Alamo advice for MCO pickup

[Cyrano]

We are used to Dollar and how to work Dollar Express. However this year we are using Alamo as part of the Flights2Florida Delta glitch.

Are there any hints and tips to Alamo pickups ?

By the way we have booked a 7 seater mini van

 

[UKDEB]

In my experience they're the worst culprits for trying to upsell you to something you've already paid for. I've lost count of the number of times they've tried to rip us off several hundred dollars for an "upgrade" only for us to find the very thing parked in our allotted bays. Not a problem if you're wise to it, but I dread to think how many people have fallen for it.

 

[disneyholic family]

yes, they always try to convince you to upgrade and they also try to convince you to take roadside plus (i think that's what it's called).

Don't fall for either ploy.
You've booked the van, stay with the van and if you booked as a UK resident, you will have all the insurance you need already included in what you're paying.
Do NOT let them talk you into roadside plus (or roadside assist or whatever it is they call it).

as for picking the car itself - you will go to the aisle where the minivans are and pick out whichever one you want.

We always walk down the aisle and try to find the one with the lowest mileage on it that also has all the cool stuff.

i can't remember the name of what we had last year - Wayne had the same one, so he might be able to tell you.
I think it was a grand voyager or something like that - by chrysler.
Anyway, it was fantastic.

 

[sam_rogers]

we used alamo last time and they tried selling us the road side plus or whatever it is, i agree just don't get pulled into doing it. My poor dbf did have a bit of a shock as we'd booked and paid for a small 2 door chevy or something similar and all they had left was a massive 8 seater people carrier, when we asked if they had something smaller they came round with a jeep dbf loved it once he got used to it lol

 

[UKDEB]

I've thought of something else. We used to be part of their "Direct To Road" service (or whatever their equivalent of Dollar Express is), but the last time we picked up a car from them at MCO, that facility had gone. It was in 2008, though, so maybe someone who's used them more recently can fill you in on what's available now.

 

[catherine]

We just did all of our paperwork etc on line. When we got to the airport we picked the Alamo car that we wanted in our size range, showed the print out of the paperwork and our credit card to the Alamo rep as we were driving out. Couldn't have been easier!

 

[UKDEB]

It sounds as though the facility's up and running again, then. That's good news because it does make things a lot easier.

 

[zippy99]

We had a Toyota Sienna last year from Alamo - the only 'upselling' we had was instigated by my friend trying to blag us a free upgrade lol!

And despite everything we read about the Toyata Sienna - there was MASSES of room for our 7 cases (8 coming back).

We also picked a car with 6 miles on the clock! It was so quiet my friend was actually trying to turn the engine on when it was already running!

Very pleased with them. I would imagine it is like all things and depends on who serves you, they are probably on a form of commission for when they sell an upgrade or roadside package - that is what their job is - so can't blame them fro trying. I just remain firm - any sign of weakness is a chance for them!

 

[disneyholic family]

i did the online check in and was supposed to be able to go right out to the car after checking in at the interactive kiosk.
But for some reason, i kept getting the wrong rate on the kiosk (much higher than the rate that was confirmed to me).

So i got in line. The person at the desk was able to clear it up and find the correct rate (the alamo UK rate i had was about half of the US rate for the same car).

I love the fact that you can pick your own vehicle with alamo.
Usually they have about 10 different minivans to choose from. Sometimes more.

 

[UKDEB]

Trying to sell an upgrade or an add-on is one thing, but my issue with Alamo over the other rental firms is that wherever we've used them in the US (not just Orlando) they've tried to charge us to upgrade to something we've already paid for. At least 3 times now, when we've pre-booked a Luxury category, they've tried to "upgrade" us (at a cost of several hundred dollars) to a vehicle which, when we've reached the garage, has been available to us anyway! And each time, they've also tried to sell Sat Nav when the vehicle has its own inbuilt system. Maybe we've just been unlucky, and it wouldn't stop me using them again, but fore-warned is fore-armed!

 

[disneyholic family]

Trying to sell an upgrade or an add-on is one thing, but my issue with Alamo over the other rental firms is that wherever we've used them in the US (not just Orlando) they've tried to charge us to upgrade to something we've already paid for. At least 3 times now, when we've pre-booked a Luxury category, they've tried to "upgrade" us (at a cost of several hundred dollars) to a vehicle which, when we've reached the garage, has been available to us anyway! And each time, they've also tried to sell Sat Nav when the vehicle has its own inbuilt system. Maybe we've just been unlucky, but fore-warned is fore-armed!

yes that happened to me the times i was there on my own or just with DD, when i reserved the smallest car. We didn't need anything bigger.
They tried to get me to upgrade to the next biggest size. Even showed me a diagram showing how the one i had reserved wouldn't fit us (even though there were just the two of us!)

i refused the upgrade and then when i got out to the garage i discovered that both the size i had reserved and the size they'd wanted me to pay more for were considered the very same size!!!
i asked the attendant in the garage just to make sure.
i ended up taking the larger one as it was the same category!!!
i was so happy i hadn't been talked into the upgrade!!!!

