Car Hire Insider

Car Rental Insurance USA: Guide to CDW & SLI

Car Hire Insider — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:15:28 +0000

UPDATE (December 2011): Great news! The much cheaper CDW/SLI insurance policies through iCarHireInsurance have become available again to residents of Australia and NZ, in addition to UK/EU residents.

UPDATE (November 2011): Please note that it has been brought to our attention (cheers Gary M.) that both our previously recommended CDW/SLI insurance cheaper alternatives – iCarHireInsurance and Insurance4CarHire – have just recently become unavailable to non-UK/EU residents. This is a VERY unfortunate turn of events for renters who already had such limited options and is due to their insurers imposing more restrictive acceptance criteria. That leaves everyone else completely out of luck. We are all losing out big time and will have to work to find suitable alternatives if they exist. You’ll be the first to know.

Car hires in the USA and their insurance options are a whole other can of worms. It’s a little off our main agenda of Australian car hire but after receiving many queries from readers, we realised dedicating a page to this topic is in order.

Types of Car Hire Insurance

First and foremost, in the USA, there are two primary forms of insurance to consider for your rental:

1. Rental Car Cover: Collision / Loss Damage Waiver (CDW / LDW)
This is the insurance that limits your financial responsibility for loss or damages to your hire car.

2. Third Party Cover: Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI / LIS)
This covers your third party liability i.e. claims against you by an injured person or for property damages caused by an accident involving your hire car.

How It Works In The US

Here’s where it gets “interesting”. Laws vary from state to state (and rules vary from company to company) meaning it’s hard to say exactly what may or may not already be covered. Unlike other countries, it is not uncommon for USA rentals to come totally unprotected since Americans tend to already have their own cover from personal insurance policies or credit cards. You often have a choice of having inclusive hire with CDW and/or SLI (but this will be significantly more expensive), or an exclusive hire.

Protection for your rental car
Choosing exclusive hire will often mean your basic rental comes with NO level of CDW/LDW car insurance i.e. you’re liable up to the full, current value of the car plus any losses the hire company bears as a result of its loss of use. No good. That means even if you have excess cover from existing travel insurance or similar, if your rental has no insurance at all to begin with, then there is no excess in the first place so your excess insurance won’t apply. That means if your chosen rental company doesn’t automatically include any CDW, you’ll have to pay for it (typically $10-20/day) which ironically may make your excess cover redundant anyway.

Protection for third party liability
In terms of third party liability (with the exception of California and maybe a couple others), state law requires car hire companies to include at least a minimum level of coverage, the exact amount of which varies from state to state. If you’re unsure, call the company and ask them if this cover comes standard with all rentals and see if you’re comfortable with the level of cover. Remember, California rentals typically come with NO cover at all so if you’re heading there, be aware! You’ll have to add this on before you can rent the car (typically $10-15/day). Excess insurance can’t be used as a substitute for this.

Typical Insurance Prices from Car Hire Companies

As a guide to the daily charges, have a look the table below (do bear in mind prices may have shifted). It’s a wide range of prices but we reckon you should expect to pay between US$20-30/day:

Company	Collision Damage Waiver	Supplemental Liability Insurance
Alamo	$10.50 – $22.99	$11.95 – $12.95
Avis	$9.00 – $35.99	$10.95 – $12.95
Budget	$9.00 – $35.99	$10.95 – $12.95
Dollar	$8.95 – $34.99	$8.95 – $12.99
Enterprise	$10.00 – $15.00	$10.00 – $16.00
Hertz	$9.00 – $35.99	$10.95 – $12.95
National	$10.50 – $22.99	$11.95 – $12.95
Thrifty	$8.95 – $34.99	$8.95 – $12.99
Prices are in USD and are indicative only

Cheaper Alternatives

Rather than purchase the insurance directly from the car hire company, there is one alternative to consider and compare – specialized car hire insurance policies designed for US rentals. There is currently one company that provides both CDW and SLI at relatively affordable prices and will cover Australians for US hires.

iCarHireInsurance offers a daily ‘USA and Canada’ policy at £6.99/day (A$10.80), or an annual policy for £120 (A$185). It includes unlimited use for 1 year provided each hire is not longer than 60 days. You’ll be indemnified for up to approx. US$100,000 for damages/theft/loss of use of your rental car, and up to approx. US$1,000,000 for third party injury/damages as well as any excess you are liable for.

