Anyone heard of Firefly Car rental?

[DisneyRegulars]

If it helps, I am planning on keeping my reservation for January. I've had better and I've had worse. It definitely isn't a National where you can pick whatever car. Hopefully more reviews will be posted and we will see if my experience is like all the others.

 

[dreamlinda]

So I went straight to the Firefly counter, which is right next to Hertz, while my wife went to get bags.

Their kiosk is out in the middle of nowhere, past Hertz, with no good walkways to get there. /QUOTE]

Thanks for your review, I have a car reserved for 10/22-31 for a solo trip (non-Disney) so a little anxious about navagating alone... A couple of questions for when you return home, don't expect answers while your enjoying your vacation.

You answered my first ?, location of the counter. The Kiosk "in the middle of nowhere" I assume is still in the parking garage? Walk thru Hertz to find it? And, was there much paperwork at the counter?

Hoping there is signage for you when returning the car, if your like me you hate last minute end of vacation stress!!

TIA - Linda

 

[katallo]

It doesn't sound too bad for opening week. We were lucky enough to lock into great rates for Spring 2014, so unless the competition improves we will stick with Firefly.

 

[Maliki2]

So we made it to Disney. Sorry I didn't get to this sooner but things were busy, also known as the magic made me forget. So I went straight to the Firefly counter, which is right next to Hertz, while my wife went to get bags. I was 4th in line and only one person was helping customers. Within a minute of me getting in line, two more people opened up and stayed helping people. The guy in front of me said that it was the first time he moved in 30 minutes. On the other hand, I was at the counter in maybe 10 minutes. I got the car pretty easily, and at the rate quoted. It was a economy for $114 for the week. No hassle over buying extra stuff that I don't need. A simple no was accepted when they asked. So I get the contract and go to find my wife. Well, I was quick enough to beat the checked luggage.

After getting the luggage, and had out to the cars. Well this is where it gets a little sketchy. Their kiosk is out in the middle of nowhere, past Hertz, with no good walkways to get there. I felt like I was walking in the middle of the road. We get to the kiosk and can't find anyone. I go ask someone and they managed to find the Firefly person. She was just finishing helping someone. She brings us to the car, it is in good shape, about 18,000 miles on it and no dents. We pack up, get in and are on our way.

In general not too bad, and the price was great. Hopefully they will be rectifying the walkway issue.

If your only real complaint is the location of the kiosk...I think I will keep my reservation. I have had much worse experiences from some of the major carriers! And it was opening....wouldn't expect it to go REAL smooth but doesn't sound like it was that bad to be honest.

 

[Maliki2]

It doesn't sound too bad for opening week. We were lucky enough to lock into great rates for Spring 2014, so unless the competition improves we will stick with Firefly.

Have to agree when the next closest is about $300 more...I'll deal with a Kiosk in the middle of the runway if I have to!

 

[daytondisney]

Have to agree when the next closest is about $300 more...I'll deal with a Kiosk in the middle of the runway if I have to!

Dollar is $300 more?

 

[DisneyRegulars]

And from what I could tell, the signage was up for driving through the garage. The only problem was walking to the kiosk. Basically, go to the 2nd floor to the left. Walk past the Hertz kiosk, turn right and walk. The kiosk is almost all the way to the other side of the garage. But really, really others have said, for the savings, I can deal with it. Next closest rate for our January trip is over $100 more.

 

[YesterdaysAirRace]

So we're landing at MCO at around 9:30p on Thursday for a weekend get-away. We'll have had a full day of work/school before the flight and will want a quick escape from the airport. To assist with that, I went straight to the airport's website and looked at which car rental companies were in-terminal (since half the third-party websites aren't reliable in this way--sorry, but a bus picking me up at the terminal is not the same). That's when I saw these guys, who of course I never heard of.

They gave me an all-inclusive price of $51.84 for Thursday nite thru Sunday evening for an econobox ("Kia Rio or similar"). That includes all the taxes and concession fees and whatnot. This is significantly less than the usual suspects like Enterprise (who I love). I'll probably spend more on coffee probably that weekend. But...too good to be true?

