Airline changed our flights - how will it affect our car rental?

[traveljunkie2]

We have a reservations with National for 10 days (Sat 11pm - Tuesday 7am). Our airline rescheduled our flight and we need to pick up 6 hours earlier and drop off 4 hours later. When I called National I was told our rate would more than double if I made changes to the reservation (got a tremendous deal on a minvan with original reservation: $199/wk + $33.33 per extra day). I was told to keep the original reservation and that I could extend the rental after I pick it up and they would just charge the daily rate. Can anyone tell me:

1) If I arrive 6 hrs early to pick up the car, will they honor my original reservation and give me the car early for the same rate?

2) I am an Emerald Club member, do I have to go to the counter to pick up the car early?

3) Do I have to extend the rental if I am going to drop off a few hours later, or do I have until 11 pm (original pickup time) on the last day to drop off the car?

4) If they charge me an additional day, is it the daily rate on the original rental agreement ($33.33/day), or the "going rate" (currently $78.99)?

5) Am I best off reserving another car to pick up when we arrive, then returning to the airport the next day to pick up original rental? How long will they hold a reservation?

I want to pick up at 5 pm on Sat and return at 11 am on Tuesday, which is still a 10 day rental, and not be charged a different amount. What are my odds?

I appreciate any insight anyone can provide. This is totally stressing me out. My rant about Delta and their horrid schedule change is coming soon.

 

[dudspizza]

We have a reservations with National for 10 days (Sat 11pm - Tuesday 7am). Our airline rescheduled our flight and we need to pick up 6 hours earlier and drop off 4 hours later. When I called National I was told our rate would more than double if I made changes to the reservation (got a tremendous deal on a minvan with original reservation: $199/wk + $33.33 per extra day). I was told to keep the original reservation and that I could extend the rental after I pick it up and they would just charge the daily rate. Can anyone tell me:

1) If I arrive 6 hrs early to pick up the car, will they honor my original reservation and give me the car early for the same rate?

2) I am an Emerald Club member, do I have to go to the counter to pick up the car early?

3) Do I have to extend the rental if I am going to drop off a few hours later, or do I have until 11 pm (original pickup time) on the last day to drop off the car?

4) If they charge me an additional day, is it the daily rate on the original rental agreement ($33.33/day), or the "going rate" (currently $78.99)?

5) Am I best off reserving another car to pick up when we arrive, then returning to the airport the next day to pick up original rental? How long will they hold a reservation?

I want to pick up at 5 pm on Sat and return at 11 am on Tuesday, which is still a 10 day rental, and not be charged a different amount. What are my odds?

I appreciate any insight anyone can provide. This is totally stressing me out. My rant about Delta and their horrid schedule change is coming soon.

Have you tried to modify it online yet? You can go through the whole process of updating your pick up times first. It will then display the current rates and the modified rates side by side. You can then choose which one you want to keep.

Give it a try.

Duds

 

[dioxide45]

We have a reservations with National for 10 days (Sat 11pm - Tuesday 7am). Our airline rescheduled our flight and we need to pick up 6 hours earlier and drop off 4 hours later. When I called National I was told our rate would more than double if I made changes to the reservation (got a tremendous deal on a minvan with original reservation: $199/wk + $33.33 per extra day). I was told to keep the original reservation and that I could extend the rental after I pick it up and they would just charge the daily rate. Can anyone tell me:

1) If I arrive 6 hrs early to pick up the car, will they honor my original reservation and give me the car early for the same rate?

2) I am an Emerald Club member, do I have to go to the counter to pick up the car early?

3) Do I have to extend the rental if I am going to drop off a few hours later, or do I have until 11 pm (original pickup time) on the last day to drop off the car?

4) If they charge me an additional day, is it the daily rate on the original rental agreement ($33.33/day), or the "going rate" (currently $78.99)?

5) Am I best off reserving another car to pick up when we arrive, then returning to the airport the next day to pick up original rental? How long will they hold a reservation?

I want to pick up at 5 pm on Sat and return at 11 am on Tuesday, which is still a 10 day rental, and not be charged a different amount. What are my odds?

