"grace" time on rental cars

[cjnix29]

Anyone know what the time window is on a car reservation? I have a car rented through Avis, and just wondered what we do in case our flight is delayed, etc. I think I put it in a too tight of window as it is. We got it through priceline, so not sure if I can contact Avis directly to change the time by an hour. Thanks for any help...

 

[safetymom]

You should be ok if you are several hours late. More than that I would call. Now returning a car late is another matter.

 

[seashoreCM]

Last time I checked, you can be late up to midnight to pick up a Priceline rcar ental.

For regular car rentals, different companies have different policies about showing up late to get your car. Companies can get sticky during busy times like Daytona Week. But if there is provision to put in your flight number and you do, you at least have a case that they should honor the rental if the flight with you comes in late.

Disney hints: http://www.cockam.com/disney.htm

 

[kaytieeldr]

I agree with safetymom. The last time I rented a car, I (overly-optomistically) made the reservation for 11:30 PM - completely sensible based on my 10:30 PM arrival time.

Well, my plane had to land on the way to refuel (yes, we were alerted before we boarded ). Then we were delayed taking off... we finally landed around 12:30. Collect luggage, go to shuttle... get to rental location @ 1:15...

Finally got to the front of the line to complete my reservation around 3:15.

No problem... well, except that when I finally got up to the garage to select a car... there WEREN'T any. Back down to the counter, back up to the garage. No 'selection', but at least there was ONE car ready.

But: no problem with the actual reservation, i.e. they didn't cancel it simply because I arrived at the counter almost four hours after the original reservation time. And no problem with the rate, either (actually, when I very reasonably explained my experience and disappointment, when returning the car - they took about 25% off the rental rate).

Now, granted, this wasn't Avis - but all the rental companies are in one building, and all were overwhelmed with customers whose flights from the day before had been cancelled due to snow.

 

[cjnix29]

Great! Thanks for all the good advice. Hopefully it won't be a problem!

 

[ntsammy5]

Now returning a car late is another matter.

Or early too - they charge a fee for returning a day early.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I cannot believe - I just read the "tip" this week - that a magazine would recommend (in an article about saving money on travel - renting a car for a week and returning it after only four days, if that's all you need, because weekly rates are often cheaper than daily rates.

Thanks for reminding me that I'm sufficiently outraged and that I intend to contact the magazine.

 

[funforfive]

Now returning a car late is another matter.

I actually had this dilemma... Our flight times on return have changed and I e-mail Avis and actually got a response They stated that as long as I was within the 24 hour time frame I was OK. We'll see what the agent at the desk says. I'm bringing along a copy of the response I got from Avis just in case!

 

[kaytieeldr]

That might depend on your actual rental period, funforfive. A car rental "week" is generally five/six/seven twenty-four hour periods. If, right now, you have a car reserved from 2 PM today to 6 PM Friday, that's six 'days'; well, really, five days and four hours. So if now your plans change and you're returning the car at 10 Saturday morning - or 6 Saturday evening, or really, any time safely before 2 PM next Sunday - your weekly rental contract and rate are still valid.

 

[robinb]

Anyone know what the time window is on a car reservation? I have a car rented through Avis, and just wondered what we do in case our flight is delayed, etc. I think I put it in a too tight of window as it is. We got it through priceline, so not sure if I can contact Avis directly to change the time by an hour. Thanks for any help...

Did you include your airline reservation information when you booked through Priceline? Car rental companies like to know that information in case your flight is delayed so they can save a car for you. If you didn't include that information when you made your reservation you may be able to call Avis and let them know your information even if the reservation was made through Priceline.

 

[connie1042]

We had a similar situation with Avis one time. We got in late. Got to the counter did all the stuff, went to get a car and there were none. I was sooooooooooooooooo mad. I really think they should know what or at least how many cars are out there. By the time I walked back in to the rental counter, I was not a happy camper. We ended up with a Cadillac and switched it out the next day in Cocoa Beach for the convertible we had reserved.

 

[inkkognito]

Back when we used to commute between MDW and MCO almost weekly, I'd grab Priceline rentals all the time. We would arrive around or after midnight many times if there were delays, and none of the car rental places ever gave me a hassle. Arriving early confused them a bit (i.e. if our flight was scheduled for after midnight and we arrived before, sine technically that is a different day)...not a big problem, just took them longer to sort things out on the computer.