You have a couple more options if you live in the UK or EU. Insurance4CarHire offers an annual policy for £119 (A$185). This also includes unlimited use for 1 year but each hire must not be longer than 31 days. Alternatively, Worldwide Insure also offers an annual USA/Canada cover for £116 (A$175) but their daily policy is more costly at £12/day (A$18). Each have different types of extras so make a comparison to see which set of benefits suits you better.

If you already live in the USA, these policies won’t work for you. Instead, check your personal insurance policies and with your credit card company to see if its already included. We’ve heard of people forking out precious sums of money before realizing they were already insured.

In any case, read the policy document carefully to make sure it’s right for your situation and if you get it, do not let car hire company employees scare you into buying extra cover from them! Turn down all their insurance. If it’s already included in your quote, check if you can get a cheaper price by removing it. Finally, print out your policy too as proof of your coverage to make sure they allow you to rent the car.

Private Car Rentals: Drive Your Neighbour’s Porsche

Car Hire Insider — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 22:02:19 +0000

Fancy an alternative way to renting that will give you access to a whole new world of choice? Hiring a car can be pretty ho-hum with the standard fare, but for Australian residents, we’re excited to share that there’s a new kid in town to spruce up the experience.

Introducing the Private Car Rentals Concept

DriveMyCar Rentals (DMCR) puts a unique spin on car hire by hooking up renters with car owners. This peer-to-peer car sharing platform attracts owners by allowing them to generate income from their cars which in turn furnishes renters with the largest, most varied selection of cars to choose from.

Whether you want to save money with an old 1990 sedan or indulge yourself with a Maserati coupe, chances are you’ll find something that suits you. It’s also an excellent place for those seeking long-term car rentals at competitive prices.

The Process

All one needs to do is register yourself as a Driver for free. You’ll be able to search by make, style, rate and suburb. The results include pictures of the cars as well as the corresponding year of production. Select your car of interest and you’ll receive a brief overview of information like the all-inclusive daily rate, minimum rental duration, minimum driver age, insurance excess and the number of kilometres on the odometer.

Pick your rental dates to get an immediate quote and if you’re happy, submit a booking. You’ll need to do this at least 48 hours in advance of your pickup time and once the owner accepts your booking, you’ll have to pay a 16.5% administrative deposit to secure it (any cancellation prior to commencement and you’ll lose your deposit so don’t book until you’re certain!) You’ll then agree with the car owner where and when you’ll meet for the handover and to sign the agreement.

The Nitty Gritty

How reliable are the cars? Well, DriveMyCar Rentals ensures all cars are of roadworthy condition, complete with current registration and requires all owners to sign a declaration that their cars are in good working condition. Roadside Assistance for $1/day is incorporated in the daily rate though you can opt out of it.

All cars are also insured at a compulsory cost of $10/day which is also included in the daily rate. The amount of insurance excess on the car varies (starting at $1,250 up to $7,500 or even $15,000 for serious supercars) and you’re given an option to reduce the excess by 50% for a daily fee (from $5/day to $15-25/day).

Driver Rating

When you first register as a driver, you start out at the Bronze Driver level. If you (and you should) upload your driving history information, making you more legit and trustworthy, you’ll be upgraded to Silver Driver which in turn gives you access to a larger variety of cars, particularly premium cars. Once you’ve rented at least 2 cars over DMCR and received positive feedback from the car owners, you’ll be awarded Gold Driver rating and have full access to all vehicles on the site.

The Wrap

All in all, DMCR is a highly promising site that’s looking expand their presence internationally this year. A few checks reveals they indeed have very competitive rates relatively to the Big Boys of Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty. There’s still room for operational improvement like making the search function more user-friendly but they’ve certainly set themselves apart.

One of their key selling points is the fact that there’s so much choice for the renter. If you live in Australia, there’s no reason not to give the site a check the next time you want to rent and are looking for something a little different.

Link:
DriveMyCar Rentals

East Coast Car Rentals serves up Sydney Airport

Car Rental Insights from Our In-house Research

Car Hire Insider — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:40:15 +0000

2011 is here and once again, we’ve scoured the big brand and independent car rental companies within Australia’s major cities to get a gauge on what’s on offer. The aim of our research was to help point people in the right direction when it comes to finding value and understanding all there is to know about renting a car. Along the way, we made some interesting observations.

