Alamo and adding spouse

[disneydave2003]

i have a ressie for Alamo a few weeks from now and I'm an Insider member. I just went to add my DW to the ressie and my reservation cost went up 100 bucks. I thought you were supposed to be able to add a spouse at no additional costs with alamo if you are an insider?

 

[Traveliz]

You do it when you pick up the car.

Liz

 

[disneydave2003]

thanks.

I was planning on picking the car up while DW got the luggage. Can I still at least go to the kiosk and check in there and just have her in the car when we get to the booth? Do i even have to go to the kiosk or can i go directly to pick out the car then to the booth (obviously with DW if I can add her there)? we booked with a code/coupon if that makes a difference.

does she have to be an insiders member too?

Sorry Ive never used alamo before so i'm clueless.

 

[TamaraQT]

This is news to me that a fee will be added to a reservation when info for the additional driver is added. I also thought alamo insiders were allowed a free additional driver. According to my ressie it has "Additional Driver-Included" I dont think it should matter if you add it to the ressie at the time you reserve or at pick up. If you are entitled to a free driver, then you should be allowed to add it at any time. This is our first year as alamo insider members. In the past we have always rented using costco coupon codes and the free driver came with the coupon code. I always added hubby and my cost was never increased. Is this something that only happens with Alamo Insiders?? I hope someone comes along and clears this up. I would hate to have to suffer sticker shop when DH adds me to his reservation!!!!

 

[cinmell]

This is news to me that a fee will be added to a reservation when info for the additional driver is added. I also thought alamo insiders were allowed a free additional driver. According to my ressie it has "Additional Driver-Included" I dont think it should matter if you add it to the ressie at the time you reserve or at pick up. If you are entitled to a free driver, then you should be allowed to add it at any time. This is our first year as alamo insider members. In the past we have always rented using costco coupon codes and the free driver came with the coupon code. I always added hubby and my cost was never increased. Is this something that only happens with Alamo Insiders?? I hope someone comes along and clears this up. I would hate to have to suffer sticker shop when DH adds me to his reservation!!!!

My reservation also says additional free driver but when I went to add my husband an additional $99 was added. I went thru the link on my confirmation email and clicked the red button that said save time. I thought I'd add his info now so I wouldn't have to do it when we picked the car up but when I did that, the price jumped by $99 so I removed his info. I guess we'll just add him when we pick up the car.

 

[Traveliz]

thanks.

I was planning on picking the car up while DW got the luggage. Can I still at least go to the kiosk and check in there and just have her in the car when we get to the booth? Do i even have to go to the kiosk or can i go directly to pick out the car then to the booth (obviously with DW if I can add her there)? we booked with a code/coupon if that makes a difference.

does she have to be an insiders member too?

Sorry Ive never used alamo before so i'm clueless.

The last times we have gone to the Kiosk (I think the kiosk will charge you too) they have told us not to bother there to go directly outside. Once outside there is a person who looks at your confirmation and tells you what row you are in. Pick out your car and drive to the exit. THERE you hand over both driver's license and the spouse is "added" free at that time. She does not need to be an Insiders member.

Hope that helps.

Liz

 

[disneydave2003]

The last times we have gone to the Kiosk (I think the kiosk will charge you too) they have told us not to bother there to go directly outside. Once outside there is a person who looks at your confirmation and tells you what row you are in. Pick out your car and drive to the exit. THERE you hand over both driver's license and the spouse is "added" free at that time. She does not need to be an Insiders member.

Hope that helps.

Liz

sweet, we can skip the kiosk and go directly to the garage with our email confirmation? that would be great. i'll just add my spouse there. thanks!!

I booked with a BJ's coupon. I printed the coupon but will I also have to show my bj's membership card? i'm thinking no but just want to be sure.

 

[Traveliz]

sweet, we can skip the kiosk and go directly to the garage with our email confirmation? that would be great. i'll just add my spouse there. thanks!!

I booked with a BJ's coupon. I printed the coupon but will I also have to show my bj's membership card? i'm thinking no but just want to be sure.

I am not sure - if you have it handy - keep it where you can easily get to it. We go to FL regularly but either drive, use DME, or now that we have a condo and daughter there - just use her car so typically if we rented I did it from the Car Care Center. Now we rent from the airport if we need a car. The first time I did it I was really nervous BUT it was REALLY easy. The most difficult part for us was picking out the car because we were going to use it to move things from a storage unit to the condo so we were looking at trunk space!

Liz

 

[HelenParr]

It does not work (for free) online.

You can do it a couple of ways. Here's what we do:

Have only yourself on the reservation...go to kiosk...check in at kiosk (we do this before getting bags -- saves time). Resist the urge to add driver at kiosk. Then go out and pick out your car (well, get the bags), pick car - drive to exit booth - hand over the following: your license, car rental agreement that the kiosk spit out, credit card you used at kiosk, spouse's driver's license, and either your Insiders' card -- or circle on reservation that you are Insiders, and say to both attendant: I'm an Insider, this is my spouse, I want to add him/her as a free additinal driver.

They punch in some keys and hand you back updated paperwork, listing both drivers. No added charge.

 

[Traveliz]

It does not work (for free) online.

You can do it a couple of ways. Here's what we do:

Have only yourself on the reservation...go to kiosk...check in at kiosk (we do this before getting bags -- saves time). Resist the urge to add driver at kiosk. Then go out and pick out your car (well, get the bags), pick car - drive to exit booth - hand over the following: your license, car rental agreement that the kiosk spit out, credit card you used at kiosk, spouse's driver's license, and either your Insiders' card -- or circle on reservation that you are Insiders, and say to both attendant: I'm an Insider, this is my spouse, I want to add him/her as a free additinal driver.

