Why Does Renting Cars Have To Be So Frustrating?

I HATE driving, but I did rent a few cars on my travels with Avis and Sixt in Europe.
Had good experiences with both. Avis in Nice (station not airport) arranged me an automatic Alfa Romeo in moments, at a very good price just walking up (not booking).
Sixt at Pisa airport gave me a 7 series when I had booked a 1 series, just because I’d ‘achieved’ status through some credit card, I can’t remember which.
My father on the other hand loves to drive, and I do remember the odd experiences when there would be no car or an inappropriate model, then my mother and I convinced him to always book at least an e class (it wasn’t about the money, he just didn’t even consider there would be a benefit paying more for something which was only being used for a few days, and often are offered to customers who’ve booked other categories if they are available at the time). To be clear there is often a mid size option or a intermediary, but then there is the premium option whereby you are given Mercedes/BMW/Audi etc (outside of Germany - where these are also part of the standard offering,) this is the one we started booking,and he has never had any issues since then.
I also signed him up for status with Avis, and I’m assuming this has helped.
Personally I’m a fan of Sixt, but he prefers Avis.
Personally, I’ve not rented cars outside Europe. My father has in North America, and the Middle East as well and I’ve been with him, the only differences I’ve noticed are that the queues are much longer in NA (logical considering it’s a lot more car dependant than Europe) and in the Middle East the prices are exorbitant, and no upgrades are offered. Ever.
For some reason, despite travelling extensively to the Far East and rest of Asia (other than the Middle East) he too has never rented a car there. Whilst driving in India is daunting, I don’t understand why he never rents cars in HK, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia etc.

I agree that renting a car is often a dreadful experience, but you didn't even mention the things that annoy me the most :

Rental agents get paid on commission so they try to upsell as much to you as possible. Lately I've been hearing the question "Do you want the basic or the advanced insurance coverage?" which cunningly fails to mention that "no coverage" is an option. And when I mention that I have coverage through my credit card, they look at me like I'm crazy and remind me of all the bad things that could happen while driving without coverage, as if my credit card means nothing to them.

Outright lies to make you pay more. In FLL they insisted that I needed to pay for a toll transponder to drive on I-95 (while some areas have HOT lanes, I-95 is not a toll road.) Ditto in SAN with I-5 (also not a toll road). In SAN they insisted that I pay for their insurance because "purchasing liability coverage is mandatory". (In fact California doesn't include liability coverage like other states do, but you are not required to buy it from them, it is the driver's responsibility to provide it.)

I'll reserve a car through their website, and when I show up at the counter, the rate has gone up. This usually only happens with the "cheap" guys like Fox or Payless, which is why I don't recommend them, but it's happened enough times that I usually book 2 cars when one of the cheap companies has a rate that seems too good to be true, so if they insist on a higher rate, I can go elsewhere without paying the walk-up rate.

Mandatory insurance in places like Mexico make it impossible to know in advance what your rental will really cost. I used Expedia to rent a car once in MEX, which helpfully highlighted that insurance was included - except at the ticket counter they told me that "local law requires a higher amount of insurance than what comes with the car" - which naturally I'd have to pay for. (This was Alamo, but I had booked a second reservation in anticipation of this with Mex Rent-a-car which tried to sneak in additional insurance until I noticed this on the print-out, and made them change it back, which they did.)

Fuel surcharge if unfilled - they charge $10+/gallon but don't actually fill it. Ever get a rental without a full tank of gas? They'll hope you overfill it when you return it (how do you know how to fill to 5/8 of a tank at the gas station?) and keep the money they charged the guy who didn't return it full.

There are no good loyalty programs for rental cars - for the most part, the product is the same. So they don't have as much incentive as airlines/hotels to make people happy. Or at least that's been my experience.

Just a word of warning -- there is so much consolidation right now that things are very fluid and you may not be able to use the skip-the-counter feature like you're used to. Double check your reservations. I just read a National reservation closely and noticed that it was sending me to the Alamo counter instead of to the Executive line. Skip the counter is great until your name isn't on the board or the kiosk doesn't work or whatever and there's a long line. Usually Hertz and Avis have a separate line for this but I understand that everything is a little funky right now, although I don't have personal experience lately.

