Airport Car Rentals are a Ripoff
This week, we’ll be traveling to visit family for the holidays. We’re flying so, upon arrival, we’ll need a set of wheels. What we’re not doing is renting a car at the airport. In case you weren’t aware, there are extra taxes/fees associated with renting cars at an airport. On top of that, the cost of renting the vehicle itself is often higher — sometimes much higher.
Just to give you a quick example, the vehicle that we’re renting (a full size SUV, which will accommodate our family of six + two grandparents) costs just over $450 (including taxes and fees) for the week. In contrast, renting the exact same vehicle at the airport would cost us just shy of $1500 for the week.
That’s right… More than triple the price. All for the convenience of renting at the airport. Pretty amazing, huh? And guess what? The location that we’re renting from is just three miles away from the airport. Even if you don’t have friends or family to tote you to the alternate rental agency, spending a few bucks on a cab ride can save you a huge chunk of change.
Published on December 25th, 2008 - 7 Comments
Filed under: Frugality, Travel
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Good tip! I frequently travel to cities not large enough to have off airport car rentals, but the next time I go to a big city, I’ll definitely check out off-airport rentals.
Comment by SimplyForties — Dec 31st 2008 @ 11:53 pmHoly Zen! That seems like robbery, what were they thinking??! Thanks a lot for sharing, I will certainly ask the price first before renting any car in airports.
Comment by Isaac Yassar — Jan 16th 2009 @ 12:30 amSorry man, but this may hold true in your one scenario, but will rarely hold up across the board. While it may be cheaper to rent off-site, I’ve found (and I travel a LOT for work) that any extra costs would be instantly lost with a cab ride.
I don’t know what you’re doing or where you’re going, but there’s no reason a rental should cost you that much. I routinely get cars for a whole week for the $200/wk range. Try something like Hotwire and I’m sure you’ll find a better deal.
OR instead of demanding a full-size SUV, go for something like a Minivan. In fact, if you book a compact on a Monday, then they often won’t have any left and will stick you in a minivan. Then you get a full week in an appropriately sized vehicle for less than $200/wk. Heck, even a mid-size SUV is about 1/3 the cost of a full-size.
Comment by Otis — Jan 26th 2009 @ 11:40 amOtis: I agree that the extreme price difference is unusual, but there is almost always a price difference, plus the additional taxes/fees of renting from an aiport locaiton (concession fee, etc.). For a short visit (like a business trip) the difference may be negligible, but if you’re staying for any length of time, you can save a good bit by going off site. Is it worth the difference? That’s up to you. But there is a difference.
Otis: Just to followup on your other question, this was a holiday week (Christmas through New Years) in a major city. We didn’t “demand” a full size SUV, but we did require one… We had eight people and wanted to travel in a single vehicle. Minivans seat seven, and midsize SUVs seat even fewer.
Okay, I stand corrected.
In the event that you’re traveling with 8+ people, during peak holiday season, near a major city with lots of off-airport options, then you are most certainly correct.
However, for all those times that you’re with 7 or fewer passengers it’s cheapest to simply go with the smallest vehicle you need.
Bottom line…just look around for the best value and consider all costs (cabs or extra airport fees) to find the cheapest option overall.
Comment by Otis — Jan 27th 2009 @ 12:15 pmIn all instances it’s best to go with the smallest vehicle possible. My only point is that you should consider your options. It only takes about 30 seconds to expand your search parameters, and it can save you a good bit of money. This isn’t the instance (or location) where I’ve found this to be true. No, it won’t always be worth the trouble, but you’ll never know if you don’t look.
Comment by admin — Jan 27th 2009 @ 12:20 pm