So after a few weeks of checking car rental rates on the internet, I finally booked a sweet deal today for my forthcoming trip to LA. In case any of my readers are interested, I’ll share my tips and tricks. First, Orbitz and Travelocity will screw you, but they are good points of reference to start your negotiation. Being under 25 doesn’t help, but there are some good resources available for us crazy kids. Try BreezeNet.com’s Under 25 Page for some info on surcharges, and which companies are underage friendly. I really started getting some good leads when I went to Priceline.com and their partner sites. I made a ridiculously low offer the first time, which they of course rejected. Anxious to retain my business, however, they immediately offered me a range of “special deals” including one, for Thrifty that was too good to pass up ($35/day, compared to $50/day on Orbitz). The final step in my long and winding process was calling the LAX Thrifty location directly to inquire about their underage surcharges. After all, a $35 rental does me no good if the surcharge is $30/day! So, it turns out their fee is pretty high, at $25/day, but they were able to lower it to $15 and match the rate Priceline had quoted me on the internet. Grand total: $50/day, after taxes and fees. Sweet! (Apologies to those offended (or confused) by the title of this post, it’s a Beavis and Butt-head reference. You know, when Clinton comes to talk at their school and McVicker freaks out and busts into the gym while he’s speaking and the Secret Service tackles him. That’s what Butt-head says when it happens =)