www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Nickel & dime news (from Clark Howard):

US Airways will soon begin to charge its inflight economy class customers $2 for all drinks, including soda, fruit juice, coffee, and bottled water. The carrier is also matching American and United in charging a $15 fee to check one bag on a domestic route. The second check bag fee is $25.


Starting July 1, Hertz renters who don't refill the tank before returning the car will be charged for gas based on local fuel prices, plus a $6.99 refueling fee. But, renters that choose the optional Hertz Fuel Purchase Option (essentially buys a tank full of gas before starting the trip) will be charged local prices for the fuel -- minus a 15 cent per gallon discount! For customers returning a rental car in need of a fill-up, Hertz and Avis charge a $7.99 per gallon and Budget $8 at these major airports: Boston, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York-JFK, San Francisco, Seattle and Reagan Washington D.C. Enterprise charges under $6 a gallon and the remaining companies - Alamo, Dollar, National and Thrifty charge up to $6 per gallon.

The lesson here? Fill up the gas tank fully before returning your rental car. Keep your receipt of purchase with your rental contract for at least 30 days after the rental is completed. The alternative is to purchase Hertz's new FPO to get the .15 cent discount. But savvy consumers will probably find even cheaper fuel slightly away from the airport grounds.

This is absurd. In Malaga, Spain, you return the car with as little gas as possible. You pay for the full tank at the front end of the trip.

Absurd?
You're paying for gas you may or not actually use and the majority of rental companies charge much more than the local prices for a tank of gas.

You leave with a full tank and you return it with a full tank, a tank of YOUR choosing at the price you pick, not what the rental car company arbitrarily decides a tank of gas should cost. That way you know how much it cost you and there are no questions or hassles later.


From USA Today:
The major car rental companies agreed to charge 133% to 142% of the average per-gallon price for gas in the state, or the average per-gallon cost plus a flat rate of up to $10 a vehicle.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/2008-06- ... csp=Travel

Haha I agree, why would you want the rental company to fill it up? When have their prices ever been out there in the best interest of the consumer.

I know all too well how these rent-a-car places get you for gas.

Last fall, I had an accident with a rental car in CR. They sent a flat bed to bring me a replacement car and take the damaged one away.

When I returned the new car at the airport before going home, I was told I had a $48 gas charge because the first (damaged) car was returned with 1/2 tank less than it went out.

I suppose I could have asked the nice tow truck driver to stop at the gas station so I could fill up the busted car that was sitting on his flatbed. MUY TICO!

But I realized that I was in CR and haggled them down to $24 which is a fair price for a 1/2 tank.

Pre-paying gas makes no sense in most situations. I've had occasions where I rented a car for 3-4 days and I didn't use the whole tank, maybe half. So why pay for a full tank and only use half?

The only way it would work is if you were given a car with 100% full tank, and you brought it back bone dry, then you got your money's worth. If you were given any less than a 100% full tank, or you brought it back with any gas in the tank, you are losing money (aka they are robbing you). I assume they probably give you a 7/8 or 3/4 full tank knowing that they are making more money the less gas you start with.

So is US Airways currently charging $2 for soda and drinks. I'm flying in on US airways and just want to know if I should stock up on some drinks in the terminal before I board the plane.

This thread is almost a year old. US Airways changed their policy in February 2009.

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