I like the National Emerald Aisle. The problem is that whenever I'm looking to rent a car, National seems to be significantly more expensive than many other companies...to the point that when you factor in the discount the Chase Sapphire Reserve gives on Silvercar rentals, the Silvercar Audi is only a few dollars more per day than a smaller/less luxurious car from National. In those cases, I've always gone with Silvercar. I love the Audis, the customer service from their employees was always friendly and exceptional, and I loved that I didn't have to worry about being hit with massive/unexpected charges after I returned the car. It really is a shame that Silvercar has closed down their locations and moved to dealerships - I was consistently pleased and never frustrated when I rented a car from them.

I have had poor experiences on both sides of the Atlantic. I used to use National Emerald Aisle exclusively, but have found for most locations they are pricing themselves out of the market. Avis usually has the best rates, but even then I have had challenges from time-to-time with the quality of car and inconsistent customer service when reporting the problem. In Europe, I have twice had difficulty with returning cars when the rep claimed there was damage to a portion of the car (in one case, the scratches could only be seen with a a zoom lens at a very short distance in much brighter light than the return sites normally have). Once the rep acknowledged the microscopic “damage” looked very old, but dinged me for it anyway, seemingly knowing the insurance would pay for anything they claimed. It is very frustrating.

Gee Ben, you must not have much experience renting cars and that's surprising given how extensively you travel. Those experiences you describe make you sound like a novice (which you are not).

I will preface this by stating that I haven't traveled during the pandemic, so things can change. However, it's been my experience that the US and Canada are the 2 best places in the world to rent a car. National's Emerald Aisle program is the best. Avis Preferred is also good, but not as good as National. Hertz used to be good but their current condition is fragile. Avoid Enterprise.

In most countries, the process is ridiculous. Rent a car in Latin America (for example) and you're having to literally make a portrait of your vehicle with every nick, ding or scratch documented before you leave. If not, they'll try to have you pay for the alleged damage, whether you actually did it doesn't matter. And your status doesn't matter either. Not to mention that the paperwork takes longer than it would to buy the damn car!

Anyhow, hook up with something like Emerald Aisle and be happy.

I have typically used Avis or National. Stateside, they have been (at least in my experiece) the most consistent and least hassle. Walk to your car, scan when you leave. No desk requried. In Australia, I've used Avis and not had any issues - even when, 1/3 the way through my rental, the service light came on. Swapped the car, no issues. In Europe and the UK, there seems to be this completely different hire culture. While I have generally had good experiences, its largely because I was slow and careful, reading the fine print.

One thing I think Europe/UK seem to do better (cheaper?) than the US is one way rentals. Might be the simple geographic size of the US, or I just got lucky in my experience.

Part of the reason must be it's the only service industry where paying more doesn't come with better service. You go to an expensive restaurant or hotel and you hopefully get better service than some cheap place. In the car rental industry the service is the same whether you book a £100 Toyota or a £600 Mercedes. That's why I look at renting a car as being a step up from taking the bus and book the cheapest available car, because then I will be less fed up having spent £100 rather than £600, and 4 wheels is 4 wheels.

I have been using AutoEurope recently, if you do not have an Amex Plat you can get an insurance through AutoEurope to cover the excess.

I have mainly used the National / Alamo branch near Amsterdam CS but booking through AutoEurope. Saying that, they never have the car you ordered though, so we will always get what ever they have, we have twice got something out of the more upmarket segment, hoping to get an audi, but we got a Mercedes and a Volvo. (Both nice cars.. so no complaints.) We wanted a car for our move and went for a Kia Ceed, but got a nice Ford estate. So we really have no complaints.

I have been lucky in the past where I ordered a mid size car for driving through Nova Scotia, and got a really nice Volvo well outfitted car. So I guess you are just having a lot of badluck.

So here is the deal. In order for you to see any change in the car rental experience you have to be willing to accept several changes to the industry. Currently they have the most lenient booking policy. I could go online now and reserve 50 cars for tomorrow without leaving a credit card and never show up. Unlike the airlines once you book you have no obligation to cancel and there is not financial penalty. Hotels are getting with the times and some chains now require you to cancel 72 hrs prior or you will be charged. So if you want to have that van you booked ready and waiting for you then you must accept a new policy that once you book you are on the hook financially to pay for that rental with required minimum cancellation times. No more using auto slash because once you reserve the car you are locked in.

