Can you return your rental car a 1/2 later than scheduled?

[helenk]

I have booked a rental through Alamo. UsAir just changed my flights, going down is only by 15 minutes, and coming home is a 1/2 later.
Do I need to go in and modify my reservation, or say something when we pick up the car. Or can we just return the car a 1/2 later than the time we booked?

 

[AllyBri]

I know National gives you an extension of 58 minutes, so Alamo probably does the same. You should be fine with a 1/2 hour.

 

[WillCAD]

1/2 hour later or earlier is fine.

They start charging you an hourly rate if you bring the car back more than an hour late, but that does vary from company to company.

 

[kaytieeldr]

What time are you picking up the car and what time are you returning it? Car rentals are generally based on 24-hour days. So if you pick up at, say, 11 AM and return at 9 AM seven days later, that's seven days. If you return the car at 11:30 instead of 9 AM, you're still within the grace period. If you return the car after noon that day, you start getting charged the additional per-hour fee until you reach the extra-day rate.

So say you WERE arriving at 4 PM Saturday, and now you're arriving at 3:45 instead. No problem. Your original departure was 2 Pm, so you were returning the car at noon; now you're bringing it back at 12:30 instead. Still no problem - you'll have the car for few than seven consecutive 24-hour periods.

 

[clkelley]

As long as it doesn't bump you into another 24 hour period, you will be fine.

Adding to the previous posters example another possibility.

Let's say you arrive at 9am and pick up your car at 9:30 am and your return is at 4pm 7 days later, you actually have until 9:30 am the NEXT morning before you bump into another day.

Hope this helps.

Carol

 

[helenk]

We are picking up the car on a Sunday at 11:00 am and then returning on Friday at 5:30pm. The rental is based on a 24 hour time period, so then I am assuming that we are already being charged for the full day on Friday(actually going into Saturday 11:00am)
I am figuring this out right?

 

[clkelley]

That is exactly correct, so 1/2 hour later in your case you are fine!

Carol

 

[safetymom]

But if returning the car early changes the rate you could be charged a higher rate.

Lots of folks take the weekly rate because it saves them money. They think if they return it early they have saved money. The rental companies are wise to this and would change the rate to a daily rate.

I am not saying you are doing this but wanted to mention it in case someone else had that idea.

 

[helenk]

But if returning the car early changes the rate you could be charged a higher rate.

Lots of folks take the weekly rate because it saves them money. They think if they return it early they have saved money. The rental companies are wise to this and would change the rate to a daily rate.

I am not saying you are doing this but wanted to mention it in case someone else had that idea.

I do not think that I am doing anything wrong, I just put my dates and times in the form online, we are arriving on Sunday at around 10:15 so I figured 11:00 was a good time to put in, our flight now leaves on Friday at 7:25 pm, it was orginally scheduled to leave at 6:55. Hopefully I will not have any problems...(can you tell that I do not rent a car alot?)

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yes, Helen, you will not have any problem. Just mention at the counter that you may be bringing the car back a few minutes later than originally planned. You're paying for a full 24-hour period on Friday, no matter what.

 

[seashoreCM]

Heads up!

Read your car rental contract. Some rental companies reserve the right to refigure your entire rate to be higher, and also charge you a penalty fee if you return the car late. This can happen even though there is an extra hour rate and an extra day rate quoted.

But I do not think the rental company has a case if for some reason the due back time is short of the 24 hour boundary to which you already paid, and you do come back before the 24 hour boundary itself.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[helenk]

I went to the Alamo website and it does not address the amount of time you have to return the car later that originally scheduled. It talks about going over the 24 hour timeframe.
I guess I'll call them tomorrow.

 

[safetymom]

I suggest asking on www.flyertalk.com go to miles and points then scroll down to the car rental programs. Post on the Alamo board, someone will give you the straight answer without a lot of doubletalk.

 

[helenk]

I called Alamo this afternoon, my return time is well within the 24 hour rental timeframe you are given, so no problem. If my return time was say 11:00am or the same time as I had picked up the car then they give you a one hour grace period to return the vehicle.