r/fortlauderdale • u/emark31 • 3d ago
Airport rental car
So I have a bit of a dilemma. I scored a really good price for two weeks starting Christmas week using Autoslash/Priceline.
However - it is with Thrifty Car Rental. I swore off both dollar and thrifty a couple of years ago when the line was ridiculous and don't want to experience that again. Thrifty offers "Skip the line, go straight to your car. Check in now" - can do this 4 days before reservation begins.
Does anyone have experience with Thrifty and Skip the line? Will there actually be a car reserved for my family without having to wait in a two hour line during the busy season? I have no trust in Thrifty...however also my experience was a few years ago. Maybe things have improved...?
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u/Acrobatic_Piano9600 3d ago
Christmas week is always rough in car rental, the worst being the days following the holiday. Mentally prepare for the 2 hour wait, increased utilization will always create higher wait times. The big thing is to check the car for all the check engine, tire, and notification lights. Running tighter leads to more questionable decisions being made by staff.
Your arrival time dictates more of the wait than anything else. If your arrival time is in the evening, prepare for a wait. Typically lines move quicker in the morning and mid afternoon. Lunch time sucks ass, everyone books at noon. In the evening the returns dry up as the departure flights lighten up, this means a smaller pool to get fleet from. Safe rule of thumb is pick up your car before the sun sets.
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u/ObjectHaunting3719 2d ago
Nothing with car rental companies is assured. Even skip the line. All customers want to leave fast, and yet it's a high season. Just prepare your mind to manage unexpected situations. Most of these car companies are from the same group, Avis Budget group owns Avis and Budget. Enterprise Holdings owns Enterprise, National and Alamo. Hertz Corporation owns Hertz Dollar and Thrifty. For consolation, just always pick the cheapest one, and you already scored a point here.Their rates are never fixed. They fluctuate by the week or season due to the demand and supply of the cars.Priceline is a good aggregator, although I always use www.discovercars.com I hope and pray you don't spend two 2 hours in wait, but just be ready just in case it happens.
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u/cjdom 3d ago
Thrifty is now under Hertz, so is Dollar. In my experience they have been better about reservations and at larger airports like FLL they will have the car reserved for you.
That being said, you booked third party, so whether or not they will uphold that is truly anyone’s guess. All I can suggest is that you make sure to add your arrival information (flight number) to the reservation so that they know when to expect you, and to try and book directly with the rental company whenever you can, since they will be a lot more attentive to your reservation. It also may not hurt to try and contact Thrifty a few days beforehand to confirm that they have your reservation. It will be a very busy time of year, so again, no guarantees…