I also exclusively rent from Alamo or National.

If price is a primary concern, I usually do Alamo via Costco Travel. The prices are usually the cheapest or close to, if you use the kiosk the rental process is easy, you pick your own car from the category (and they're low in that category I've always found the outside agents are excellent and get you a car you're happy with, including using National inventory), and I've never had any issues with them. Using the kiosk and not talking to a sales person is a large part of why I've been happy with them.

If I want the best experience or the best car selection, I pay the extra for National, and get the Emerald Executive via the Amex Platinum. I've always found excellent choices with the cars in the Executive aisle, and the process of getting the car and getting out is extremely easy and fast. Not for all trips, but I often find them to be worth the extra cost.

If you can get corporate rates through National, then it's all the better.

@brizone
I would imagine most did read the post. People rave about National for a reason and you can see that being repeated quite consistently.

They are obviously not the cheapest brand, but then OMAAT aren't about staying at Motel 6 or flying on Spirit either.

Lucky obviously very well understand the travel experience he gets as an AA Exec Plat or Hyatt Globalist does not reflect how life is for non-status pax. Similarly people are pointing out that as Emerald Executive Elite or Hertz Presidential Circle one will be able to bypass counters, pick their cars from the lot and not deal with the up selling.

The two one-way rental use cases reflects that car rental locations generally don't like one way rentals (they have the move the car back).

Frankly, compare with the airline industry, I would contend that the car rental industry is more customer friendly - no cancellation fee being the norm, you get upgrades often, if you miss the pick up time for a few hours no big deal. Up until COVID, non-refundable airfares is the norm, change fees are $200+, upgrades are basically non-existing, esp if you fly from a hub, and if you no show a flight you basically lost your ticket's value in full (Yes there is the flat tire rule, but that is really meant for unforeseen circumstances only and non-US airline are fairly strict about no-shows)
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@ The Nice Paul is 100% correct. The manufacturers will not sell them more cars with huge rebates if they don't keep them long enough.

The general rule of the manufacturer is not to resell before 6 months and 6000 miles. Otherwise exporters would buy them and ruin other highly profitable markets like China and Singapore where new vehicles are sold for 100-200% more than in North America.

Many countries will only allow import of "new" vehicles, which means they cannot have more than a handful of miles on them. This keeps overseas dealerships happy, and ensures the second hand cars remain in North America.

@ Richard Wiggans ...Really!? Lol

I knew this post would be likely generate a lot of responses, and it has. One thing I’m surprised that no one has mentioned yet is American Express “Premium Rental Protection”. The PRP product, for Amex customers with California billing addresses, costs $18.95/rental (*not* per day.) I think it’s $25/rental in other states.

There is no cost when not renting, i.e. no /monthly/annual fees, etc. Why pay for this?

I carry a Chase Sapphire Reserve (VISA) with “free CDW.” However, I rent cars (in the U.S.) with my Amex card specifically to get PRP coverage. I’ve actually had a minor (fender scrape) claim and the “firepower of Amex Customer Support” did what I expected them to; they made the problem Go Away. I didn’t have to do battle with the rental agency over the usual fees (Diminished Value, Loss Of Use, etc.) that they try to impose whenever they see the chance. For the same reason, I’m protected if I pick up a car in the rain or in a dark airport garage and miss a scratch on the bumper. I just hand it to Amex. Interestingly, I’ve noticed that rental agency emloyees never even try to argue or upsell when I mention that I’m using PRP to them.

1) you're not doing this right, and 2) you have unrealistic expectations.
Re #1 -- Reread DGriffs excellent comment re the correct approach. Avoid the counter on domestic rentals. (My biggest rental woes are on international travel, where there always seems to be no way to avoid the line and the duplicate paperwork.)
Re #2 - It is unrealistic to expect that you can reserve and actually get the exact model of BMW you prefer. THat's why virtually all rental reservation sites say things like "BMW Series 3 or similar" (or more often, Ford Focus or similar).

