At the Hertz counter at LAX

[question everything]

Last year we visited Los Angeles and reserved a car at Dollar. It was midday and we were in line for an hour. Literally. The nice customer service lady said that it was "that time of the day" and suggested one of these saints, or patrons programs.

So this year we decided to try Hertz. No, no saints or patrons program there (I know I am not using the correct terminology). We don't travel much to pay for one of them

So we are standing in line and it is already 45 minutes. What bugged me was than when someone got their car and left, so did the agent.

So I stopped to talk to a young woman who was sitting next to an agent, and asked here why there were only 3 agents. She replied that she was a trainee, but she would see what she could do. This lady is heading high, since pretty soon three agents went to take their places, to the cheers of the line.

Spouse speculates that this keeping us in line is some sort of attrition. So that when patrons finally approach the counter, they are willing to upgrade for a more expensive car, to buy all the extra insurance offered, just get me out of here.

With us, we play Republicans: NO, NO, NO. We waited long time in line, just give me what we signed for and nothing extra.

(We got a cute little red Mazda2.)

Some years back we rented from Fox, or Deluxe - some place outside the airport with cars with dents that no one paid attention..

Oh well.

[Nye Bevan]

1. Hertz Gold Club is free to join.

Once you've joined you never need to wait in line at the counter.

[question everything]

13. Oh, OK. Did not know that

What do they require in return?

[Nye Bevan]

21. You just fill out all your info online,

like drivers license number, address, credit card, etc., and all of your rental preferences like how you want to pay for gas and insurance. It's a big timesaver since they don't need to ask all those questions every time you rent. You just skip the line, pick a car, drive out and show your license at the exit booth.

[jeff47]

26. Paying Hertz's rate for the rental.

They tend to be more expensive than the other options.

[Action_Patrol]

2. Hertz Gold is the only way to go at LAX

Step off plane, get to rental terminal, look for your name and get in your car.
That's it. Those lines are insane.

[rjsquirrel]

6. Yep

and it's free to join.


It is crucial to sign up for airline mileage plans, rental car insider plans, and hotel frequent guest plans NO MATTER HOW OFTEN YOU TRAVEL.

That's the bare minimum to take advantage of real savings and perks. Hertz Gold is absolutely necessary if you rent from Hertz at a big airport. Just sign up before you reserve while planning your trip.

If you leave mileage bonuses, discounts, and preferred treatment on the table you're a sucker. Make them spend money to earn your business.

[question everything]

14. Will do. We do have mileage - Delta

and some award plan with a Holiday Inn Express in West LA. Wonder whether this was the reason why we were not charged the $10 a night parking this time..

[SeattleVet]

3. Car rental hint...

I always reserve the smallest, cheapest subcompact thing they have. In all my years of travel rental, they have had those in stock exactly ONE time, so I paid for an upgrade to the mid-size. When it is not in stock for your reservation you typically get a free upgrade to the next largest thing they have.

I reserved a Geo Metro-class on one trip, which, of course, they didn't have on the airport lot. They gave me the next larger one that had, so I was upgraded (for the same price) to a Chevy Blazer for the 10 days I was there.

I don't know how much money this has saved me over the years, but I am guessing that it was considerable.

[rjsquirrel]

5. Only problem is

you might end up driving a tiny little tin box with a 12 hp motor.

I will usually rent a compact and get an upgrade to midsize or standard. I'm not willing to risk a subcompact being what I actually get. The Flintstones had a safer car than a subcompact, on LA freeways!

I drove a Geo Metro once from Houston to Dallas. Years ago. Scariest drive ever.

[SeattleVet]

23. I've never been stuck with the subcompact...

those are the ones that are the shortest supply, and they almost never have available (especially during busy times for business travel). When they did have it (the one time they did) I just told them to upgrade to the mid-size, paid a little extra over the price of the sub, and went on my merry way.

[Phentex]

28. except for that one time my roommate and I rented a car...

a Geo Metro the size of a roller skate with no radio for a 12 hour trip. They didn't HAVE ipods back then.

Thank God we were young and stupid.