To recap, 2010 saw a jump in prices from the Big Boys (Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty) as compared to early 2009 of almost 40-50%. Our hypothesis pointed at the global recession as a the culprit for this staggering increase (read more here). Fortunately, despite the increase in Premium Location Fees charged by airports to the rental companies for operating on-site, it appears Big Boys’ rental rates have now eased down by an average of 20% across the major cities’ airports*. Accordingly, downtown car hire prices have also dropped.

The independents, however, have not adjusted their rates by much. Their offerings remain by and large similar apart from perhaps a fleet update. That means the price gaps between them and the Big Boys are now smaller. Therefore, those too time-poor to research all the various independents out there for the lowest price wouldn’t be overpaying by as much as before. Still, savings (sometimes significant) are up for grabs for those who make the effort.

On the down side, we noticed an increase in Standard Liability amounts. While many companies maintained their levels, a few were upped from e.g. $2750 to $3300, and none were reduced. This implies now more than ever, renters need to be smart about how to protect themselves. One of our most popular (and valuable) articles is on alternative car rental insurance options that, to put it simply, you just have to read.

A myriad of complicated choices with all their clauses and fine print continue to await the car hire seeker. As such, it is a welcome development that the new Australian Consumer Law has been launched to give extra protection to all consumers, with car hire being one of the targeted industries. Fine print written to protect car hire companies is no longer completely binding with this new law that now allows a case to be judged based on how fair a particular condition set by a car rental company is in the first place.

All in all, it looks like steps in the right direction for us renters. At Car Hire Insider, we’ll continue to work towards demystifying the car hire maze. Stay tuned!

* Our research covered Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth and Adelaide.

No related posts.

Hertz and Etihad Partner Up for Seamless Travel Experience

Car Hire Insider — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:15:38 +0000

In the latest of promising industry developments, Hertz and Etihad have signed a three-year contract to offer a “seamless air to road luxury travel” experience, bringing Etihad customers money-saving deals and benefits. The partnership will integrate Hertz and Etihad’s technology platforms so travellers can conveniently book rental cars through Hertz’s dedicated microsite for Etihad customers, etihad.com as well as Etihad’s call centres and retail outlets.

In terms of perks, Etihad Guest loyalty program members will get access to exclusive offers on etihad.com on top of receiving 500 Guest Miles with each rental. Meanwhile, Etihad’s Pearl Business Class passengers will receive a 15% discount when renting luxury vehicles from the Hertz Prestige Collection, while Diamond First Class guests will receive complimentary access to the top level of Hertz #1 Club, the President’s Circle.

We did a quick check to see the level of discount that may be on offer – a 3-day hire from Melbourne Tullamarine airport showed the following rates:

Economy Car (Toyota Yaris hatch): Hertz direct A$195.58; Via Etihad A$154.67 = 21% savings
Standard Car (Toyota Camry sedan): Hertz direct A$217.63; Via Etihad A$189.97 = 12% savings

Not bad.

This is a first in terms of the depth of integration between an airline and car rental company and we’re glad for those who are in the position to take advantage of its effects. Kudos to improving customer experience. Lets hope this motivates more such partnerships to develop so we have more access to better deals.

Introductory Offer: All Etihad customers renting a car with Hertz by April 30, 2011 will have the chance to win a luxurious package of two return Etihad flights to either Europe or Australia, five nights’ 5-star accommodation at Relais & Chateaux, and the use of a Hertz Prestige Collection vehicle for five days to explore the open road.

Links:
Etihad Airways
Hertz (Etihad partner information)

Car Hire Discounts from Partner Programs

Europcar Named World’s Leading Car Hire Company 2010

Car Hire Insider — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:56:09 +0000

Europcar has been named the World’s Leading Car Hire Company (for the 4th year running), the World’s Leading Leisure Car Rental Company (for the 7th year running), as well as the World’s Leading Green Transport Solution Company (2nd win to date) at this year’s World Travel Awards.

They also nicked the title of Australasia’s Leading Car Hire Company but lost out to Avis who won both the World’s and Australasia’s Leading Business Car Rental Company.

The awards, held on 7th November 2010 in London, is the travel industry’s equivalent to the Oscars. The winning companies are voted for across a broad range of categories (from “leading” hotels, airlines, car hire companies, marketing campaigns, and so on) by almost 190,000 industry professionals worldwide.

The results highlight to us that in addition to being on top of the car rental game, Europcar places a notable emphasis on protecting the environment and acquiring a greener fleet. Perhaps, it may just be worth giving them a little preferential treatment the next time we hire.