I did a little googling, and found the same reviews other here have, complaining bitterly about being charged for damage that they didn't cause, etc. However, I noticed all the complaints were from overseas. I eventually found this board and saw that they're a new entity domestically (maybe, if they're not just a re-brand of Advantage) and that the MCO location in particular has only been open for business about a week.

The one review here from a poster who rented them sounds no better or worse than any other typical car rental experience (aside from 18,000 miles on the car, which seems pretty high for a rental).

It's a risk but I can't ignore such a good price. It may be a disaster. If I'm still wandering around the airport at midnight with a tired cranky family, waiting to get a car, or if they give me a car so beat up it breaks down somewhere out on International Drive a mile from my hotel, I'll be very sorry I tried to save a few bucks. Likewise too if they import their apparent European revenue model of trying to charge customers for damage they didn't cause. So wish me luck. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Maliki2]

Dollar is $300 more?

Weekly Rate*


$309.00 BASE...so yes when you add the hold it is WAY more than 300! Not sure why that is hard to understand!

 

[katallo]

Weekly Rate*


$309.00 BASE...so yes when you add the hold it is WAY more than 300! Not sure why that is hard to understand!

Not hard to understand. We booked when this wonderful board discovered Firefly. 8 days, Dodge Avenger in April taxes included - 189.24. Alamo is 476.59. So I agree that I'll gladly walk to the kiosk. The last car we rented at MCO had 19,000 miles on it, so mileage is mileage. Car rentals have been ridiculously high this year.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

18000 miles is no longer that high for rental cars. Used to be but they are keeping them longer now

 

[DisneyRegulars]

I agree, 18000 isn't that high anymore. And from what I saw in the garage, the cats looked like they were in reasonably good shape. I am sure they didn't get that mileage in a week. Plus my car is registered in Tennessee.

 

[bearh]

Have a reservation with firefly for 10/28 to 11/3 midsize for $114 not bad for 7 days. will probably keep it from the reviews I've read. Will post review when we get back from the most magical place on earth!!

 

[daytondisney]

Not hard to understand. We booked when this wonderful board discovered Firefly. 8 days, Dodge Avenger in April taxes included - 189.24. Alamo is 476.59. So I agree that I'll gladly walk to the kiosk. The last car we rented at MCO had 19,000 miles on it, so mileage is mileage. Car rentals have been ridiculously high this year.

I didn't mean to imply Firefly wasn't $300 less than anyone, just that I find it hard to believe they're $300 less than next lowest...

I base this on my experience on booking minivan at both, with the difference being Firefly slightly lower on an 8 day rental and ridiculously higher on 9 day...

Wasnt aware Firefly available @ MCO in April

 

[daytondisney]

Weekly Rate*

$309.00 BASE...so yes when you add the hold it is WAY more than 300! Not sure why that is hard to understand!

Because Firefly is slightly lower than Dollar on an 8 day rental, and over $150 higher on a 9 day - because for some inexplicable reason they jack the weekly rate by $100 for the former and jack the daily rate for the 2 extra days, even though the week and one of the extra days is in both bookings...

 

[katallo]

For me, the cost was so much lower with Firefly, but I think it's because we spotted the thread on Firefly early on. Our booking is for April of 2014. Your're correct, they just opened in September 2013. I'm glad we have time to see how things go over the next few months.

We have a trip booked in October (not Orlando)and have been hoping prices would come down, but no such luck. Renting a car has become quite a chore

 

[daytondisney]

For me, the cost was so much lower with Firefly, but I think it's because we spotted the thread on Firefly early on. Our booking is for April of 2014. Your're correct, they just opened in September 2013. I'm glad we have time to see how things go over the next few months.

We have a trip booked in October (not Orlando)and have been hoping prices would come down, but no such luck. Renting a car has become quite a chore

Somebody has to be the lowest and it looks like under a lot of scenarios Firefly intends to be that somebody. I would have used them if they didn't jack the rate on the week and day I already booked just because I wanted to add another day...

 

[AJKMOM]

So, it looks like the only drawback is that it's hard to find the rental booth in the parking lot?

 

[lpearl]

Bonus question - what does Firefly do/charge for tolls? I'm driving to Miami and back so I'll need something.
Thanks

 

[keliblue]

Bumping to see if anyone has used Firefly lately?