To rent a car at airport may seem like a daunting task. But it isn’t. There are a few things you must consider when you want to rent a car at airport. Let’s have a look at them.
Tips To Rent A Car At Airport
1) Make A Reservation
Airport rentals are in high demand these days. So, making a reservation in advance is recommended, especially if you are booking during a travel season.
2) Hire A Suburban Depot
Renting a car from an airport will be more expensive compared to hiring at a suburban depot.
3) Include The Flight Number In Your Car Booking
Don’t forget to include your flight number while you carry out the booking. This way, the car rental company will be able to keep track of any delays to your flight and make sure that there is someone on the site to handle your car booking process on your arrival.
4) Rental Counter Reservation Area
When you arrive/land at the airport look for the rental counters’ areas. In that dedicated space you will find the rental counter.
5) Plan Your Time Carefully
If you wish to return the car to the airport before sitting in the departing flame, spare a lot of minutes to drop the car off and reach the terminal.
6) For Any Delays Inform The Rental Company
If you feel you will get late while picking up or dropping off your car, you should immediately inform your rental car company.
Car Companies That Provide Free Shuttle Service
Shuttle Service involves picking customers from one location, dropping them at the other, and again taking them back to the former. Let’s have a look at the companies that offer free shuttle services.
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Ace Rental Cars
For customers picking up or returning their rental car at one of the firm’s branches, the company provides a free pick-up and drop-off service. A shuttle also runs to domestic and international airport terminals.
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Jucy Car Rental Sydney
You can take a free shuttle bus from the airport to JUCY Sydney during business hours. Their business hours include:
Monday to Friday: 08:00am – 05:00pm
Saturday: 08:00am – 02:00pm
Sunday: 09:00am – 02:00pm
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Bargain Car Rentals
The company offers free pick up and drop off to their depot:
a) Collection In Melbourne Location
Call 1300 729 230 during business hours to schedule a shuttle van to take you to their location near the airport once you’ve collected your luggage.
b) Any Of The Terminals (1, 2, 3, and 4)
Refer to their Melbourne Airport map for directions on finding the spot where their shuttle will pick you up.
c) Drop Off In Melbourne Location
If you would like a shuttle to take you back to the airport terminal, return your car to their off-site depot at 3 Annandale Road in Tullamarine. This service is not reserved and is only available during business hours and 20 minutes before closing.
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No Birds
With No Birds company, you get an airport transfer for just $5 each way. But one thing to note down is that you get a shuttle service between Sydney airports and their Mascot office. So, reserve your rental car right away and the company will pick you up from the airport and drop you back too safely and on time.
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East Coast Rentals
The company offers a complimentary airport shuttle bus service to get to East Coast Car Rentals Sydney Branch.
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Alpha Car Hire
Alpha Car Hire’s primary goal is to offer top-notch rental cars at extremely competitive prices. They are an easy option for both leisure and business travelers searching for cheap car rentals in Melbourne due to their proximity to the airport.
You can rely on them to give you highly dependable vehicles and helpful customer service, whether you need tiny cars, family SUVs, or van hire in Melbourne. You can go between the airport and their neighboring facilities using their free shuttles.
In short, there are companies near or at the airport that offers free shuttle services for your convenience. You should choose one of them as they will take full responsibility for picking up and dropping you off.
Is It Less Expensive To Rent A Car At Airport?
You will be disappointed to know that airport rental costs are much more than what you may find away from the airport. The differences can be great. It’s up to you whether you value convenience or money. The reasons for higher rental costs are as follows:
1. Taxes
Airport taxes can be higher than off-airport tax bills.
2. Demand
Sometimes, when demand for rental cars goes higher, rental car companies tend to increase the rental prices. It is too obvious to state that the demand for rental cars is higher at airports.
How to Find A Cheap Airport Rental Car?
Although, as stated above, rental cars can be expensive at the airport, still there can be ways to find a cheap airport rental car. Let’s have a look at them.
1. Dig The Cheapest Rental Car Company
There are many cheap rental car companies such as Europcar, Rent A Prestige Car, Platinum Car Hire, Exotic Car Travels, etc that can meet your rental needs within your budget.
2. What About Booking At The Last Minute?
Sometimes booking a car at the last minute can bring a great deal on your hands. In other words, booking a car one week in advance can be cheaper compared to booking three months in advance.
3. Rental Car Loyalty Programs
These days rental car companies inculcate loyalty programs that are beneficial to both company and customers. With loyalty programs, customers can gain free rentals, complimentary private airport delivery, and upgrades. For instance, if you make a car rental, then you get a rental free. Every rental company has different loyalty programs.
Dropping Off Rental Car at The Airport
After you have taken full advantage of the car, the next step is to return the car to the airport. If you are wondering what to do before returning the rental car, we have your back. Let’s have a look at the essentials for dropping off the rental car at the airport.
1. Fill The Car With Fuel
Most rental car companies require that the car must be brimmed with fuel before you return it. If you do not do so, you may have to pay extra refueling fees and the price will increase per liter. So, if you don’t want to bear the burden of extra fees, get your tank brimmed before returning the rental car.