I rent cars a dozen or so times per year and have done so for 30 years. I literally have not had any of the problems you describe. But, then again, I always order a very general category and am not too picky on the exact car they give me as long as it's within that category or better. Maybe 10% of the time they give me a car better than what I reserved (ie. give me an SUV when I reserve a mid-size). And, I've had no problem with any of the substitutions they have given me. But, long lines at airports, yes. I've had problems with that from time to time. But, I totally agree with your comment that brand loyalty is worthless in car rentals. Go with the cheapest. And, if the rental is domestic, rent from costcotravel.com.

In 2019 I rented a manual sedan at Avignon TGV station. Cars are in a somewhat dimly lighted underground carpark and it took 15 minutes to find out where reverse gear was and how to get into it in order to reverse out of the parking space.

In New Zealand I am a fan of GoRentals. Consistently good experiences with them. The time differnce to Australia also means many pickups/drop offs are out of hours like 1am. Their processes work well and I have never feared being screwed on return damage claims.

That said, Europacar in Australia has a bad reputation for post return "damage" discovery and billing.

Firefly in Iceland was great though you'll be asked if you want Paint and Glass insurance. May seem weird, but volcanic sand is highly abrasive and the roads experience extreme wind events at short notice ( it is the only country I know where there is a website of main roads with realtime wind speeds and direction, so be warned).

For the USA and Canada, just read everyones' comments. I doubt I ever have had the car I booked. One highlight was collecting a car and finding a massive blast of birds**t across the dashboard.

I always always always rent my car through the Costco Travel portal. Renting through the portal gives you a substantial discount and perks like 2nd driver free, even without status.

When I was under 25, it was a pleasure booking with them and it was always so easy. Now that I'm over 25, I still rent through them. If something were to go wrong, I know that Costco would go to bat for me (my parents had an issue with a rental during a peak-weekend in Orlando and Costco made it right).

1) Everyone has said it but it is worth repeating. Avoid the counter like the plague. Do whatever is needed to avoid the counter.

2) You can go with the cheapest company if you just need a car. If you need something specific, like an SUV, minivan or wagon, book direct with the one company that you do the most business with. Pay a little more if needed. If 2 customers want that last available SUV, do you think they would give it to the one who booked through a third party, or what appears to be a loyal customer? They may have done a p1ss poor job at building customer loyalty, but it doesn't mean they haven't been trying. Give them a reason to value you more than the other customer.

I used to do consulting work for one of the big rental car companies. I also extensively traveled on business, renting cars in tons of cities and many countries.

Often the significant inconsistency in service comes down to whether the rental car company actually owns the location. The majority of Avis locations around the world, for example, are not owned by Avis; they are all franchises. It even happens here in the US. For example, the Hertz in Hyannis, Cape Cod and Hilton Head are both franchises. Hertz in most of the world, other than a dozen or so countries in Europe, are also franchises. One way to figure it out, keeping Hertz as an example, is to try and redeem rewards points. Hertz only lets you redeem at corporate owned locations, not franchises.

When you hit a franchise location, the variability of service is huge. Some are truly great, others are terrible and will try to scam you for everything.

The US is also a very different market to most around the world. The service is generally much better, and they care much less about damage to the vehicle. The rest of the world, generally, cares about every scratch, ding and mark, and will sometimes aggressively bill you for them.

So, ALWAYS take pictures of the vehicle before AND after (I had one time with Hertz Germany where they damaged the car after I had dropped it off, but billed me for it). Photos are your only proof that it wasn't you. ALWAYS get a copy of the damage sheet and, if its wrong, mark it up and specifically have the location sign to evidence the changes are authorized.

Lastly on damage, you're at the mercy of the rental car company. They mostly sub-contract the work out to third parties, and the pricing sheets are basically a bit like the cost of medical care i.e. it costs whatever the particular car company thinks it costs. Worse, the rental car company has NO obligation to get the work actually done at the time.

So what can happen is that you may get a scratch, and be billed $100, the next renter doesn't check the damage sheet and they get billed for the same scratch, and so on. And, as the cars are all usually on short-term leases from the manufacturer, sometimes the vehicle only gets fixed up before they are sent back (some damage you may get billed for which the manufacturer accepts back without being fixed). So, ALWAYS take pictures and mark up the damage sheet.

