MAKING RESERVATIONS
What will I need to know to reserve my
Rental Car?
What does
economy, midsize, standard or full size, mean exactly?
What size car do I
really need?
Does the Rental Car
Company have an on or off-airport facility?
How will I get to the
rental facility?
Where can I find
information on airports so that it will be easier for me to find the
rental car counter or meet the Hotels airport shuttle?
What is the total?
Does it include additional fees and taxes?
How far beyond the
reservation time will the Rental Company consider this reservation
good?
How can I decrease the chance that the Rental Car
Company will break my reservation?
What will I need to
know to reserve my Rental Car?
The name of the person that will be picking up the
car.
Credit card type, number and expiration date of
the card to be billed.
Location where youll be picking up and returning
the car.
Date and time youll be picking up and returning
the car.
Size of the car you want to reserve.
Any special requests, such as smoking /
non-smoking, child seat or model preference.
Any discounts or coupons that you are planning to
apply to the rental.
If you have it, some Rental Car Companies like to
have your flight information. That way they can keep track of
delayed flights.
Make sure you get a confirmation number when you
do make your reservations.
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What does economy,
midsize, standard or full size, mean exactly?
Whatever the Rental Company says it does, so ask
for examples of familiar model names. Rental Companies
classifications of models vary and this will help you to compare
rates and understand the size of the vehicle you are reserving.
The Rental Companies classifications usually
differ from car manufactures model classifications. Your personal
cars manufacturer may classify your model as a midsize, while a
Rental Company may classify the same model as a full size, so again
ask for clarification.
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What size car do I
really need?
Reserving the appropriate size car in advance is a
good way to budget.
Many will tell you to reserve the smallest class
and hope for a free upgrade, but this can be risky. If the smaller
car is available, and you need the bigger car, you might be in
trouble. The larger vehicles might all be booked or the upgrade
charge may be considerably more costly than if you had reserved the
larger car in the first place. This is especially true during peak
rental times, when many car and van classes are sold out.
Remember by law every passenger must have a seat
belt available to him or her so you cant put five in a
four-passenger car.
Remember trunk space. The smaller car may hold all
your passengers, but dont forget the luggage, golf clubs and
souvenirs youll want to bring back home. Convertibles are great,
but they do have very small trunks.
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Does the Rental Car
Company have an on or off-airport facility?
Check on the location of that citys particular
rental facility to see if it is on or off-airport.
Off-airport facilities can be cheaper, but
transportation off the airport property will add time to your
rental.
If they use a shuttle, find out how long the trip
will take you.
You should always verify the location. Some Rental
Companies will have an on-airport facility at certain airports while
having off-airport facilities at others.
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How will I get to the
rental facility?
Find out where you are to meet the Rental
Companys representative. Do they have a fixed meeting place or do
you need to call someone once you arrive.
Ask if there is a shuttle service available since
both on and off airport facilities may use shuttles.
If they use a shuttle, find out how often it runs
and its hours of operation. See if they will still be open if you
are delayed, you might need a 24-hour facility.
Find out how far your rental car will be from the
terminal. Get an estimate of the time it will take for you to get to
your rental car.
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Where can I find
information on airports so that it will be easier for me to find the
rental car counter or meet the Hotels airport shuttle?
Go To: US Airport & Foreign Airport Links
This page contains web links to many major U.S.
and foreign airports. Although, each airports site is different
many contain airport layouts and other information that could save
you time and help make your visit a safe one. This links page also
lists many airport codes that can be helpful when making Airline
reservations so you and your luggage will be heading to the right
airport.
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What is the total?
Does it include additional fees and taxes?
Get an estimate of your total charges including
all taxes, fees and any mandatory charges. Unfortunately, the
government gets a big chunk of rental car bills.
Remember that this total may change based on your
choices of coverage and fuel purchase options.
Often the rate quoted only includes the per day or
week rental charge.
Unlimited mileage is often included, but not
always. You'll definitely want to check on their mileage policy. Be
sure to re-verify their policy if you get an upgrade. Some companies
that normally offer unlimited mileage do have limits on specialty or
luxury vehicles.
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How far beyond the
reservation time will the Rental Company consider this reservation
good?
This is a great question and one you should ask
the Rental Company in case you are delayed.
You should notify the Rental Company if you are
delayed so that they will still have a car available for you.
If you can make it within your reservation grace
period, make sure they only update the pick-up time and dont rebook
the reservation at a new higher rate.
If your flight is coming in only a few hours
before the rental car facility closes, you may want to consider a
company with a 24-hour facility so a delayed flight wont continue
to ruin your trip.
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How can I decrease the
chance that the Rental Car Company will break my reservation?
Just like the hotels, the Rental Car Companies
must cover the costs of all those rude people who reserve cars,
dont cancel and never show up. This means that at certain times,
especially during holidays and other peak travel times, they may get
caught overbooking and have to break some reservations. Heres a few
ways to keep you at the top of the list for available cars.
See if the reservation center will guarantee your reservation. Some
do offer this service and they will usually have a much bigger
penalty for themselves if they dont have a car for you. However, to
get this guarantee you are usually charged a fee if you dont show
or cancel within a certain time frame.
Confirm your reservation. Make sure everything is
correct and they are aware youre coming.
Update your reservation. If youre going to be
late, call to let them know.
Rent often from the same company. Some reservation
lists show high volume renters, and management will know that you
are not the type of customer they want to lose.
Join their Premium Clubs. These groups include
their high volume renters and their big corporate accounts. If it
comes down to who gets the last few cars, you probably wont be
seeing the Premium Club members waiting around.
If you really fear that your chances of getting
burned are high, you might call the location directly and speak with
a manager. Let them know you will be there at a certain time and you
want to make sure youll have a car waiting.
If youve made that extra effort and they know
youll be looking for them, most managers will also make an extra
effort to have a car for you. If you do call and they do produce,
dont forget to thank them for their efforts.
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