Links:
Europcar
World Travel Awards

No related posts.

Car Hire Insurance: Smarter Alternatives

Car Hire Insider — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:12:18 +0000

UPDATE (November 2011): Please note that it has been brought to our attention one of our previously recommended providers Insurance4CarHire has stopped offering their policies to non-EEA (European Economic Area) residents. Thankfully, Worldwide Insure policies are still available. iCarHireInsurance has also limited their offerings, with their worldwide policy now only available to residents of UK, EU, Australia, USA and Canada. For more details, see the section below on car hire insurance providers.

Car hire excess insurance is an expensive business but we’ll tell you how to save big time. In fact, getting the right car rental protection could cut your costs by $100s.

We’ve revamped this page by popular demand to provide all the information you need to ensure you are well covered and also added a few recommendations for campervan hire insurance. Before you proceed, you may want to make sure you understand all the car hire insurance jargon and terminologies.

What you need to be aware of
High price of getting extra protection the conventional way (from car rental companies)
You have choices! Save big time with alternative car hire excess insurance providers

With an inclusive Travel Insurance policy
With a specialized Car Hire Excess Insurance policy

Campervan / Motorhome Excess Insurance

REMINDER: Always, always take the time to read through your policy’s Product Disclosure Statement, paying attention to exactly what is and isn’t included, under what circumstances any cover will and will not apply and the maximum combined payout per section/category as well as any limits per claim. Finally, acquaint yourself with the procedure and any reports required should you need to make a claim.

What you need to be aware ofTop ↑

Standard excess inclusion
All car hire throughout Australia comes with a basic level of insurance commonly known as Standard Liability or Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). That often still leaves you liable for up to about A$3,000 for any damages to the rental car (this excess amount varies with different companies so do always check)

Are you under 25
If you are between 21-24 years, standard liability excess levels tends to be higher (e.g. a standard liability excess of A$2,500 renters 25+ years could be A$3,000 for 21-24 years)

Standard exclusions
Single Vehicle Accidents (SVA) and Windscreen, Headlights and Tyres (WHT) cover are often excluded and has to be added on. In addition, insurance does not cover damages to the overhead, underbody, interior or roof of the car – for all these you’ll just have to keep your fingers crossed.

The high price of getting extra protection the conventional wayTop ↑

First, some indicative prices of taking out first-level/cheapest Excess Reduction i.e. reducing from A$3,000 to A$330 (not 0), and without WHT or SVA :

Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Thrifty: A$24-27 per day

Smaller local independent companies: A$12-16 per day

The independents tend to have fewer options available like not offering SVA, WHT or Full Protection.

A quick calculation and you’ll find taking out Excess Reduction protection on a 7-day car hire can blow up your final cost by a staggering A$80-200! But don’t take it and you leave yourself open to even more charges if you damage the car.

So how now brown cow? Well that depends on you. Evaluate what level of insurance you feel comfortable with. Naturally that decision will very well be influenced by the price of taking out additional car hire insurance and here are some great alternative ways to save big while being covered:

You have choices! Save big time with alternative car hire excess insuranceTop ↑

For Australians travelling domestically, inclusive travel insurance is the way to go. If you’re an Australian going overseas or an international traveller coming to Australia, take out a specific car hire excess insurance policy.

With an inclusive Travel Insurance policyTop ↑

We’ve uncovered these travel insurance policies that include rental car excess coverage as one of its benefits. Our emphasis for selection is on the car rental excess cover and price but check how the other benefits suit you.

For Australians, the travel insurance providers we’ve recommended typically cover campervans, 4WDs and vans as well as standard rental cars. For the most part, no excess applies in the event of you make a claim on the car hire benefit. Their rates are usually staggered rather than continuous (e.g. price will stay at A$30 for 6-8 day policies), meaning different companies can offer value depending on your exact required duration so you’ll do well to compare a couple.

