Car rental - Should you buy the insurance?

(Image: Ambro)

If you've ever rented a car then you probably have experienced a pitch by the rental car company's customer service agent to buy the optional insurance coverage they sell, in particular the LDW (loss and damage waiver) or the CDW (collision damage waiver).

For frequent business travelers the pitch is more muted or avoided altogether for renters who belong to programs like Hertz # 1 Gold, and have already indicated their insurance preferences in a customer profile, and can pick up the car directly and bypass the counter.  For less frequent renters, however, the sell-job can range from concise and polite to lengthy and fear mongering.  (Or sometimes concise and fear mongering to lengthy and polite...)

The good part about these waivers is that subject to the limitations of the vehicle you rent, you can return the car with damage and not be subject to the costs of repairs should something happen.  (No, it doesn't cover you if you trash the inside of the car, or if you use a vehicle for a dump run, etc.)  An additional benefit of LDW/CDW is that even if you have outside coverage (personal auto insurance, credit card, travel insurance), the paperwork following a mishap will be relatively swift because the matter is only between you and the rental company.

The bad part is that LDW or CDW coverage is expensive.

A friend and client of mine recently rented a car in Phoenix for 5 days during the spring training period.  When he picked up the car, the agent asked him if he wanted "full coverage".  He answered "yes" (doesn't everyone want full coverage?) but neglected to ask what that would cost.  When he returned the vehicle the total fee for the rental plus insurance coverages was $700.  Lesson learned for him.  ("Full" coverage probably included additional liability coverage and coverage for loss or damage to the contents of the vehicle, in addition to the LDW/CDW.)

Whether or not the car rental company's appeal to you to buy the insurance is pleasant or annoying, you owe it to yourself to come equipped beforehand with the knowledge to decide if you should or should not take out the coverage.  This way you can make an informed and confident decision, not a hasty one under pressure.

When I'm asked by clients as to whether they should buy the insurance I am careful to never give a definitive answer for the simple reason that I am not their insurance agent.  However I suggest they consider what follows below.


First check with your insurance agent

You can also read your policy - it may state it clearly there - but if isn't clear then you should contact your agent to find out exactly what your personal auto insurance covers when you rent a car.  If you rent cars outside of the U.S. and Canada then you need to get details for the coverage you receive - if any - overseas.

If your coverage does extend to rented vehicles, but has high deductibles for damage and/or you do not carry collision insurance at all because your car, like mine, is too old to merit it, then know that you may be exposed.

One other thing to consider If you rent cars fairly often, is to ask your agent if the insurance carrier offers an add-on to your policy to cover rental cars, and which goes beyond the coverage you carry for your own vehicles.


Coverage by your credit card

Some cards have coverage for rental cars, but as a rule it is secondary coverage.  What that means, is that it kicks in when your own insurance does not cover all or part of damage to a rental car.  As with your personal insurance, it pays to know what it will and will not cover.

For example, here is a link to the VISA Signature page that details the benefit of that credit card's program.  This is just the current (August 2011) program of coverage offered by one type of VISA card.  You need to determine whether your credit card provides protection, and if so, exactly what it covers.

The VISA Signature rules are pretty straightforward and common sense, but bear reading.  For example, the benefit only applies for standard vehicles: rare, super-expensive, or vehicles that carry more than eight people are not covered.  Rentals in Israel, Jamaica, or Ireland (both "Republic of" and "Northern") are not coverered.  Also the coverage is only for the vehicle.  It does not cover injuries to the car's occupants or others.

It might seem obvious, but in order to receive the benefit you must use the credit card as the method of payment for the car rental.


Travel insurance

Car rental coverage is either included or can be added as a supplement to travel insurance policies, but usually it is secondary coverage, as with credit card coverage.

One exception to that currently of which I am aware is Access America.  They offer $35,000 colision damage/loss for $9 per day, and it is primary insurance, which means that it would pay first.  You can buy this coverage on a stand-alone basis, or as part of a wider travel insurance policy.

Bear in mind that Access America (or any other travel insurance) is going to have its own exclusions and limitations (for example, they also do not cover rentals in Israel, Jamaica, or Ireland) so read the fine print carefully before buying the policy to be sure that it will apply to the specifics of your use of a rental car.


When should you buy the car rental company's coverage?

Only you can decide this, but I'll give you one example from my experiece where I think it is sensible.

Every year I run the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey, a 178-mile 12-person relay in the Reno-Tahoe area.  My half of the team uses a local teammate's minivan, so rental coverage there is not an issue, but the other half of our team rents a large SUV from Hertz.  Even though the two people that share driving responsibilities have their own insurance and credit card coverage, the six people in the vehicle share the extra cost of LDW (Loss Damage Waiver).

Why?  By doing so it means that if anything happens to the vehicle while they are using it, one person isn't stuck dealing with the bureaucratic aftermath involving the car rental company and other entities.  The couple of bucks extra that each one of the six people in the SUV pays is money well spent.


In conclusion

No one can tell you whether you should or should not take out the car rental company's LDW or CDW policies.  You need to make that decision.  But being well-informed of the coverage you may (or may not) already have, will help you make a good decision when you are at the rental car counter about to pick up your vehicle.

2011 Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Run

In August 2010, I ran in the Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Run from the plaza in downtown Ashland, Ore. up to the top of Mt. Ashland, 13.3 miles and 5600’ (1707 m) later.  Last year my finish was 3:02:20.  Being so close to three hours then, inspired me to give it another go this year with the goal of coming in under that.

