Car Rentals
Guide

How we cut our Alaska rental from $1,250 to $400 — and skip the airport counter entirely

Renting a car is one of those things that sounds simple until you’re standing in a 45-minute airport counter line with two tired kids and a pile of luggage. We’ve been there. Here’s everything we’ve learned to make it faster, cheaper, and far less painful.

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How to Book

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Start with Costco Travel

Almost always the best rate. Costco bundles in extras that other platforms don’t — and there are no hidden fees at pickup. First stop, every time.

✓ Best Rates

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Track with Autoslash

Once booked, enter your reservation into Autoslash. It monitors the price and alerts you when it drops — you rebook at the lower rate and track again. We cut our 12-day Alaska rental from $1,250 down to $400 doing exactly this.

★ Saved us $850 in Alaska

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Check Corporate / Employee Rates

Many employers have booking portals like Concur Travel with deeply discounted corporate rates — and most allow personal use too. Worth checking before you book anywhere else.

✓ Often Overlooked

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Book Early, Rebook Often

Car rental prices fluctuate constantly. Book as early as possible to secure availability, then use Autoslash to keep dropping the price as you get closer to your trip.

✓ Set & Forget Strategy

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Which Company to Use

Stick with reputable airport-based companies. The off-airport budget operators can look tempting but the hidden fees, shuttle waits, and dodgy service aren’t worth saving $20/day with kids in tow.

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National, Hertz, Enterprise, Avis

Our go-to four. All have airport-based fleets, reliable service, and solid loyalty programs. Hertz sent us AAA and a replacement car when we had a dead battery — that’s the level of backup you want when traveling with kids.

✓ Most Reliable

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Get Status — Skip the Counter

This is the biggest quality-of-life upgrade for family travel. With rental car status, you skip the counter entirely — walk straight to the car, choose your vehicle, and drive off. What used to take 30–90 minutes now takes 15.

💳 Amex Platinum gives you complimentary status with Hertz, Avis, National, and Enterprise. Enroll once and it applies automatically every year your card is active.

💳 Capital One Venture X includes Hertz President’s Circle status — the highest tier. We earned it through Venture X and matched it with Avis for their President’s Club status. Counter line? Never again.

🔄 Status matching works. Once you have top status at one company, call competitors and ask to match. We matched Hertz Presidential Circle to Avis President’s Club — one card, two elite statuses.

🚙 With Presidential Circle status you walk straight to a dedicated area and pick from a row of upgraded vehicles. No forms, no upsell attempts, no waiting.

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Insurance — What to Actually Buy

General rule: Decline the rental company’s CDW/LDW insurance if your credit card covers it. Most premium travel cards (Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserve, Venture X) include primary or secondary rental car coverage. Check your specific card before assuming.

Exception: In Iceland, we bought the full Platinum insurance package from Lotus Car Rental. Driving on gravel roads and in unpredictable weather in a foreign country — peace of mind was worth every dollar. Know when the standard coverage isn’t enough.

Paying with points? See the cards we use for travel

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