For Australians
Single trip Travel Insurance with Car Hire Excess Cover
Unless you are renting from Thrifty, Europcar or Hertz (all whom have current standard liabilities of A$3,300), a policy offering A$3,000 cover (most common) will suffice. But there are numerous levels of car hire excess coverage offered with travel insurance plans, ranging anywhere from A$1,000 up to A$6,000. A$3,000 Cover Columbus Direct has one of the lowest rates around estimated at A$31 for a one week policy and up to A$88 for a maximum of 60 consecutive days for Domestic cover. However Columbus only covers the excess in the event of accidental damages to the vehicle, not theft. For slightly more, Worldcare covers that at an estimated A$37 for a week up to A$173 for a maximum of 67 days. You should compare the two. For continuous rental over a month long, RACV is worth a check. A$4,000 / A$5,000 Cover As an indication, you can expect to pay about A$46-48 for a week, A$80-100 for a month. Budget Direct’s Platinum Plan (max. 62 days) and Travel Insurance Direct’s Plan D (available up to 6 months) both offer great rates with A$4,000 rental vehicle excess cover within Australia whether crashed, damaged or stolen. 1Cover insures up to A$5,000.
Annual/Multi trip Travel Insurance with Car Hire Excess Cover
The best value annual cover is from Cover More’s Travelsure option: A$105/year covers you for unlimited journeys per year with max. 30 days consecutive car hire each time. If you only need 15 consecutive days per hire, you can get it for a mere A$76/year. Great value! On top of that, their $4,000 rental vehicle benefit can be increased in A$500 increments by up to an extra A$3,500 for A$16-17 per increment . However, if their other benefits don’t suit you, Zuji Australia offers Domestic cover for A$233/year inclusive of $3,000 rental vehicle excess cover. Columbus Direct’s A$290 affords you Worldwide coverage (excluding USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong & Japan) or A$320 for complete global cover. These rates come with A$3,000 rental car cover. For about $40 more, you can get the Premier plan which includes A$4,000.

For International visitors to Australia
For overseas visitors, we have not unearthed many travel insurance policies that include rental car cover. 1Cover is one that offers a A$2,500 excess cover. We recommend you continue reading below for taking out specific car hire excess insurance. If you know of good travel insurance deals, do share your find with us!

With a specialized Car Hire Excess Insurance policyTop ↑

There are a handful of third party insurance companies specializing in covering just your car rental excess for a lot less than the car rental companies’ offers. For hires under 20 days, taking a single trip daily rate policy will usually be the way to go. Any longer and you’ll want to look at getting an annual policy.

Features of the Typical Policy
These policies commonly insure you for up to A$3,100 (£2,000) per claim and A$4,600 (£3,000) per rental agreement and have NIL Excess. They are available to anyone aged between 21-74 years (some allow older renters) and applies to standard non-luxury rental vehicles up to the size of vans that have 8 seats or less. They do not cover motorhomes or caravans. As a great bonus perk, the car hire insurance providers often cover damages to the undercarriage, windows and tyres which is almost always excluded in standard coverage. These are TYPICAL features but remember to always double check the exact terms and conditions.

The Procedure for Claims
Car hire excess insurance differs from the Excess Reduction options offered by car rental companies in that the former covers you, not the rental car. The procedure would be you rent a car with the Standard Liability i.e. NOT taking the Excess Reduction option, and then if you incur any damages, the rental company will still charge you up to the limit of the standard excess e.g. A$3,000. You will then claim reimbursement from the car hire excess insurance company. Be sure you acquaint yourself with all the documentation and procedures required for making a claim.

For Australians
Single trip car hire insurance
If you’re looking for short-trip coverage within Australia, you’ll probably find better value going for a domestic travel insurance policy that includes car rental excess cover since for almost the same price, you’ll get all the other extra travel protection. However, if for some reason they don’t suit your needs, Worldwide Insure and iCarHireInsurance are two well-known British-based providers that offer worldwide car hire insurance including cover for rentals in your home country. They make excellent choices if you’re looking to hire abroad too. WWI costs as low as A$4.50 (£2.90) per day for worldwide rentals. To have home country rentals included, WWI will come in at A$5.40 (£3.50) and iCarHireInsurance A$6.15 (£4) per day.
Annual/Multi trip car hire insurance
For about A$93 (£60) with iCarHireInsurance or A$100 (£65) with Worldwide Insure, you can get annual car hire insurance that allows you to be covered for unlimited rental instances over a 12-month period. This is a fantastic rate since A$100 can normally only buy you a maximum of 4-6 days of excess reduction from car rental companies. iCarHireInsurance allows you to hire continuously for up to 60 days per agreement while Worldwide Insure allows 31 days. Neither have any restrictions on how far away from your home your rental must take place (there are other providers who impose limitations). Note that for Worldwide Insure to cover rentals in Australia, you’ll need to select the package that “includes your Home Country”. Before deciding, read the travel insurance section. Note: As highlighted at the beginning of the article, due to a very recent change of policies, one of our previous suggestions Insurance4CarHire can no longer cover non-European residents. We know they are working to get on board a different insurer so they may provide policies to worldwide residents but at the moment these are not yet available.

