Car rental pick-up times with standby air travel?

[sweet maxine]

Need help with this.......

How do you manage your car rental reservation if you are attempting to travel standby for an earlier flight? Do you book for the earlier times in hope of the earlier arrival?

 

[seashoreCM]

Can't be done unless the rental agency explicitly allows it.

(Priceline bookings have allowed you to be late all the way to midnight, or has this changed?)

You would have to make the reservation for the latest possible arrival time and hope that the agency lets you have the car early when you simply show up early.

 

[sweet maxine]

Can't be done unless the rental agency explicitly allows it.

(Priceline bookings have allowed you to be late all the way to midnight, or has this changed?)

You would have to make the reservation for the latest possible arrival time and hope that the agency lets you have the car early when you simply show up early.

This would not be a Priceline reservation for the rental car. My question probably should also be if there is a penalty for not picking up the rental car at the (earlier) booked time---as opposed to having a reservation for the latest possible pick-up time. I hope I'm making sense here.

 

[sweet maxine]

After calling the rental agency, it seems that the window for pick-ups is 24 hours, so there should be no problem with booking an earlier time for pick-up.

I would welcome any comments or experience with this. thanks

 

[seashoreCM]

Rental agencies have been known to cancel your reservation if you are late. Don't remember which agencies.

Depends on how busy things are, for example Daytona Week in Florida.

 

[cdnsunseeker]

I know with Alamo they only hold your reservation about 4 hours past your stated arrival time but you can call Alamo from your departing airport and let them know what time you will arrive and they will make a note on your reservation about this. Just have your confirmation number with you.

 

[sweet maxine]

Hmmm, I wonder what is best to do then? I can't understand how you can travel standby with a car rental reservation not knowing what time you may arrive---that seems to be a real quandary. I would hate to think that we could be stalled at the airport for hours waiting to pick up a car that I have reserved for much later if we are able to standby successfully. Then again, we may not have much luck with standby, so we'd be back with the original time of arrival.

Any more help?

 

[justplaingoofy]

hmmm...not sure how that would all work.

what comes to mind for me, is if you book a later pick up time and arrive early then wouldn't that change your rate since you would have the car longer?

 

[sweet maxine]

So is it better to book a Hotwire or Priceline rental in this scenario? According to what I've read at Hotwire's site, the car will be held for 24 hours until pick-up. However, I was also told the same thing from Alamo customer service---so now I'm a little confused.

So..........if you are flying standby, do you always have other transportation lined up, or do you just stay at the airport and wait until later to pick up your rental car? I'm still confused about how this could work for me; it may not work out at all.

 

[brenda1966]

I'd book the car for the earliest pick up time. Then if you don't make that flight, call the rental car company and tell them your flight is late and give them the estimated arrival time. I can't see why they wouldn't hold the car for you. You're still renting and paying for that day's rental.

 

[sweet maxine]

I'd book the car for the earliest pick up time. Then if you don't make that flight, call the rental car company and tell them your flight is late and give them the estimated arrival time. I can't see why they wouldn't hold the car for you. You're still renting and paying for that day's rental.

I think this makes sense. Thank you for your help.