Budget

[friendoffigment]

For those who have rented from them, how was the service. any problems, especially with billing

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We've had good experiences and bad experiences with most of the major rental companies. I would not hesitate to rent from Budget, but I don't necessarily seek them out.

 

[Ross Kratter]

Never had an issue with Budget, or its parent company, Avis. I've rented from both several times.

 

[georgina]

I had a really, really long wait at the rental desk once and avoid them at MCO now. If you can skip the counter it's better.

I hate their toll fees. If you use their toll pass once they charge you for every day of the rental. If you are using your own toll transponder you can avoid those fees.

 

[ilikecarrentals]

Good advice @georgina, join fastbreak and skip the counter. For tolls you can also use the MCO free toll pass service. I've not had an issue with them although I have seen long lines at times for non fastbreak. I use Avis when the price is similar (sometimes is, depends on location). Like their Standard Elite SUV rental class.

 

[EACarlson]

Downside to using www.visitortollpass.com is that it is only available if you are on A side. For domestic airlines that would be Southwest, Frontier, Alaska and JetBlue. If flying on one of the Legacy airlines, it's a long out of the way process to get the pass and why I brought my IPass from home the last time I was there in October. I'm going back next month, flying on Southwest, so I will give VTP a chance since last time I forgot my transponder in the rental and had to pay to have it shipped to me.

 

[mickmom728]

I had a really, really long wait at the rental desk once and avoid them at MCO now. If you can skip the counter it's better.

I hate their toll fees. If you use their toll pass once they charge you for every day of the rental. If you are using your own toll transponder you can avoid those fees.

Make sure you close the toll thing on the windshield if you use another toll service . It was open the first day or so until I read something on these boards about closing it. We did get charged double that day. Otherwise no problems with Budget.

 

[georgina]

Good advice @georgina, join fastbreak and skip the counter. For tolls you can also use the MCO free toll pass service. I've not had an issue with them although I have seen long lines at times for non fastbreak. I use Avis when the price is similar (sometimes is, depends on location). Like their Standard Elite SUV rental class.

I just stick with Alamo through Costco at MCO. Skip the line, pick my car. I will pay more for Alamo convenience there. I have fastbreak but there was something about not being able to use skip the counter the first time? I used the visitor tollpass once (always fly SW). Last trip I took my own EZPass. I mostly rent compact cars.

I have used Budget in other cities, I also frequently pick up a car at the Holiday Inn after the Universal portion of my Orlando trips and return it at MCO, just don't like their pickup at MCO.

 

[KristaZ]

Pick up was a bit of a mess at Budget when we used them in July at MCO - Fastbreak wasn't operating for some reason, so there was no option to skip the line. We originally went to pick up from the A side because we also had to pick up the visitor toll pass. DH ended up waiting in that line while I went over to the B side to see if the line was any better. It was significantly shorter (like probably saved us over an hour from waiting in the A side line - even with the time it took to get from one side to the other). Not sure if B side is always shorter, but may be something to consider.

We also got hit with a refueling charge after drop off - even though we returned it on a full tank (like we literally filled it up less than 10 minutes from the airport). We were told just to leave the car because they didn't have anyone to check us in. It took them over a week to finally check in the car and suddenly there was only half a tank of gas. Luckily we had taken pictures of the odometer and gas (as well as all around the car for that matter) - and they still gave us a hard time, even though the pictures were time stamped and clearly taken in the MCO garage, because I didn't also have a receipt for the gas (which we would have - except the pump wouldn't print one for us). It was a huge hassle to get the charge reversed and enough to make me not want to use Budget again.

 

[sghokie]

KristaZ, I am not too familiar with MCO.
I was trying to figure out how it is laid out on the map, https://orlandoairports.net/getting-around-mco/#terminal-maps
Is getting to the B side, just a matter of going towards the South Walk when you come off your train?

Pick up was a bit of a mess at Budget when we used them in July at MCO - Fastbreak wasn't operating for some reason, so there was no option to skip the line. We originally went to pick up from the A side because we also had to pick up the visitor toll pass. DH ended up waiting in that line while I went over to the B side to see if the line was any better. It was significantly shorter (like probably saved us over an hour from waiting in the A side line - even with the time it took to get from one side to

 

[EACarlson]

KristaZ, I am not too familiar with MCO.
I was trying to figure out how it is laid out on the map, https://orlandoairports.net/getting-around-mco/#terminal-maps
Is getting to the B side, just a matter of going towards the South Walk when you come off your train?

The two sides are not that far apart on the top level, but you can't get from A to B anywhere except the top level. If you come in on Delta, their baggage claims are on B side. To get from there to the A rental cars you have to go up to third floor, across to the other side of the terminal then down to first floor where the rental car agencies are. If you don't have baggage you can go across to A and it would probably take an extra 3 or 4 minutes.

 

[sghokie]

The two sides are not that far apart on the top level, but you can't get from A to B anywhere except the top level. If you come in on Delta, their baggage claims are on B side. To get from there to the A rental cars you have to go up to third floor, across to the other side of the terminal then down to first floor where the rental car agencies are. If you don't have baggage you can go across to A and it would probably take an extra 3 or 4 minutes.

Thanks!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Make sure you close the toll thing on the windshield if you use another toll service . It was open the first day or so until I read something on these boards about closing it. We did get charged double that day. Otherwise no problems with Budget.

We paid cash for our tolls and didn't realize we'd be charged by Budget also, so we paid twice in July. Also we are FastBreak members but that desk was closed so we had to stand in the only horribly long & slow-moving line for rental cars at MCO. No line with any other car rental company. I tried to quick cancel while in line and book Avis but it wouldn't let me cancel online. I lucked out and the Avis representative helped me with getting my keys for our Budget rental. (They share the same desk area.) This only happened because their system wouldn't let me take out an Avis car while booked with Budget. It kept telling her that I already have a car.

I will never book Budget again. An hour+ of vacation time isn't worth the tiny bit of savings.

 

[sghokie]

If you are going to pay tolls your self make sure to close the toll pass on the windshield.

 

[jeff_h]

The issue that bugged me about Budget was from a rental in Nov 2020. I filled the car with gas next to hotel and then drove to airport and dropped off and the attendant scanned in the car then looked at odometer and fuel gauge and said "OK you're good" and printed out a receipt...and I got a copy of that receipt as a PDF in my email too. About an hour later as I'm about to board my flight I received an updated email with a charge for 0.9 gallon of fuel at $9.95/gallon and additional fuel surcharge, so it was about $10.95 or so which won't break the bank but should have been noted at the time of turn-in if they wanted to tell me that the car wasn't quite full.

So the next trip I used Dollar and had joined Dollar Express and had my credit card on file and it was so great -- about an hour before arrive I got an email that had a barcode on it and said proceed to the lot and take any car in your class and drive to the exit. I got a car and drove to the exit and the guy scanned the car's barcode and scanned my email's barcode and verified my ID, asked if I'd checked the car for any damage and I said yes (I always do a walkaround to check) and he printed out a one-page paper contract and said have a nice day... which took probably 20-30 seconds total.

 

[sghokie]

Made it out of MCO last night. I made it a point to drive to the B side to do the return. There was no line at all to get in the B side rental return.
Thanks KristaZ for the tip.

When I picked it up, I just went to A side. I went to the fastbreak window in the garage. I had to wait about 5 or 10 minutes. The customer at the window had no idea about the prepaid toll option and the budget worker kept on telling him the same thing over and over and he kept saying, 'I don't understand.
I didn't think it was that hard of a concept.