For International visitors to Australia
Single trip car hire insurance
Worldwide Insure for international residents has great daily rates from A$4.50 (£2.90) per day. If you’re from UK or Ireland, Car Hire Excess is also another comparable value choice.
Annual/Multi trip car hire insurance
Worldwide Insure has one of the most competitive annual rates for non-Australians at A$85 (£55)/year. The policy allows up to 31 days of continuous rental per agreement for unlimited instances over the year. If you’re from the wider European region, USA or Canada, you’ve got more options! As highlighted at the start of the article, these providers used to cover all residents but have recently limited their offerings. A$93 (£60)/year with an annual policy from iCarHireInsurance will allow unlimited rental instances but with a longer 60 days continuous cover per rental agreement. Insurance4CarHire also has great prices particularly if you can take advantage of Family/Partner packages where you can get two policies for less.

Campervan / Motorhome Excess InsuranceTop ↑

Appropriate insurance for campervan hires in Australia typically are rather hard to come by but we’ve put together three possible options for you to look into.

For Australians

1Cover offers domestic travel insurance with Rental Vehicle Excess coverage of up to A$5,000 which is applicable on any “campervan/motorhome that does not exceed 4.5 tonne”. However, there are two possible issues with this option: Firstly, campervans often come with a higher standard liability than A$5,000. 1Cover’s policy does NOT cover damages to third party property – only for damages to the campervan itself.

TravelInsuranceDirect is similar to 1Cover in that it is a domestic travel insurance that comes with Rental Vehicle Excess cover that includes campervans for up to A$4,000. The difference is they have an option of increasing your Excess cover by up to an additional A$2,000 at a cost of A$25 per A$500 increase. So for an extra A$100, you can get A$6,000 worth of excess cover. Again, note that this policy does not include damages to third party property caused by your campervan.

For International visitors to Australia
Worldwide Insure has a worldwide Motorhome Hire Excess Insurance policy that will cover your rental for theft or damages at a rate of £8.80 (A$13.60/day) for UK/Ireland residents and £10.85/day (A$16.7/day) for everyone else. Their policy provides an adequate £5,000 (A$7,700) of cover. However, they do NOT cover rentals in one’s home country so if you’re permanently living in Australia, this option is out the window.

Top ↑

Qantas Frequent Flyer Goes Exclusive With Avis & Budget (Promo codes inside)

Car Hire Insider — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:12:16 +0000

Significant changes are on the horizon for Qantas Frequent Flyer members. A new exclusivity agreement means that from 19 November 2010 onwards, members will only get car hire discounts and perks when renting with Avis and Budget. So for anyone that favours Hertz or Thrifty, you’ll still be eligible to collect points for rentals that are completed by 18 November 2010, but after that, no more.

This move is supposed to be beneficial. QFF says it will allow them to offer a higher level of offers from their exclusive partners, thereby maximizing savings for their members. However, the obvious major drawback is that we are now limited to a choice of only two car hire companies instead of four.

As a sign of goodwill perhaps, to kick things off, all Australian car rentals three days or more from Avis or Budget that are picked up by 31 October 2010 will earn you an extra bonus 1,000 points on top of the usual points. Below we’ve listed the promotional codes you’ll have to enter to receive this bonus:

Bonus 1,000 Extra Qantas Frequent Flyer Points

Avis coupon code: MPPA074
Budget coupon number: MPNZ010

* This cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotions or corporate rates. And don’t forget to key in your QFF membership number.

Let’s just hope QFF wrings out enough goodies to compensate for our lost options.

If you’re looking for a deal, don’t forget to check our collection of other car hire coupons and discounts from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty.

CONTEST: Drive A Dream Sports Car For A Weekend!

Car Hire Insider — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:09:07 +0000

Feeling lucky? We’ve discovered an opportunity for you to drive a sweet sports car for the weekend!

All you’ve got to do is give your most convincing spiel in 300 words on just why your weekend would be tremendously improved with a sports car. So dust off your creative brain and submit your best entry by 10 September 2010.

