Car Hire - Dollar express?

[laluna]

We have pre booked Dollar car hire for Easter. Just wondering what Dollar Express is exactly? How does it work and is it worth it?

 

[wayneg]

We have pre booked Dollar car hire for Easter. Just wondering what Dollar Express is exactly? How does it work and is it worth it?

http://ww2.dollar.com/Express/MainNonMember.aspx

Basically you enter all your details online so they have it all on record for you arrival, because you do this you get to go right to the front of the line, There is a board up that says Express line, stand there when a agent is free you get called before regular line.
Last year I used it twice, both times the regular line was approx 1 hour. Last Easter I forgot to tell my friend to join, he got in regular line, we did express, we were in hotel when he was just getting his car. 1 hour difference.
If you are arriving on an internal connecting flight then the lines are usually short but if you get 1 or 2 Virgin flights arriving togather the lines are crazy.

 

[laluna]

Cheers Wayne!

I know from our last two trips that the car collection was pretty crazy and I am not looking forward to it with my LOs so looks good!

 

[Hallfamily]

sorry if this is a stupid question but can you sign up for this if you have booked your car through a flydrive package with virgin?

 

[wayneg]

sorry if this is a stupid question but can you sign up for this if you have booked your car through a flydrive package with virgin?

Yes you can, DisWolves was infront of me in August, he had used VH to book, they sent him across to the Virgin side of Dollar but he skipped the line with his express card.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Can you do the same at Sanford airport?

 

[DISWolves]

Can you do the same at Sanford airport?

From what I remember from 2006......The Express Line was to the left of the normal desk

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I'm about to register with Dollar Express. I already have our car booked through Mytravel and we went for the Gold insurance cover. On the Express sign-up web page, do I need to tick all the optional coverage boxes even though I already have insurance?. Also do I need to pick 6 travel partners?
PS, do they send a membership card?

Thanks for all the help.

 

[Netty]

I'm about to register with Dollar Express. I already have our car booked through Mytravel and we went for the Gold insurance cover. On the Express sign-up web page, do I need to tick all the optional coverage boxes even though I already have insurance?. Also do I need to pick 6 travel partners?
PS, do they send a membership card?

Thanks for all the help.

i registered last year.
you don't tick any of the optional boxes as you are already covered.
you get a plastic credit card size membership card with your name and membership number on it. you can also claim miles back from virgin for using dollar car hire.
I am not sure about the 6 travel partners, i'll go and have a look on the site now.
just looked
you can put in virgin atlantic and also dollar express rewards for your travel partners, you don't need to choose 6. also when you get your card, then you can link it to your flight car hire so that they will have all your details waiting for you at the desk when you land, this saves waiting for them to do the paperwork in front of you.
dollar express we found has been fantastic, we have waited no more than 3-5 mins to get to the desk, where as before the express card we have been in the normal line for well over an hour. its the way to go, as you will be seen before most of the other 300 or so passengers!

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Thanks for the info, I'm all signed up now.

 

[laluna]

I have registered with them and received my ID number. Is there anything I need to do now or can I just go up to the Dollar Express desk when we arrive. Do I have to give my flight details or something? How do I do this?

 

[wayneg]

No they dont need any flight details.
Last year I did 4 bookings 1st time I emailed Dollar and Airnet asked them to add my Express # to my reservation, Dollar told me Airnet had to add it, Airnet told me Dollar had to add it I just turned up and handed in documents with my Express card no problems.
2nd time I emailed Dollar again, I got a response saying they had added express# to my Airnet reservation.
The other 2 in Vegas and LA I just turned up and handed in car voucher and Express card
Don't think it matters, either tell them or just turn up.