[rjsquirrel]

4. It's not a strategy

That's silly. How would waiting an hour in line make you want to spend more on the rental?

It's them being cheap. The business goes in bursts as flights come in. They're dead and then they're busy.

In the future use the automated system. That is what they want you to do so they save money by hiring fewer people.

Hertz is one of the most expensive options in most cities, for very little difference (and I'm a gold member as my employer prefers Hertz). If I'm on my own I prefer Alamo. It costs nothing to join either company's preferred club (Gold for Hertz, insider for Alamo) and you will save ca. 10% right off the top if you do.

If you have good insurance on your own car (and by good I mean collision, comprehensive, uninsured motorist, and at least $200k in liability coverage that extends to rentals -- make sure it does) or most major credit cards, you can decline the real money maker for rental agencies, which are the ABSURD add on insurance prices they use to scam foreigners.

Mazda 2 is a nice little car, if you have almost no luggage. I own a (bigger) late model Mazda and it's the best car I've ever had. Not many places rent them out, it hasn't been a big fleet option. Definitely a smart choice if you see one for great fuel economy without sacrificing driving pleasure.

[question everything]

15. The Mazda 2 was ideal for driving around LA and parking

Just the two of us, so one of the suitcase was in the back seat just for driving to the hotel and back. And it was very comfortable both to drive and on the driver seat.

Yes, we have good insurance so we always decline an extra one. We also decline to pay ahead for a tank of gas. We fill right before we arrive at the airport.

[Human101948]

27. What your insurance won't cover is "loss of use"

Travelers have little recourse against rental car companies’ ‘loss of use’ policies

Rental companies used to write off the time a car spent in a garage as an expense. But shrinking profits forced them to add a loss-of-use charge to their repair bills, which allows them to recover the revenue they would have collected if the vehicle had been rented.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/travelers-have-little-recourse-against-rental-car-companies-loss-of-use-policies/2013/10/17/857f1ea4-32a8-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.html

[ProfessorGAC]

7. Alamo Is OK By Me Too

Also, i've used Enterprise. They have good prices, lots of specials, and although they're not on the airport, they're usually so close it doesn't matter. In Miami, the Enterprise is less than 5 minutes from the terminal. In Key West, everything is only 5 minutes from the terminal!

We used to have Avis and/or National as preferred rental choices. Had a problem with Avis once. (Minor) Never an issue at National. They drop you off at the car, and off you go.

[rjsquirrel]

9. Alamo/National are same company

The ones I won't use: Thrifty, Budget, Avis. Each has tried to screw me. Alamo has never ever treated me wrong. I do a ton of business with them and everywhere I go I get freebies.

Heck, they completely comped me a week long full sized car rental in Miami last year because I had issues with the fancy radio. As in "no charge, Mr. Squirrel."

Told the guy I'd say something nice about it online. So here I am: Alamo at Miami International, you guys are great.

You have to sign up for "Insider" so they can see your rental history. I have also found Enterprise to be fine and a good value.

[ProfessorGAC]

11. I Know!

But, i've found when you have the choice, Enterprise has more special deals and the only inconvenience is that you have to get on a bus to get to the rental car joint just to get the process going. But, they're usually very efficient. In KW, the price difference between "at the airport" and Enterprise is huge.

[brooklynite]

8. So everything annoying is an evil conspiracy?

At least life stays exciting...

[rjsquirrel]

10. Exactly

rather than the OP just being an inexperienced traveler.

In my experience airport car rental is one of the few parts of America's travel infrastructure that usually works well.

[question everything]

16. OK, was a bit facetious

but why would a business not make the most effort to have all available agents out, to quickly move the line and then to relieve them?

Still, waiting for an hour after a long flight, often requiring early arrival at the airport of origin is infuriating.

Earlier in the day we were taking a commuter plane from Flagstaff. As with all other flights, individuals were offered to surrender their carryons for free, even though some of them would never fit an overhead compartment.

But, they had a problem with "weight and balance." So they took out all these pieces of luggage and back into the cabin. And for all that we left an hour later. We did not mind, had a long layover, but many may have missed their connection.