If you are heading to a different country, ALWAYS find out whether there are strange things like mandatory insurances when renting a car in that country. For example, the car rental companies make a killing on renters in Mexico, because no-one realizes you need mandatory insurance beyond what your credit card company may cover you for. Naturally the rental company will sell it to you for a significant mark up. And your time at the counter increases 5-fold

Finally, the other broad thing to know in many countries, including the US, is that the car rental business itself is not that profitable. The rental companies make all their money on the "insurance" products and other add ons that the customer purchases. The associates at the car rental desks in the US get commissions for selling you any add ons. So, if you decline everything, their incentive to give you great service or an upgrade just went down fast. (You'll also note that they never call it insurance as they're not legally allowed to sell insurance).

@ Juan and Lucky, I'm Hertz Presidents Circle whatever...due to my frequent work rentals. I have been fighting with PlatePass & Hertz for months now concerning tolls that were billed to me in error. I've written to Hertz many times explaining how they must have mixed up the toll devices and assigned the wrong device to my car. Not only do I have my own EZ Pass tag, but I was 60 miles away and swiped my credit card at three different stores when some of these tolls took place. Hertz has been absolutely useless and stated they can't help and I need to take it up with PlatePass. I've spent a good six hours trying to rectify the situation and Hertz refuses to help me. Despicable.

I use Hertz Gold Rewards whenever possible. The biggest benefit is simply skipping the counter and walking right out to grab a car. I typically reserve the cheapest thing possible, because you’re right - inventory is unreliable and you’re gonna get what you get, so might as well book the lowest price. Sometimes the only thing left is a big upgrade. If you need something large, always book the large SUV and never the small or mid-size. That’s the only thing I’ve found reliably available for when we need it (like renting bikes we need to put in the back). Whenever I try to shop around it always turns out to be a nightmare, so I just stick with Hertz. It’s worth the peace of mind.

Sixt is an awful rental car company. In Croatia, they said they were going to put a $3000 hold on my credit card in case of damages because I rented a luxury car. In reality they charged my credit card $3000. They finally refunded it 2 weeks after I returned the car. However, the exchange had changed and I did not get the full $3000 back. Thankfully I used a credit card with no foreign transaction fee or it would have been even worse. I emailed them several times but never a response about the $30+ dollars they owed me.

I really get a lot of value from National. They usually have the newest cars, best customer service, and have gotten me out of a few jams in the past when other agencies have failed.

All the car rental agencies are very similar, but on average, renting a midsize and getting any car on the lot is a huge plus. I rent 20 cars a year, and it's only been once or twice a year I've been stuck without an upgraded car.

It's too bad that enterprise is hit or miss. I have had good luck with commercial enterprise. If you need a truck, it's usually better to rent from an off-airport commercial enterprise lot. I would typically rent a Dodge F250 for $50 per day all in. If you need a truck, nothing is better. Usually cheaper than renting a compact SUV from the airport locations!

The mistake you’re making is assuming that these companies are in the car rental business.

They’re not: financially speaking, they’re in the business of bulk-buying from manufacturers of mass-market cars, at massive discounts, which they then sell 2nd hand for profit at the earliest opportunity (so the fewer miles on them the better).

Unfortunately they can’t sell them immediately after they’ve bought them, which is what they’d prefer to do, because the car companies would stop selling them. So in the meantime they have to go through the tiresome business of renting them out to poor suckers in need.

They make a terrible job of it because their heart isn’t in it — it’s not where they make the money. And they get the franchisees to turn up by letting them grab “extras” fees from customers — hence we always get grafted.

It’s a miserable business.

I sympathize. The big (inter)national brands seem to be the worst. At some airports, long lines are (or were, pre-covid) the norm, and the only way around them was to sign up for their frequent renter club. And even that wouldn't always work.

Then there's the time there were awful stains on the car seat when I picked up the car, which I accepted because I didn't have time to hassle with getting them to give me a different car. Then, after I returned the car, I got a letter from Avis saying they were going to charge me a $200 cleaning fee for the stains. The very F*ing nerve! I responded with time-stamped pictures of the stains and told them to cancel my Avid Preferred membership because I refuse to do business with a company as dishonest as they obviously are.

