AAA. "It's confusing, and it's not fun."

Even the car rental industry itself wrestles with all the add-ons.

"There are a lot of us who are against these fees," said Chris Brown, executive editor of Auto Rental News, a car rental industry trade publication. "We don't want to be like the airlines."

But Brown says the problem is car rental companies get hit with fees, such as airport use charges that have to be supplemented. In the first quarter of 2009, the three major public car rental companies — the Avis Budget Group, Dollar Thrifty and Hertz — all had losses, he said.

"Car rental companies are certainly getting squeezed," Brown said. "The profits really haven't been there."

That said, consumers don't have to just throw money at them.

For instance, renting at the airport is the worst thing you can do, because you will pay a premium for it. Location and time of day are key when searching for the best price for a rental car.

Take renting a Hyundai Accent from Hertz as an example. Picking up at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 14, from the Tampa International Airport and returning 10 a.m. on Monday, May 18, would cost $283.49.

Picking up at 1 p.m. — just three hours later — on the same day from Hertz's St. Petersburg location at 4600 34th St. N and returning at 10 a.m. Monday, May 18, would cost $86.44. That's almost a $200 difference.

Sure, you have to consider the cost of getting from the airport to the St. Petersburg location. But even an expensive option like a taxi costs less than $50.

Stevens said a pickup at noon Thursday with a return by noon Monday will generally get the renter a weekend rate, which is the reason there is such a difference in price. But picking up at 9 a.m. Thursday can cost two or three times as much as picking up three hours later.

"You have to pay attention," Stevens said. "You have to ask questions. You can't be asleep at the wheel."

And many of the options, including insurance, often are unnecessary.

Ivan Penn can be reached at ipenn@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2332.