[Atman]

18. I'm still baffled that people wait in lines at rental counters.

Ten minutes online before you leave home, then just walk off the plane to your car. Nowadays they just leave the keys in all the cars, some guy checks the slip when you pull out of the gate, and you're off. Why would anyone spend even more time after a long day in the air, just to haggle with a car-rental person?

Actually, more times than not we get a what I call a default upgrade. Like, there is an SUV in the space marked for our mid-size. They always just say "Oops, sorry!" and mark your paperwork, let you drive on your way. They really don't care...notice that there are a hundred other unused cars sitting there. Just keep the cash flowing.

[brooklynite]

20. Answer - staffing and supplying for the maximum flow is inefficient

You staff and supply resources for, say, the 75-80th percentile of need. If you're set up so that nobody waits at the peak of peak demand, you have a lot of resources sitting around the rest of the day,

[dembotoz]

12. lean and effiecient customer service...if it takes 5 staff 3 and hope 2 show up

and they will be busy all day

[Atman]

17. I'm always amazed that people still rent with Hertz.

My guess is it is old people who just remember the name, when Hertz and Avis were the only names in the business. The two most expensive car rental companies at any airport. You probably then go pay $250 to stay at a Holiday Inn. Brand loyalty gets you something when you're actually buying a quality vehicle, or staying at a nice hotel. But Hertz and Holiday Inn are commodities. You're not getting anything special -- they rent the same cars, your hotel room is still a small box with a mini-bar.

I love to get the perks when I travel. I've have never, ever, not once, found Hertz or Avis, or Holiday Inn to be a good value. Super expensive, no added value, even if I'm using one of the various so-called discounts offered by club cards, loyalty programs or credit cards. For the same money you can usually rent a much better car from Budget or Dollar, and stay at a nice boutique hotel instead of a cookie-cutter. But I understand that many people just like the convenience and comfort of something familiar. Same reason why people eat an Applebees when traveling to a new city...they know exactly what they're going to get, even if it isn't good. It's reliable.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

25. Really? I've pretty much run the gamut when it comes to rental cars, Hertz included.

I go for whatever offers the best deal, and I've never found one rental car company that consistently offers lower prices than the rest.

Over the years, I've rented from Hertz, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Alamo and Enterprise. I've never found that one is consistently the best deal. It's always a matter of timing as to who offers the best.

The only one who I've found is consistently higher than the rest, for reasons unknown, is National. And I've never rented from National because they never offer me the best deal for a very utilitarian product.

But Hertz has at times come on top. Last time I rented Hertz was this summer. I needed a car to take my family on vacation. I didn't need an airport location since we were driving the trip, and the local Hertz office came up with the best price. Surprisingly, I ended up with a free upgrade to a minivan, which was a huge bonus for the trip. Lots and lots of room, extremely comfortable for the long trip, built in DVD player for the kids, and it actually got decent mileage to boot. Dare I say it was the best car I ever rented.

But that was that one time. Other times other companies offer better deal, and I go with them. My last trip I went with Advantage, who I had never rented from before. I was a little wary due to some negative reviews, but everything ended up okay.

The thing was, I kept on checking and rechecking the prices. Because you reserve at one price, but often times a week later, there will be a better price offered. So you just cancel and re-reserve. With Advantage, I started with a reservation of $130 for a three day weekend, which at the time I thought was a good deal. The price kept on going down so I kept on re-reserving. At the end, I paid $69 for the weekend.

But I've found Hertz to be no better or no worse than the rest of the rental companies. You can't compare it to eating at a chain place vs. a local place though, since most rental car business is chain anyways, and most people aren't looking to rent something for pleasure but rather for utility.

[Arugula Latte]

19. The wait-in-line system seems like such an outdated business model for car renting.

Seems like there must be a far more efficient way to do this.

[hunter]

22. First world problem.

Last time I tried to rent a car my credit cards were denied. We had to wait for the Knight Bus and call my sister-in-law to take us the rest of the way home.

Muggles, they don't see nothing.

[KamaAina]

24. Republican Stepdad wants you to rent from Avis

he was a corporate attorney there for many years.