They punch in some keys and hand you back updated paperwork, listing both drivers. No added charge.

Ok but why bother with the kiosk because that is the same thing you do if you skip the kiosk.

And there is no back tracking for the bags.

Liz

 

[SilverMickey]

When we went last April even with Insider we had to have the "free additional driver" on the reservation form. They said with out it it wouldn't work. I have noticed that with come codes I try it seems to wipe out the additional driver on the reservation. I'm thinking that it really comes down to who is helping....

As far as the kiosk goes... On all the different cars we rented with insider we receive an e-mail with instruction for your particular airport. (they have all been a little different) We just follow the directions they give us and it works out very easy... (Tampa we by-passed the kiosk and out to the garage, Philly we used the kiosk and brought printed paperwork to the lot)

Have a great trip!

 

[TamaraQT]

The last times we have gone to the Kiosk (I think the kiosk will charge you too) they have told us not to bother there to go directly outside. Once outside there is a person who looks at your confirmation and tells you what row you are in. Pick out your car and drive to the exit. THERE you hand over both driver's license and the spouse is "added" free at that time. She does not need to be an Insiders member.

Hope that helps.

Liz

Thanks Liz ! I got it. Skip the kiosk!! Thanks!

 

[TamaraQT]

When we went last April even with Insider we had to have the "free additional driver" on the reservation form. They said with out it it wouldn't work. I have noticed that with come codes I try it seems to wipe out the additional driver on the reservation. I'm thinking that it really comes down to who is helping....

As far as the kiosk goes... On all the different cars we rented with insider we receive an e-mail with instruction for your particular airport. (they have all been a little different) We just follow the directions they give us and it works out very easy... (Tampa we by-passed the kiosk and out to the garage, Philly we used the kiosk and brought printed paperwork to the lot)

Have a great trip!

If you are an Insiders Member, the additional driver is free. However, if you start adding in various codes that is not associated with Alamo Insiders it will sometimes remove the additional driver. However, as long as your codes and coupons are valid I guess you have to weigh which one gives you the best rate. I know codes from BJs and Costco will work with Alamo Insiders and will not remove the free additional driver. I think the reason its not removed is because BJs and Costco discount codes also give a free additional driver. Other codes may not and that may be why the free driver is being removed from your reservation.

 

[HelenParr]

The reason I go to the kiosk first is to be sure I preserve all the other codes and discounts on my reservation. This way I am not chancing arguing with the exit booth worker about dropped codes or discounts. At exit, I am only adding the extra driver (which needs to be done by an actual, live Alamo person). If I wait until exit booth, there is some chance that there's conflict with the codes or discounts. If I am already keyed in at the kiosk, my risk of aggravation is lower. I agree I am being extra cautious and you can do it other ways, just sticking with what has worked for me.

Clarification: when we have a free driver on a code (not relying on Insiders for it), we do the whole transaction at the kiosk because then the added driver comes up free.

And I'm only describing what we do in Orlando -- true that other cities might have other kiosk, code, exit rules.

 

[TamaraQT]

The reason I go to the kiosk first is to be sure I preserve all the other codes and discounts on my reservation. This way I am not chancing arguing with the exit booth worker about dropped codes or discounts. At exit, I am only adding the extra driver (which needs to be done by an actual, live Alamo person). If I wait until exit booth, there is some chance that there's conflict with the codes or discounts. If I am already keyed in at the kiosk, my risk of aggravation is lower. I agree I am being extra cautious and you can do it other ways, just sticking with what has worked for me.

I totally understand what you mean and agree. Once I went to the counter instead of the kiosk and the lady made a mistake and didnt put a "HOLD" on my credit card but instead processed it as a charge. She then went back and tried to correct her mistake and made the same mistake again. So a $250 rental cost me $500 plus a $250 hold. It took a full business day for things to get corrected. So after that I PROMISED myself I would only use the kiosk. And the reason all of it happened is because of my discount code. She told her boss she was trying to verify my discount code and she hit the wrong key!!!

Clarification: when we have a free driver on a code (not relying on Insiders for it), we do the whole transaction at the kiosk because then the added driver comes up free.

Yes, that is correct. Because every time I used my BJs or Costco discount I was able to add the additional driver either at the kiosk with no problem and no extra charge. OR...I added the additional driver when I made the online reservation and I never had a problem. From my understanding, this seems to be a problem for Alamo Insiders only. This is my first time with the Insiders so I am not sure. But I think I am going to do the kiosk check-in and THEN have the gate attendant add the additional driver. Maybe they will have that fixed by my next vacation if they get enough complaints about it.

And I'm only describing what we do in Orlando -- true that other cities might have other kiosk, code, exit rules.

I also only have experience with Alamo in Orlando, but I am no expert yet! It seems stuff is always changing. But so far, I have to admit, when it comes to Alamo I have no complaints.

 

[TiggerificTigger]

I received this answer back in May . . .

Per a chat with an Alamo representative about Alamo Insiders:

"You will not need to add your husband to the rental reservation as an additional driver. He will be considered an automatic authorized additional drivers and therefore will not be required to sign onto the rental agreement. There will not be an additional fee applied for him to drive the rental."

Hope this helps!!!