 

[wayneg]

i can't remember the name of what we had last year - Wayne had the same one, so he might be able to tell you.
I think it was a grand voyager or something like that - by chrysler.
Anyway, it was fantastic.

Chrysler Town & Country, great car.

Trying to sell an upgrade or an add-on is one thing, but my issue with Alamo over the other rental firms is that wherever we've used them in the US (not just Orlando) they've tried to charge us to upgrade to something we've already paid for. At least 3 times now, when we've pre-booked a Luxury category, they've tried to "upgrade" us (at a cost of several hundred dollars) to a vehicle which, when we've reached the garage, has been available to us anyway! And each time, they've also tried to sell Sat Nav when the vehicle has its own inbuilt system. Maybe we've just been unlucky, and it wouldn't stop me using them again, but fore-warned is fore-armed!

Exactly same with me on our last rental with them, booked full size 7 seater SUV. To me this should cover a Chevy Tahoe yet when we arrived we were told they had a very limited selection of full size SUV's but he could upgrade me for only $40/day to a great Tahoe. I refused he hit a few keys on the computer and said "I don't believe this, lowest rate I have ever seen, $17.99/day" I again refused, he was a bit miffed. Got my paperwork and went to choose a car, he was right, limited choice, a Nissan and a Chevy Tahoe, the exact car he just tried getting $40+tax/day for.
Even if you have everything possible covered they will try sell you an upgrade to what you already have, don't fall for it.

 

[disneyholic family]

Chrysler Town & Country, great car.

right!!! the town and country!! i knew you'd remember.

fantastic car!! drove like a dream and with a million and one bells and whistles.

the only downside - it's difficult to return it at the end of the trip!! i wanted to take it home with me!!!!

 

[wayneg]

right!!! the town and country!! i knew you'd remember.

fantastic car!! drove like a dream and with a million and one bells and whistles.

the only downside - it's difficult to return it at the end of the trip!! i wanted to take it home with me!!!!

Shame we only have 23kg weight limit
Karen loves our BMW but I would swap it for a Chrysler T&C anyday, although it would be a bit of a sqeeze down the drive.

 

[disneyholic family]

Shame we only have 23kg weight limit
Karen loves our BMW but I would swap it for a Chrysler T&C anyday, although it would be a bit of a sqeeze down the drive.

i drive an itsy bitsy honda jazz - and i LOVE it. It's my second one (gave the first to DD). It drives really well and fits everywhere - down super narrow streets. i can't stand driving anything bigger here. Not even DH's ford focus - which isn't exactly big. But still too big for me to use on a regular basis.

we used to have a minivan when the kids were little and we went on lots of road trips (the extra 3 places gave us room for grandma and grandpa or cousins that we liked to kidnap for our hiking holidays). the T&C would have been wonderful.
But we're way past those days.

 

[Cyrano]

Thanks for the headsup about upselling and upgrades that we have already paid for.

Will look at pre filling our details before we arrive as this is definitely a facility of Dollar Express that we really like

 

[catherinen]

We've booked through Virgin and got a random upgrade to a "full size" car with Alamo, which is listed as a Chevrolet Impala or similar, but as we've not hired a car in the States before I think we'll choose the car based on whether we like the colour as we haven't a clue and I definitely couldn't tell a "full size" from a "standard" or whatever! Any hints on what would be a good choice, if we're ofered it? Also, I'm very glad to be forewarned about fighting off their efforts to sell us an upgrade - we'd have been happy with a titchy car anyway.

 

[chmurf]

we had a chevy impala last feb and we totally loved it.

we had the choice between a dozen of cars in our "fullsize" parking space
a few impalas, some lexus, some toyotas, a few minivans and at least 2 small SUVs

Compact is really small and I originally booked that category to reduce expenses. But I was offered a free upgrade if I bought one, that meant 2 categories up. So I ended up with a fullsize and didn't regret it a bit.
It seems I had forgotten that US roads are huge and wide, and US cars are big. I was shown the previously mentionned car category chart, and somehow I began picturing myself driving down the M1 in a go kart while 18 wheelers roared past me. So the fullsize was money well spent. Especially since we intended to drive a few miles, like to clearwater or cape canaveral.

We'll go direct for the fullsize in october, as soon as a good deal appears.
Currently the french alamo website has a 10% discount prepay offer, but it seems expensive (we had 20% discount last february)

 

[catherinen]

Thanks chmurf. We'd love an SUV and hope we get lucky when we arrive!

 

[chmurf]

the intermediate SUV is just under £1 more a day than fullsize
if you want to secure a SUV, it might be worth getting the upgrade when booking (internet rates being cheaper than at the desk)