But, I have to grudgingly admit there were times when their utter disorganization worked in my favor. For instance, I picked up what was supposed to be a mid-size car at a neighborhood rental location - but all they had was large SUVs. Which turned out to be great as we were traveling with friends, and we could all travel together rather than in two different cars.

I can’t offer any advice as my experience echoes yours in Europe. Always a nightmare in France and Italy where I typically rent. No matter what you reserve, they either try to upsell you or downgrade you. I hold out and usually get upgraded for free and that’s the only nice part of the entire experience. The cars usually stink, literally, the check in process impossibly long and the turn in is always wrought with suspicious charges and unpleasant surprises. And the cost is ridiculously high. So high in fact, that I have considered buying a klunker, insuring it and leaving it with friends in Italy to be available for me when I need a car and to be at their disposal if they need backup. It has to be cheaper than what I pay for rentals each year. I do everything possible to avoid renting cars and am convinced the rental car industry is worse today than ever before.

I have a system set up (I used to rent weekly for work, and now mostly rent 10-12 times a year for leisure):
1) Make multiple reservations. I usually reserve a car from Hertz (where I have President's Circle and can go directly to the aisle and see if there's anything interesting there) and then something from the least expensive provider on Costco Travel. I never prepay, always check weekly for price changes.

2) When I show up, I proceed immediately to Prez Circle and see if there's anything good. If not, I go to my cheaper reservation from Costco Travel (or if Hertz was cheapest, I take the least worst option).

3) The least expensive Costco Travel option for me usually winds up being Alamo. If I'm not using Hertz, I'm usually at Alamo. At most airports, Alamo has self-service kiosks where you can do all the paperwork electronically on your own without an agent. Most people don't use these kiosks and want to talk to a human, but I'd rather avoid the human when I can.

Alamo also lets you pick out of the aisle for your class if you book a popular class (e.g., Compact SUV), so I usually then go out to the aisle with my Alamo paperwork.

4) Sign up for every single one of the loyalty programs and pre-load your DL and Credit Card. For Budget and Avis, I'm a Fastbreak / Wizard member and can usually go immediately to an assigned car and skip the line if I wind up renting from them.

5) I know everyone raves about National and the Emerald Aisle, but pricing wise they've never been close to Hertz / Alamo / Avis for me, so I haven't rented from Emerald a lot.

6) The key is to hold several cars to minimize the risk of driving off with nothing; one time I was at an airport (pre pandemic) with super high demand and I had reserved: 1) a midsize car at Hertz, 2) an 8 passenger SUV at Alamo, and 3) an 8 passenger SUV at Avis. I walked up to Avis and they ran out of cars. Ok, no problem. I go to Hertz, and they tell me as Presidents Circle, they've allocated a Mustang GT for me. I ask if I can swap for anything else (I was transporting people) and they offer a Chrysler Pacifica, which I took. I no-showed for my Alamo reservation.

It's a game, and it sucks to have to make 2-3 bookings on a regular basis, but I have 0 qualms about doing what I do (multiple reservations and no show) just due to the nature of a hot mess that is renting a car in general.

Try to get your hands on Hertz Platinum status. They bring the car up to the curb at most locations (suspended in some places since covid but hopefully will return) and when you return the car, they will take you back to the terminal with your luggage (sometimes in the same car). It has drastically improved the rental experience for me.

No paperwork ever and they barely glance at your ID.

If you know someone who has Hertz Plat, you can piggy back on their status and rent cars through them and still get the same treatment.

I'm pretty loyal to National in locations with an Emerald Aisle -- their prices are consistently higher, but the experience is better enough that it's worthwhile. Built-in Emerald Executive status with cards like the CSR makes the (real-life) selection better and more reliable. And there's sometimes a luxury car among the Aisle options, so I get a meaningful upgrade at the inconsistent-but-occasional frequency I'd expect with mid-tier status.

In locations without an Emerald Aisle, I agree: renting cars is kind of frustrating no matter whom you choose.

