I know about the $2 charge but I believe the other two are homespun by Avis.

the 11% concession recovery fee is charged by the port authority (just as airports everywhere charge a concession fee, and companies like Hertz add it to your bill).

This is why I tell my guests "do NOT rent at the airport because it is automatically another $11 per day". Plus I have waited one hour and 15 minutes for the guest to get the car at the airport--and they said they were treated rudely!

I also know about the $2, but not sure about the $3. It is true that we have no sales tax.

Also, some rental agencies do no wait to surprise you with the total. I also advise guests to insist that they get the TOTAL charge when they reserve.

Hope the rest of your visit contains only pleasant surprises!

Pattypan

It's not really a disturbing surprise - not a pleasant one, but not disturbing. :S

Avis was definitely up front with it when we made the reservation. That's why I thought it was probably typical charges for over there. In our case, it works out to about $10/day added on to their initial advertised price. But they weren't trying to hide it.

I just wondered if I would find the same charges at other agencies there, or not? I think you're right about airports/seaports typically having similar charges for being inside their facilities. And some cities do charge some added fee/taxes for use of their roads. So I guess AVIS is probably passing along the same fees that others there do as well.

No airport surcharge at Discount or Dependable. Dependable always picks us up at the airport in the vehicle we are renting.

Cheers, RickG

No sales tax there just gross receipts tax....in which you can bet is built into the price.... the local tax structure of a gross receipts tax is very hard on a small business and some of the business owners on the islands would probably attest to the unfair structure. Anyways I always check with more than one car rental company before renting to make sure I am not getting a bad price, maybe next time you should shop around sort of speak and ask about fees etc.... good luck.

Even with the added fees, I consistently get the best deal from Avis. This year Discount came close but were still about $20 more. Budget and Dependable were significantly higher. I always use the partner code from American Airlines, and it hasn't failed to give me a good rate.

We are also looking at car rental rates for STT in October... for 1 week.. the prices vary and seem extremely high to me..(i read the comments about the extra charges on here)...picking up at airport would be best for us...is one car rental agency better than the next? As well...does anyone know if there are scooter rentals near red hook, we will be staying nearby. Appreciate any comments/input... thanks..

We are also looking at car rental rates for STT in October... for 1 week.. the prices vary and seem extremely high to me..(i read the comments about the extra charges on here)...picking up at airport would be best for us...is one car rental agency better than the next? As well...does anyone know if there are scooter rentals near red hook, we will be staying nearby. Appreciate any comments/input... thanks..

Alisha...forget about renting a scooter. It's WAY too dangerous to drive them down in the islands.

We have been most happy with Discount Car Rental.

First, I agree with Connie, I always try to discourage use of the mopeds, they truly are dangerous!
My most favorite car rental agency is Amalie. I work with them all, but Amalie will be there ON TIME and you will have your car before you even get your luggage! They are off property (no airport tax) and as I said there will be NO WAIT TIME! Good Luck!
As for the agencies on property, there is no guarantee that you won't be waiting for your vehicle. It is hit or miss. I have waited for up to 4 hours!

Two visitors were just recently rushed to the hospital with apparently quite serious injuries (at least where the husband of the couple was concerned) after taking a bad tumble off their moped in the Bolongo Bay area. They were on basically flat land, there was no slickness due to rainfall but something went very wrong. Many of these accidents don't result in anything more than some bad scrapes and bruises and go unreported but I've personally seen many near-misses that put my heart in my mouth.

Thanks for all the info.. I will continue my research for the best rate!

Gerie ..what do you mean..you put the American airlines partner code? We are not flying AA...do they really check if you have flown in on AA?

Gerie ..what do you mean..you put the American airlines partner code? We are not flying AA...do they really check if you have flown in on AA?

Hi Alisha,

I search all the rentals starting about ten months before my trip. I go to Hertz, Avis, Budget, Dependable, Discount and Amalie. I put in my dates and get the rate. Then I go to different places to find discounts: AAA, AARP, NYS Teachers' Union, and the airlines. All these organizations will have a link to their "partners," for hotels, car rentals, flowers, shopping, etc. Each will have a special code. The partners are the big chains, however, not the locals, like Dependable. You put the code in the car reservation website and see the offered rate. It is always cheaper than the rate without the code. You don't have to be flying with that airline. Last year we flew USAirways, but I rented the car through the American website with their code.

You also can put your frequent flyer code for any airline you like in your car reservation and get miles for the rental. You can use the discount code from American Airlines, but get frequent flyer miles for Continental. Sometimes there are even special deals with a coupon, like double miles or free upgrade or something. These coupons don't always work in St. Thomas, but they often do.

I am a real discount junkie, and if there's a deal, I do my best to find it. Better to spend my money on island.

Gerie

What are the contact numbers / email address for Amalia? Is it located close to the airport?