Travel has always come with complications. Our By The Way Concierge column brings your travel dilemmas to the experts to help you navigate the unexpected. Want your question answered? Submit it here.
“I'm not an avid car rental user, but when I go on vacation I need a reliable rental car company to ensure my car will be there when I arrive and I won't have to wait. Are there any companies I can trust and some I can't?” — Elliot S., Washington DC
Our team was divided on your question, but a few themes emerged.
1. Sign up for the rental car company's rewards program.
2. Check in online (no one likes waiting in line, right?)
3. Prepare for disappointment either way.
I shared your question with a few travel experts, and they echoed the same suggestions and added a few other thoughts.
Let's start with tip number 1. Even if you just signed up, becoming a member of a points program can earn you loyalty benefits over time, like free upgrades and discounts, and help you skip the lines and get into a car right away. That's if everything goes according to the rental car company's plan. But these plans are based on a rough idea of ​​vehicle availability.
The standard car rental business model isn't as simple as making a confirmed reservation and securing a car. It's a constant game of give and take: customers cancel reservations at the last minute, don't return their cars on time, their cars need repairs, demand changes unexpectedly, and so on.
To avoid the potential trap of not getting anything at all, Peter Britas, executive vice president of partner relations at Internova Travel Group, recommends booking a car with major companies like Hertz, Enterprise or Avis. “These companies have such large fleets that if your chosen car isn't available, you can quickly swap it out for another one without having to wait at the airport,” he said in an email.
My colleague, travel writer Hannah Sampson, likes to book the most basic rental car option because it means you can always get upgraded to a better car if the one you choose is sold out. If you don't want to stop by the rental office, Laura Doyle, president of travel agency Travel Mechanic, said you can also ask for an upgrade at the desk. “In today's world, a little kindness goes a long way,” she added.
You can increase your chances even further by paying up front: it creates a financial obligation, making the deal stronger and giving you priority over non-paying customers.
It doesn't hurt to call the rental location prior to your pick-up date to see if there's a surge in demand that could cancel your reservation.
Gabe Hiatt, an editor at By the Way, has failed these safeguards enough times that he doesn't have complete confidence in them: He's seen people bounce around from one place to another before they got a car, even after doing everything right.
That's why Vritas suggests using a company like his to find a travel agent. He argues that travel agents “have a lot of influence over rental car companies” because they regularly book large numbers of rental cars. Plus, if something goes wrong, you'll have an expert to advocate on your behalf.
“These companies want to ensure that their advisors continue to work with them and treat their clients like VIPs,” he continued. “With a travel advisor, there's a good chance the rental car you want will be waiting for you so you can head off on your vacation. If your destination is very popular or you're renting during high season, a travel advisor can also do their homework and call ahead to make sure the car will be there.”
Alternatively, you can book directly from other car owners through peer-to-peer services like Getaround or Turo. These services don't deal with large numbers of cars or fickle customers; they list specific cars available for rent, so you're guaranteed to leave with the car you reserved.
A third option is to reserve a rental car and have it delivered. Startups such as Kyte allow customers to reserve a car online and choose the most convenient delivery location. Turo hosts also offer a similar service for a fee. Uber has also entered the rental car delivery market with its Valet service. Laura Lindsay, global travel trends expert at Skyscanner, says you can use the site's search filters to find a “Meet and Greet” option, where available.
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