How do rental car reservations work with delayed flights?

[Disneyplanners]

We were supposed to fly southwest out of Pittsburgh tonight (Pit - Baltimore - Orlando) and the flights were delayed until 2:30 in the morning. We were able to rebook a direct flight tomorrow afternoon. I called alamo to change our reservation to pick up tomorrow, and was told that the rate is now 200 dollars more! Is that how this typically works, or is there something else we can do to keep the same rate?

Thanks!

 

[DebbieB]

We were supposed to fly southwest out of Pittsburgh tonight (Pit - Baltimore - Orlando) and the flights were delayed until 2:30 in the morning. We were able to rebook a direct flight tomorrow afternoon. I called alamo to change our reservation to pick up tomorrow, and was told that the rate is now 200 dollars more! Is that how this typically works, or is there something else we can do to keep the same rate?

Thanks!

I've heard your reservation is good until midnight. All you can do is talk to them at the counter.

I would check other car rental companies (National, Hertz, Avis, Enterprise).

 

[seashoreCM]

Typically if you are late then the rental company may cancel your reservation. But if the reservation has your flight number in it then the company should honor your reservation provided that the flight still exists and you came in on or before it. Also check the rules and policies for the rental company. For different companies YMMV.

For Priceline rentals, the car is held until midnight. Still, I would question the right of the rental company or Priceline to keep your money if you are tardier still and the company refuses to give you what is left of your reservation.

 

[Alexander]

It sounds like the OP chose to take a different flight rather than wait for the delayed one and Alamo made a new reservation with the current rental rates. I think the best you could have hoped for would be to have kept the existing reservation and presented it at the Alamo counter to see if they would honor it. Explain the flight change, etc.

Because you opted to change your flights, I think Alamo has every right to do as they wish with your original reservation, cancel and rebook in this case. If you had taken that 2:30 flight, they may have been more lenient.

 

[leebee]

Alamo in Indianapolis gave me a really hard time last year. Our flight was delayed, and instead of arriving at 11pm it didn't get in until about 12:30 am. Because it was a new day, the computer had changed to a new day so I was not picking up the car on the same day as I'd reserved it for. It took two managers to finally get the vehicle for the same price as on the reservation. Good think I had the print out of my reservation... otherwise I'd have been out quite a bit of money.

I have a friend who, when she knows she will be arriving somewhere on the last flight of the day, makes a second car reservation for the following day, just in case she gets bumped and has to stay overnight somewhere unexpectedly.

 

[Alexander]

Alamo in Indianapolis gave me a really hard time last year. Our flight was delayed, and instead of arriving at 11pm it didn't get in until about 12:30 am. Because it was a new day, the computer had changed to a new day so I was not picking up the car on the same day as I'd reserved it for. It took two managers to finally get the vehicle for the same price as on the reservation. Good think I had the print out of my reservation... otherwise I'd have been out quite a bit of money.

I have a friend who, when she knows she will be arriving somewhere on the last flight of the day, makes a second car reservation for the following day, just in case she gets bumped and has to stay overnight somewhere unexpectedly.

Oooohhh, SMART girl! I never would have thought of that!