The top 3 winners will be picked and informed on 20 September 2010 – 1 winner for each of NSW, VIC, and QLD. The NSW winner gets the Audi A5, VIC the BMW coupe, and QLD the Porsche.

Don’t forget to tick the box for “Sign up to receive information from DriveMyCarRentals.com.au and Hotels.com” – that’s the small catch – for your entry to be valid.

This contest is only open to Australian residents.

Enter the competition here

Good luck!

Gold Coast Car Hire: Mouth-watering Specials from Thrifty

Car Hire Insider — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:43:45 +0000

Deal coupons from the various car hire companies tend to blur together given how similar they can be. For example, you often have a choice of 3 or more companies at a time offering free upgrades.

BUT when it comes to the Gold Coast, we’ve gotta say, Thrifty’s one up on everyone else. They have some fantastic deals no one else offers. We checked, double checked, and indeed they are the Real McCoys – you can truly save if you intend on going to theme parks or other attractions that require entrance fees. Remember to double check all terms and conditions.

The Escape Pass Packages

Who?
These packages are a must-check for those interested in visiting TWO of Sea World, Warner Bros Movie World and Wet ‘n Wild Water World, and need to hire a car.

What?
These offers bundle a two-day car hire (adding on more days is possible) with a number of Escape Passes. An Escape Pass allows one to visit TWO of the three theme parks over a THREE-DAY period. The packages vary in terms of size of car and number of passes included. Larger cars are bundled with more passes.

2 x Adult Escape Pass and 2 day Economy Manual car hire for $238 – Check this deal
2 x Adult and 1 x Child Escape Pass and 2 day Economy Auto car hire for $326 – Check this deal
2 x Adult and 2 x Child Escape Pass and 2 day Compact Auto car hire for $415 – Check this deal
2 x Adult and 3 x Child Escape Pass and 2 day Intermediate Auto car hire for $504 – Check this deal
2 x Adult and 4 x Child Escape Pass and 2 day 8-seater Van Auto hire for $643 – Check this deal

We found the final prices are about $10-20 more than those listed above. Still, they present a real bargain.

Benefit?
You’ll save almost the full value of one adult Escape Pass – that’s about $119.99! Not too shabby. And our little side note: If you aren’t fussed about which theme parks to go to, get the most value out of the Escape Pass by choosing Dream World and Sea World (the standard adult entrance fee is $75 for each of these vs. Wet ‘n’ Wild which only costs $55).

Catch?
You’ve got to visit your two selected theme parks over a 3-day period. And most of these packages include child passes – so naturally, you need to have kid(s) to take advantage of them.

The Discount Booklet

Who?
For those who the Escape Pass is not appropriate but still want to visit the theme parks and/or check out other Gold Coast attractions and activities. A three-day minimum car hire is required.

What?
You’ll get a discount booklet from Thrifty which includes all sorts of vouchers valued at over $500. Among them you’ll find:

Buy 1 Get 1 Free adult entrance ticket for Movie World
Buy 1 Get 1 Free adult entrance ticket for Sea World
Buy 1 Get 1 Free adult entrance ticket for Wet ‘n’ Wild
Buy 1 Get 1 Free – 18 Holes at Putt Putt Golf Gold Coast
Buy 1 Get 1 Free Paradise Jetboating ‘Broadwater Adventure’
20% Off entrance tickets for Wildlife Currumbin Sanctuary for up to 6 people
And a bunch of other goodies

Get more information on the Discount Booklet

Benefit?
If any of these booklet’s activities are on your to-do list, you’ll be bagging some sweet savings.

Catch?
You may be tempted into doing more activities simply to take advantage of the vouchers! But hey, you’re on vacation after all.

Other Coupons and Deals

If these aren’t applicable to you, don’t worry. Check out if you can find other more generic car hire coupons that do.

Where You Can & Can’t Drive Hire Cars

Car Hire Insider — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:02:31 +0000

There is a saying in Australia, when you hit a dirt road that it is made for 4WD’s or hire cars. Of course it is said in jest. Hire companies, with their 20 plus pages of terms and conditions combined with prominently displayed penalties are rightly a tad scary.

Most people therefore instinctively know that you cannot take your normal passenger hire car off road. But did you know that some hire companies also do not allow you to travel on any dirt roads in a passenger car or take the car to any island? The fact is that hire companies have quite a sizeable collection of ‘do nots’ contained within their terms and conditions. So in order to give you a straight answer to the question ‘where can I go?’ we have examined the documents and called the experts.

