Time allowance for pick up/drop off for rentals

[toesmom]

If I have scheduled pick up at 11am, how much earlier can I pick up a rental car? 1/2 hour... 45 minutes earlier? Anyone know?

TIA and Happy New Year

 

[CarolA]

Depends on your rental car company. Who are you renting with?

A couple of other things.

1. Is it a weekend rental and will that early arrival bump you out of the weekend? For example, most weekend rentals start at noon on Thursday. Pick up at 11 and you are not getting the rate.

2. This changes your 24 hour clock. It starts when you rent not "based on reservation"

 

[toesmom]

Company is Alamo, pick up from MCO at kiosk

arrival on a monday

thanks for your help

 

[Brian Noble]

I would call Alamo and see what they say.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I have picked up early with Alamo & kiosk. (I always make my pickup time about 1 hr. after flight arrival time just in case of delays, baggage issues, etc. so I don't lose my rental car. Same with extra late drop off time in case of flat tire, etc. )
Anyway, the kiosk knows that you're early and it will ask you if you agree to the added charges, I think an extra hourly charge was around $10 for a midsize SUV. It doesn't actually charge you the extra $$ if your return time results in the same time period that you originally booked. I agree to the charges but usually drop off a bit early too so it works out to the same # of days rented.

So if you're scheduled for 11 am pick up and 11 am drop off, and you pick up at 10am, you will now have it for more than 24 hrs, resulting in an extra charge.

If you have 11am pick up and 6 pm drop off, it wouldn't change anything, as you're already paying for another day. kwim?
I hope I'm making sense, I'm a little sleep deprived.

 

[dmank]

when does this clock start ticking? When you actually leave the lot?

And what happens if you prepay through Priceline or another site like them?

 

[Lewisc]

when does this clock start ticking? When you actually leave the lot?

And what happens if you prepay through Priceline or another site like them?

I answered you the other thread. PL rentals aren't subject to the agencies normal policies. You might not get any grace time and the hourly rate if you go over may be high.