Alamo online check-in using Costco?

[bcwife76]

I just wanted to report back that due to online check in, our rental pick up went SO smoothly once we got to Maui! While everyone else RUSHED off the shuttle to be 'first' in line in the office, we got our bags and walked straight onto the lot, to a very helpful young man who waved us over to the convertible section and told us to 'pick whichever one your aloha spirit speaks to you' or something like that We were driving off the lot just as the first few people from our shuttle were getting to their cars.

 

[ihearthawaii]

I described it in day 1 of my trip report: http://www.disboards.com/threads/sp...l-10-15-2016-trip-report-in-progress.3504148/

Thank you, I couldn't remember which TR I saw it in!

 

[sgrap]

We did the online check in so were able to go straight to the parking attendant. I am sure this saved us some time, but we still had a V E R Y long wait for our car. It was very disorganized. Then once we got our car, we had to wait in a huge line to leave the parking lot. Each car took 5+ minutes of an attendant walking around the vehicle and then doing some unknown big amount of paperwork. We have rented many vehicles from many airport locations, and have never seen anything this disorganized. It was ridiculous. It should not take 40+ minutes to get a car and drive away when you have done all online check in ahead of time. I would not recommend them.

 

[jtba]

We did the online check in so were able to go straight to the parking attendant. I am sure this saved us some time, but we still had a V E R Y long wait for our car. It was very disorganized. Then once we got our car, we had to wait in a huge line to leave the parking lot. Each car took 5+ minutes of an attendant walking around the vehicle and then doing some unknown big amount of paperwork. We have rented many vehicles from many airport locations, and have never seen anything this disorganized. It was ridiculous. It should not take 40+ minutes to get a car and drive away when you have done all online check in ahead of time. I would not recommend them.

sorry to hear about your experience. it does sound ridiculous to take 40+ minutes to get out of there. perhaps they can re-think the design of that parking lot, with one attendant dealing with two lines of cars coming at 90-degree angles to leave. not the most efficient, that's for sure.

 

[Loveallthingsmouse]

FYI...We reserved thru Costco, I was able to do Alamo online check in yesterday, we are 13 days out. Love the idea of bypassing the counter, we are getting a full size SUV, I believe those are kept on another lot, is that correct from those with experience?

 

[sgrap]

FYI...We reserved thru Costco, I was able to do Alamo online check in yesterday, we are 13 days out. Love the idea of bypassing the counter, we are getting a full size SUV, I believe those are kept on another lot, is that correct from those with experience?

We did Costco too, and were able to reserve. I saw full size SUV's in the same parking lot with everyone else (saw people getting into one), so I don't think those are in a different lot. There were all size vehicles in the Alamo lot from little to minivan to Suburbans to full size vans (like 12 passenger variety or more).

 

[twodogs]

FYI...We reserved thru Costco, I was able to do Alamo online check in yesterday, we are 13 days out. Love the idea of bypassing the counter, we are getting a full size SUV, I believe those are kept on another lot, is that correct from those with experience?

We just rented a full sized SUV via Costco/Alamo the first week of June. They told me onsite at Alamo that the full sized SUVs are kept off site (that is off site from their off-airport location!). It took at least 10 minutes for two to be brought around, as the family ahead of us also wanted a full sized SUV. I think the only way there might be one in the lot is if they brought one around for someone and they didn't want it or something, so they parked it. But those parking places in the lot (and the lot itself) are tiny, so I don't know that they can even park them there very easily. They literally backed our Tahoe straight up the entire parking lot aisle, as it is just too tight in that lot to even turn that beast around a corner. Just sit in the shade, and think about how awesome it is to be in Hawaii, waiting for that full sized SUV! I would rush straight out from the shuttle bus, into the building and right out the door on the right hand end of the building, as you enter it. There will be a person standing at a check-in stand, and you hand them your paper work. At least then you might be the first full sized SUV request of your shuttle bus group. Have a great trip!!