So where can’t you go?

Getting straight down to the detail, you are not allowed to take your hire car, regardless of make or model:

Off Road

It is against all rules, even in a four-wheel drive to take it off road. Most simplistically, this is any road that is not labelled on a map with a street name, including fire trails, paddocks and sand.

A normal passenger car with Avis and Budget will allow you go on gravel roads that are graded and well maintained, whereas the others do not. It is important to check this before you hire as many parts of Australia still have stretches of dirt road away from the major city centres.

Islands

Islands are completely off limits wherever you need to cross to them by use of a car ferry. This includes Bruny Island, Kangaroo Island and Fraser Island. Most companies only list these three main islands, however the rule applies to all islands. If you can’t get there by bridge or tunnel, you are not permitted to take your hire car there.

Kangaroo Island does however, due to its larger size, have two hire companies located on it. Both Budget and Hertz offer car hire for driving on the Island only, but ensure you acquaint yourself with their conditions. Hertz, for example, restricts driving to daylight hours only.

To or from Tasmania or Northern Territory

If you wish to hire a car in these locations, you need to do it from within Tasmania or the Northern Territory. For Tasmania, this is because you cannot travel by ferry. The Northern Territory, however, is restricted due to the massive expanse of desert you will need to travel through in order to reach a city. Thrifty also applies this restriction to Western Australia.

Streams, dams, rivers and flood waters

All companies restrict you from taking one of their hire cars into any amount of moving water.

Beaches

Beaches and sand, including any exposure to salt water is not permitted in a hire car.

With certain provision

The following are the grey areas, restricted by one company, but may be allowed by another. Before you do any of the following, ensure you have specifically covered it off with your car hire provider.

Drive above the snow line

This is permitted with Hertz, Europcar and Thrifty car rentals on the condition that their ‘snow option’ has been purchased. Avis and Budget’s terms and conditions both restrict taking the car to the snow. On contacting both companies, they indicated that a ‘few’ of their offices located near the snow fields may offer the option.

Above the snow line is determined in Victoria as above Bright and in New South Wales as above Jindabyne.

Note: Even with a snow option you are liable for every day’s car hire that the car remains away from the provider, regardless of reason, including being snowed in.

Within the Northern Territory

Each company has some restrictions relating to the Northern Territory.

All prohibit driving the road to Jim Jim Gorge and Twin Falls and on the Tanami Track. It is worth checking directly with the hire company if you plan to go outside the major cities as there are many restrictions including, for Budget and Hertz, no night driving in certain locations.

Within the Western Australia

Similar to the Northern Territory, WA has a number of restrictions. You should check directly with your car hire company if you want to travel north of Carnarvon. Most companies restrict this travel in its entirety, while others restrict the majority of roads and areas north of this point. Budget and Hertz both have restrictions on driving at night.

Within Queensland

Avis and Budget restrict travel west of Chilagoe (Highway 27), south of Normanton (Highway 1) and north of Karumba. They both restrict travel north of Cooktown and Cape Tribulation or travel west past Lakeland if you are in a passenger vehicle or truck. Certain 4WD’s may travel the coast road between Helenvale to Cape Tribulation or from Laura to Lakeland.

Although Hertz and Thrifty do not specifically list these areas, their restrictions on dirt roads rule out a number of these roads. Europcar has a tighter set of regulations restricting a number of roads including the Savannah Way.

Understanding the why?

Most of these restrictions are in place because the hire company can’t obtain insurance for that particular activity. If they can’t get cover, they will not provide it to the customer. This is particularly prevalent in the areas of car ferry travel and night driving (due to kangaroos). In addition remote areas are restricted due to the difficulty of vehicle retrieval.

Even though these restrictions are contained within the terms and conditions, you physically can still break the rules. Should you choose to do so, you will immediately become fully liable for ANY damage to that vehicle during that time, regardless of fault. For example if you took the hire car to Bruny Island then had an accident unrelated to the ferry trip, but which occurred later on the Island (hence the hire company will know you broke the rules), you will be liable for the FULL cost of repair.

Take the time when booking or when collecting your car to run through your travel plans, especially if it involves northern Queensland, Western Australia or anywhere in the Northern Territory, so you have a clear understanding of what is and is not allowed with your rental car. A little research beforehand can save you a whole lot of pain later.

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