You dont even go into what annoys me the most - insurance laws when renting international. It can be very difficult to figure out what insurance products are required in some countries vs what theyre trying to scam you into. In Mexico, for example, expect to pay twice the quoted rate after mandatory insurance. If its required by law, why isnt it in the quote? Its a hassle to try and navigate a bunch of trip advisory threads to see whats needed in x country because its never clear.

Its also not easy in the US. People love to say "decline the rental insurance and use your Chase card" which ONLY applies if you own a personal car and pay insurance on it. Those of us in cities without cars are left with very little guidance on what we need to add (liability is the answer Ive found).

The other thing that really annoys me is that city locations tend to be closed Sundays and are barely open Saturdays. So any weekend rental adds a full day because you cant return it. IE, if I rent at 7pm on Friday, Im forced to keep it into Monday.

Zipcar used to be the answer to some of the issues, but then Avis bought the company and destroyed it.

Oh and for everyone pushing National? Last time I rented from them, it was a city location, so no emerald aisle. i rented a compact because I wanted the smallest possible car to make parking in the city easier. I get there, and all they have is a mid size. And then they insisted I had to pay extra because the mid size was worth more. So why was my compact reservation confirmed? Getting the extra charges refunded was a huge hassle.

I'd mostly agree. I've been quite loyal to Enterprise for around 10 years now. My employer had a special deal with them. Insurance covered and a corporate discount which I could use on personal travel. I've always had good service with them, and always had the category of car I needed. Over Christmas when I'd rent at SLC, I would always have the 7-8 passenger SUV, due to bags and family. And always got one. Sometimes even an upgrade to a Lincoln or Cadillac. At LAX you can check in via a kiosk and then show the paperwork to an agent on the lot and you're walked to the car. Others have also mentioned Costco, and I've used them as well. The worst Ive ever had was Budget where I'd rented a big SUV and then told all they had were pickup trucks or a 10 passenger van. Walked over to Enterprise and they got me taken care of.

Try to get status with one firm. We have had the maximum status with Europcar for many years here in Europe. The service varies hugely on the branch, but at some branches you can choose the car and they'll give you an upgrade up two categories. At the Heathrow branch for instance you are upgraded 2 categories above even when booking an entry level car (e.g. VW Polo), ending up with an SUV or estate instead. It's not that hard to get this upgrade. Every time you visit you get a bag of snacks and personal welcome, etc. So if you're using it a lot it's really worth looking into it from your preferred company. In Europe we have never had car availability issues like you had with Sixt so maybe it's worth looking at another brand, or try renting from a large branch, like an airport station.

Also remember that depending on the contracts with the manufacturer the cars will be different. E.g. Europcar/National lease cars from manufacturer only so you're likely to get a low-spec but potentially much newer car, usually from a cheaper brand. Whereas with the companies that actually buy the cars outright, like Hertz, you will get a higher-spec, nicer car that's maybe a bit older, as they are going to sell it on. It all depends on what you prefer!

Never take the insurance they offer you, just use your own if you already have it.

I haven't rented post-covid. But before, I had okay experiences with Hertz.

I'm President's Circle via Delta status. You fill out your data online once and then you don't need to see a counter during pickup. Just choose a car from the PC aisle and go. Key is inside. It takes like 1 min when you drive out (they look at your license and hand out the rental agreement to you or send the full agreement digitally).

I always reserve the lowest category which yields access to the PC aisle (you may also choose from the 5 star aisle). You can check the FT thread to get an idea about what cars might be available at what airport.

I do agree with your position on rental car company loyalty programs not really being anything of value, but I actually have had good experiences with Hertz Gold. I have the status through the Platinum car and it's really nice not having to deal with going inside/check-in/out etc. I have had issues twice where my car wasn't there and because I was a gold member, they upgraded me both times at no additional charge.

I totally agree with you about National's pricing. I always check when I'm initially shopping around for an option, but they are always substantially more expensive. That kills the Emerald Aisle for me. Avis is usually the cheapest and they are fairly reliable, but I've had wildly different experiences with them, especially outside of the US. I also had the same exact experience as you with Sixt (in Switzerland). Hertz is by far the most reliable in my eyes. They'll also deliver/pick up if you're willing to spend the $$.