2. Clean The Car
If you have borrowed a car from the rental company, it’s your responsibility to take care of it as well. For instance, before returning the rental car to the airport, make sure that there is no dust or rubbish in the rental car.
If you don’t do so, you may have to pay the cleaning fee. Some luxury cars have tiny vacuum cleaners in them. With a vacuum cleaner, it’s easier to clean the car. You don’t need to wash the outside of the car, but if it’s too dirty, you should do that chore.
3. Stick Hard To The Drop-off Time
It’s not good to be late. Being late is impolite, wastes people’s precious time, and makes you pay an extra fee. For instance, if you return the rental car after two hours past the deadline, you may have to pay 33%-50% of the daily rate per hour, depending on the company.
Additionally, even if you are only 30 minutes late, any insurance or extras—such as GPS units and kid seats—will be billed at the appropriate daily cost.
With a rented car, you have complete control over the vehicle. As a result, you can easily squeeze yourself and four other adults in a sedan. In a cab, the driver’s seat is already filled, therefore you can only fit three adults in addition to yourself.
Taxi drivers generally have contracts with large hotels to transfer clients directly from the airport to their hotel. These hotels are far too expensive in comparison to the others in town. You can save a lot of money by driving to a more affordable hotel using a rental car.
Pros to Rent A Car At Airport
To rent a car at airport will give you the below-mentioned benefits. Let’s discuss them.
1. Independent Schedule
If you don’t book a car in advance at the airport, you will have to bear the burden of chasing a taxi to reach your hotel or any desired location.
Also, sometimes, when you book a taxi, you may be wasting your travel money as the taxi driver may take you to a different longer route, and you may not even know it.
2. More Free Time
Rent a car at airport gives you much more freedom as you can explore even the hidden places and roam anywhere you want. Just use your Google map, and you can reach anywhere you want without depending on the driver. Furthermore, with drivers, you may face issues such as miscommunication or misunderstanding.
For instance, if a driver speaks in another language, you won’t be able to give him instructions and a lack of understanding may cause you to delay in reaching your destination. That’s why you should stay away from taxi services. Another benefit of renting a car from the airport is that you don’t have to wait for long periods.
3. Easy Renting Process
Renting a car is an easy and hassle-free process. You must follow the below-mentioned steps, and you are good to go.
a) Book Your Car
You should book a rental car in advance as it will offer you cheap prices and ensure that you don’t miss out on a vehicle during peak travel times. Apart from these benefits, you also get to choose from a wide variety of cars.
b) Look Out For Any Extra Fees
Look out for any extra fees. After you are done with the booking process, the next step is to check if there are any additional charges. Extra charges that may incur include a young driver surcharge fee if you exceed the set mileage limit and credit card surcharges (extra fee charged if you pay from the credit card).
c) Cost Effective
Also, if you pick up the car from an airport and drop it off at the same location, you will be saving a lot of money. On the other hand, if your drop your rental car somewhere else, then you have to pay a one-way surcharge or relocation fee.
d) Get Price Quotes From Numerous Rental Car Agencies
Get price quotes from numerous rental car agencies. The point is to not stick to a particular brand. Explore as many as you can to hunt for the best price.
e) Review Your Reservation
Don’t forget to review your booking so that you have a sigh of relief that you have booked the car for the appropriate dates. Note down the pickup time as well.
4. Choose Your Car Model
Rental car companies have plenty of car models. You can choose whatever you like. On top of that, you can choose a car based on the event. For instance, you can book BMW 5 or Ford Mondeo for business meetings and Mercedes for weddings. Whatever the reasons are, the choice is yours.
5. Possibility To Travel In Group
You get extra space with a rental car. For example, if you are traveling in a group, hiring a rental car would allow you to adjust four friends or family in your rental car. However, this won’t be possible if you book a taxi. Of course, the driver would take extra space.
6. Easy To Extend The Rental Service
You can even extend the rental services for a complete trip. For instance, if you need to travel extra miles for a day or two, your rental car company will allow you to do that. On the other hand, if seek a taxi, you won’t get extension services.
Briefly, booking a rental car from the airport will give you more benefits than booking a taxi.
Cons to Rent a Car At Airport
Like every coin has two sides, there are cons to rent a car at airport. Let’s have a look at them.
1. High Car Rent Prices
To rent a car at the airport may cause you to pay higher prices. Higher prices may be due to Value Added Tax (VAT) and airport fees (VAT is applied to the price of the item at each stage of production, distribution, and sale to the end consumer.)
2. Extra Charges Fees
The company may charge extra if you return the car late. Is very important to plan very carefully your schedule and to return the car on time.
Conclusion
Rent a car at airport is expensive but worth your money. It is because nothing can beat the convenience. The rental car companies offer a free shuttle service to pick you up from an airport and leave you at the rental car company’s branch where you can pick up a rental car.
Not only this, but the company’s shuttle service also involves leaving you back at the airport on time.