 

[Loveallthingsmouse]

We just rented a full sized SUV via Costco/Alamo the first week of June. They told me onsite at Alamo that the full sized SUVs are kept off site (that is off site from their off-airport location!). It took at least 10 minutes for two to be brought around, as the family ahead of us also wanted a full sized SUV. I think the only way there might be one in the lot is if they brought one around for someone and they didn't want it or something, so they parked it. But those parking places in the lot (and the lot itself) are tiny, so I don't know that they can even park them there very easily. They literally backed our Tahoe straight up the entire parking lot aisle, as it is just too tight in that lot to even turn that beast around a corner. Just sit in the shade, and think about how awesome it is to be in Hawaii, waiting for that full sized SUV! I would rush straight out from the shuttle bus, into the building and right out the door on the right hand end of the building, as you enter it. There will be a person standing at a check-in stand, and you hand them your paper work. At least then you might be the first full sized SUV request of your shuttle bus group. Have a great trip!!

Thanks for the info! Did you find it hard parking the Tahoe around the island? I drive a Suburban at home so I am used to navigating an SUV. Thanks again!

 

[twodogs]

I had no trouble with parking anywhere (North Shore, Pearl Harbor, boat harbor, Climbworks, shrimp trucks) except...Aulani!! We started our trip the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, and the resort must have been very full. The garage for self-parking was very full, and spaces that were open were often between other large vehicles or those not parked well. Took a while on Sat, Sunday to find a spot. Monday, when the resort got slightly less crazy, there were more spots. I did find that going to the lower floors was sometimes easier (I think you enter on floor 2 or 3). However, on some levels, if you turn to the left, you get to a dead end, and you have to back out of that row and around a corner to get going again, as there is no space to turn around.

We did go to Waikiki Brewing pub one afternoon after PH, and there was no parking down there for any sized vehicle. The hotel right next door (Doubletree?) has a valet which agreed to park our car in their garage for $5/hour. Bargain versus circling those crazy one way streets again to find nothing.

 

[sgrap]

I had no trouble with parking anywhere (North Shore, Pearl Harbor, boat harbor, Climbworks, shrimp trucks) except...Aulani!! We started our trip the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, and the resort must have been very full. The garage for self-parking was very full, and spaces that were open were often between other large vehicles or those not parked well. Took a while on Sat, Sunday to find a spot. Monday, when the resort got slightly less crazy, there were more spots. I did find that going to the lower floors was sometimes easier (I think you enter on floor 2 or 3). However, on some levels, if you turn to the left, you get to a dead end, and you have to back out of that row and around a corner to get going again, as there is no space to turn around.

We did go to Waikiki Brewing pub one afternoon after PH, and there was no parking down there for any sized vehicle. The hotel right next door (Doubletree?) has a valet which agreed to park our car in their garage for $5/hour. Bargain versus circling those crazy one way streets again to find nothing.

We didn't have problem last week (6/8-6/15) at Aulani, but we had a terrible time on the North Shore. We wanted to stop at Shark's Cove but there was literally no where to park. Had to just keep going. Traffic was at a complete stop for 20 minutes at one point. It was crazy. We stopped for Matsumoto's shaved ice and hubby finally dropped us off and found a spot several blocks away. When we went to Huanama Bay, we had to drive by once because it said the lot was full, but when we turned around at the next road and came back they were letting people in. Diamond Head was full but we lucked into someone pulling out right after we said we would wait in the waiting zone for a spot. However . . . we did end up with a big scrape on our rental vehicle (minivan), which we think likely was from the parking garage at Aulani because like you said, the spots tend to be quite tight there with larger vehicles, as well as those big posts every few spots. We didn't do the damage, but I would bet money that someone else did in that garage.

 

[Loveallthingsmouse]

I had no trouble with parking anywhere (North Shore, Pearl Harbor, boat harbor, Climbworks, shrimp trucks) except...Aulani!! We started our trip the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, and the resort must have been very full. The garage for self-parking was very full, and spaces that were open were often between other large vehicles or those not parked well. Took a while on Sat, Sunday to find a spot. Monday, when the resort got slightly less crazy, there were more spots. I did find that going to the lower floors was sometimes easier (I think you enter on floor 2 or 3). However, on some levels, if you turn to the left, you get to a dead end, and you have to back out of that row and around a corner to get going again, as there is no space to turn around.

We did go to Waikiki Brewing pub one afternoon after PH, and there was no parking down there for any sized vehicle. The hotel right next door (Doubletree?) has a valet which agreed to park our car in their garage for $5/hour. Bargain versus circling those crazy one way streets again to find nothing.

Thanks for the info! We were there two years ago and remember the garage being tight...I will try the lower floors. We will be there over July 4th so I am expecting it to be full, we are spending a few nights in Waikiki first and that hotel only has valet, so won't have to worry about it until Aulani. Thanks again!