Your rental car habits ... do not sound like the seasoned traveler I otherwise know you to be? This kind of rental car behavior is equivalent to trying to bring a quart-sized shampoo bottle through TSA.

I have never waited at a rental car counter in the US, thanks to the "bypass the counter" elite programs from Hertz, Avis, and National, which as you note you can join for free via various credit cards. And then you just ... book direct through those companies, maybe using a discount code if you can find one, and ... it's fine! Occasionally at smaller airports you still have to go to the counter, but certainly not at places like Miami and Denver, where you either select your car or there is a screen that tells you where your car is.

Typically if you have elite status and there's an issue, you can also go to the booth on the lot, rather than the main counter, which will have much shorter lines.

I don't have much experience booking specific car types so I can't really say either way, although I usually get upgraded to an SUV anyway based on the credit card statuses, and if by chance I don't and need one for some reason, I go to the booth on the lot and ask politely if they have any upgrades, and usually they do (for free).

I don't know what Autoslash is, but, are you booking through them? If you are, obviously you're getting shitty service, because you're sending the message that you're a cheap, inexperienced customer. Just like how if you book a hotel via Priceline you're going to get the 2nd floor room next to the ice machine overlooking the air conditioning equipment. You have to book direct if you want travel companies to think you're a valuable customer.

I also have had great luck with Costco Travel getting competitive if not spectacular rates on vehicles. You do have to be vigilant and be prepared to make new reservation after reservation (cancelling the old ones of course!) as rates jump around and have dropped by almost 50% on some instances.

This of course doesn’t speak to the other frustrations, but from a price perspective it works and you get to see multiple options if there is one company you prefer more than others.

I've found President's Club status with Avis to be incredible useful. I've used the President's Club line available for guaranteed availability and getting in touch with busy stations to bypass the line (Avis Preferred desk in DFW was closed). I think having status definitely helps with getting a decent car, or having a car held for you in the case of a oversell.

I can't speak to dealing with car reservations, normally I just pay for a full size on a corp code (since it's $5 more than a Economy/Compact/Standard sized car), apply a free upgrade coupon and then take whatever the rental desk has lying around. Fleets are definitely more constrained than pre-covid, as one agent told me, demand is up right now but they haven't grown their fleet to replace what was sold off.

I haven't had many issues yet with rental cars. The times I've had issues are when I rent out of smaller locations where the rental stock is kept at a bare minimum and I've had to wait an hour just to get a car. It's generally easier for me at airports, but I also stick with large companies, like Enterprise, as they're well-stocked there. If I know it's going to be a busy time (like when I went to Nashville for the solar eclipse), I try to arrive early in the day as they won't be overbooked by then. I also only book compact cars, as they're usually the cheapest and if they're out of stock, I get a free upgrade.

I also try to book with the rental car companies directly. The only exception would be when I book through Costco as it just adds on a few more discounts, but then your reservation is directly with the company. But in general, most horror stories I hear result in people booking and paying for their rental car through a 3rd party.

I have found that my status with Hertz is practically pointless. Only once I could go straight to the lot, every other time I've had to go to the counter because they couldn't "verify" my status, even when I've called ahead of time. And even then, they won't let me go into the lot and pick a car I want, I have to use a pre-selected car even if it isn't good. That was honestly the only benefit of using Hertz, especially now with COVID. Their website is super buggy too whenever I book, which leads to some of these issues, probably. Now I only go with them when they're much cheaper, but that is pretty rare.

I totally agree with you. Car rental in Europe has not evolved in the past 20 years. I rented a car last week and checked in online with all the necessary information to pick up the car as quickly as possible (it was late at night). When I show up to the desk, they ask for the same information another time and it takes about 15 minutes. I asked why and the answer was that they are a franchise and are not able to access the check in information I filled in the day prior!

You need to look into National and Emerald Aisle! Sorry did not read all of your discussion but straight away I knew you need to look into it. It is free to join the loyalty program and you can sign up for Emerald Aisle. You pay the intermediate price and when you turn up, you choose any vehicle from the aisle. You will get at least an intermediate. This also means you do not need to stop at the counter, you go straight to the vehicles.

You can also download the app and complete all the items on it, this way you do not need to speak to anyone until you leave the lot.