Picking up rental car 2 hours early

[Liz]

We could switch to an earlier Southwest flight for not much more money but if I try to modify or rebook a new car rental reservation with the new time the price goes way up. Has anyone shown up to pick up a rental 2 hours early?

 

[dancin Disney style]

I've picked up early. What happened was the rate that was on the paper work was different than what I had reserved but I was told at the counter that as long as I returned it by the same time (as pick up) on my return day the rate would be what I had booked originally. The rental day is a 24hr period so as long as you don't go over you will be fine. The day I returned I made sure that I had the car back before the time I had picked it up and then I asked for a receipt.....it showed the price I had expected.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[NotUrsula]

It can depend on WHEN those particular 2 hours are. For instance, most "weekend" rates require a pickup sometime between noon on Thursday and midnight on Saturday; if you are not inside that window you will not get the rate. There are other special leisure rates that have similar restrictions; check the rules for the rate code that you are using.

If the situation is that you cannot pick up the vehicle until noon, then what I would suggest is eating an early lunch at MCO and taking your time over it, then be at the rental kiosk/counter at exactly noon.

 

[Liz]

Yes that makes sense! Thank you!

 

[Rpsemont]

I think it depends on the rate you booked (I.E. the weekend issues mentioned already) and also how it goes at the counter. I have heard of some people having it repriced when they arrived to early. That being said, DH and I had gotten a great rate with Dollar for our trip a few weeks ago. Pick up Sat at 5PM, return Wed at 8AM. We got an earlier flight and showed up at the rental counter at 9:30AM. We had done the early on line prefill of information. They verified that we were returning the car still by 8AM and we got the same rate. We did not even mention that we were there early. (I don't believe in giving them the opportunity to tell us our rate can't be honored)

That being said, we did have "back up" reservations in case they repriced us at pick up to some exhorbinant amount - which we cancelled on the way out of the parking garage.