I appreciate any insight anyone can provide. This is totally stressing me out. My rant about Delta and their horrid schedule change is coming soon.

1 - Maybe. Six hours is a lot of time though.

2 - Don't know.

3 - It needs to be returned by the time on your reservation. Returning it late could incure additional costs.

4 - Going rate.

5 - They will hold the reservation for 24 hours I think. This is what Alamo does.

 

[twinsplusone]

We're in the same situation. I rented a mini van for $199/wk minus a $25 entertainment coupon and now our flights were changed two hours each way. Last year a smiliar thing happened to us and I called Alamo and they just adjusted our times. This year we have reservations with National and when I try to modify online the totals skyrocket. I'm going to give them a call and see what happens. DH thinks I should wait because they could change the flight times again.

 

[seashoreCM]

In general, car rental agencies may or may not let you pick up the car early without a rate increase just by showing up early. Most likely it would depend on what kind of demand there is for cars at that time.

If you do succeed in picking up the car early, you must return it early so as not to go into the next 24 hour period.

Not sure how rental agents treat it but I do not think they may surcharge you for reserving the car for a full 5 days or 7 days or whatever and bringing it bac several hours early where you did not shorten your total rental to be less than the minimum needed for that rate.

The general rule is that you may never return a car late without warning. However I would question the company's right to surcharge you if you returned it late according to the return time on your contract but did not go into the next 24 hour period.

 

[dioxide45]

The general rule is that you may never return a car late without warning. However I would question the company's right to surcharge you if you returned it late according to the return time on your contract but did not go into the next 24 hour period.

Several companies now charge based on the hour, not just 24 hour segments. So when researching reservations, if you change times by a few hours hours but don't go over a 24 hour period you may see a different price.

 

[Elana]

We also have a change in our flight. We were picking up the car on site. Now, we will not arrive until after 7:00 pm. Too late to pick up the car. When I have been looking at possible making a totally new reservation, the price is dramaticly higher. I have not tried to modify the reservation. I will try to do that as suggested in a previous post.

I did find a good rate at MCO, but the family will be on ME. What will happen if I do not ride the ME? Will my luggage get to the resort?

 

[dudspizza]

We also have a change in our flight. We were picking up the car on site. Now, we will not arrive until after 7:00 pm. Too late to pick up the car. When I have been looking at possible making a totally new reservation, the price is dramaticly higher. I have not tried to modify the reservation. I will try to do that as suggested in a previous post.

I did find a good rate at MCO, but the family will be on ME. What will happen if I do not ride the ME? Will my luggage get to the resort?

Yes, your luggage will still go there. My family likes to ride the bus, so I can go grab the rental car and try to beat them to WDW.

Duds

 

[Elana]

I just checked to see what the price would be if I modified the present reservation so we can pick up the car the next day. It goes up about $40.

I have a question, regarding checking into the ME. I understand about the luggage being tagged and will automaticly be picked up and sent to the resort. But how do you check in at the ME? I know it is a far walk to get to ME. I know you have a reservation with a ticket. Does everyone have to show ID? Would you just say that five are taking the ME at that point rather than six people, indicating who will be riding the ME.

 

[traveljunkie2]

Just an update to the original situation:

I have since talked to two reps from National. Both say that if I pick up the minivan early, the price will go from $353 to over $900. I have been advised to hold the reservation and try to extend by one day once I have picked up the van. I am sure they will charge som exhorbitant rate if I do that. My plan is to watch for that amazing internet rate to pop up again, but I'm not holding my breath. Plan B is to make two seperate 1-day reservations a couple of weeks before the trip, hoping for a last minute deal on our arrival and departure dates. However, this will be a pain because it means we have to go back and forth to the airport to return and pickup cars. Thankfully we have no plans to visit the parks on our first and last day there! I'm still hoping that once we arrive we will be allowed to pick up the minivan early. Fingers crossed

Edited to include:
BTW, when I try to modify the res. online, it still increases the price by over $400!