I’m happy to report that I made my goal with a time of 2:57:32, not quite five minutes faster.

View of Mt. Ashland from the city

Rather than give the entire blow-by-blow account of the race, I’ll confine this to some observations and include a few new pictures I snapped this year.  For those interested in running the race or anyone who wants to know more about the event, please read last year’s post.

My running of the race was not much different from last 2010.

I ran – no walking - from the start at Lithia Plaza until the third aid station at Bull Gap, about 9 miles into the race.  This is entirely uphill and in some places very steep until approximately 8 miles, but from there to Bull Gap is the only level or at times slight downhill part of the course.  This year I really poured on the speed here to put some money in the bank, knowing I’d need to withdraw it later.

From Bull Gap to the Ski Lodge the road becomes single track and more difficult to negotiate.  I powerwalked twice – once early on and again nearer the end when I felt that fatigue made me clumsy on the steep rutted surface, and powerwalking would be smoother, more comfortable, and nearly as fast as slow-motion running.

Looking back to whence we came:
viewing the valley where Ashland is from the Ski Lodge

I downed some liquids and a few orange slices at the Ski Lodge aid station, then set off on the last, shortest and toughest leg of the run, the ascent of the summit.  I think I may have done this more slowly than last year. 

After the first few semi-level steps one takes upon leaving the aid station. I reverted to walking the steep single track trail to the start of the even steeper scree.  From there it seemed like two steps forward, one step back, rest, and then repeat until I finally made the finish line at the summit.

I can’t say this was any easier for me than last year because it wasn’t.

Looking back toward the Ski Lodge and to where

runners emerge from the forest.

Clearly if I ever want to improve my time further, I’ll need to do better in the last two segments of the run after Bull Gap. But I was happy with this year’s result. After some time resting at the summit, I hopped a ride in a pick-up back to the lodge where the refreshments were, including Standing Stone Brewing’s keg!

Two anecdotes about other runners

From soon after the start as far as the Bull Gap aid station I ran at times with, ahead of, or behind Kathy Morell of Ketchum, Idaho.  (Chico readers will note that she told me she has a niece working at the Hotel Diamond.)  Due to my speed-up on the level-and-downhill portion prior to Bull Gap, I finished there before she did, but that would not be how things ended up.  She made a quick stop at the aid station, took off running a few seconds before I did, and soon I stopped seeing her in the distance.  She smoked the rest of the race, finishing nearly 13 minutes ahead of me (2:44:43).  Kathy is 50, and won the women’s 50-59 division!

Just a few minutes before the  race start, I looked to my right and who should be there but Jen Briggs, a recent former resident of Chico who now lives with her family in Eugene, Ore.  What a surprise!  I had no idea that anyone I knew would be there.  As it was, she, her sister Lori, and brother-in-law John from Colorado were running it, too.  They all did very well, and  less than two weeks from now are running in the Pike’s Peak Ascent which has an even greater elevation gain than the Hill Climb, plus it starts at about the same elevation where Mt. Ashland ends.


2012 ?

Ski Lodge aid station - the final push to the summit in background

I wasn’t planning to make this a same-time next year kind of event.  I made my goal of coming in under 3 hours, and maybe some other year I’d give it another try.  But after I finished, my partner Keith (whose knee injury has prevented him from running since January), mused about the idea of powerwalking the Hill Climb.  (Keith’s powerwalk is faster than some people run.)  Should he decide to powerwalk it then I’ll run it in 2012.  I think Keith just wants to enjoy the free beer after the finish, as well as the $10 Standing Stone Brewing Co. gift certificate that they put in the runner goody bag.

If you are interested in running the Hill Climb, note that the field is limited to 300 runners, and this year it sold out within two weeks of the start of registration.  To go on a list to be notified when registration opens up in the spring, click here.


The numbers:

Total # of finishers: 192
# of male finishers: 107
# of female finishers: 85
Men’s winning time: 1:51:54 (Erik Skaggs, 29, Ashland)
Women’s winning time: 2:11:40 (Stephanie Howe, 27, Bend, Ore.)
# male finishers 50-59: 16
My divisional place: 5
Fastest male 50-59: 2:20:39
All results

Rail - All there is to know about Amtrak service to Chico

For those who live in Chico and follow this blog, I published a post in my original blog entitled "Rail - All there is to know about Amtrak service in Chico".

Even if you don't live in Chico, you may find parts of this post useful, because I point out the destinations served by the Coast Starlight (Los Angeles-Seattle) and other places that can be reached by means of connections from the Coast Starlight, as well as some basic information about Amtrak ticketing.

Amtrak Service and Fares - Routes - # 7 - Short-distance corridors - Western (Pacific coast)

I’m moving into the part of the country I know best. Because of the financial support given by the states of California, Washington, and Oregon, there is much more Amtrak service on the Pacific coast than there was when Amtrak took over passenger trains in 1971.

In fact, four of Amtrak’s top 10 corridors (by number of passengers carried) are found here.

# 2 – Pacific Surfliner (San Diego-Los Angeles-Santa Barbara-San Luis Obispo)

# 3 – Capitol Corridor (San Jose-Oakland-Sacramento-Auburn)
# 5 – San Joaquin – (Bakersfield-Oakland/Sacramento)
# 7 – Cascades – (Eugene-Portland-Tacoma-Seattle-Vancouver BC)

While Amtrak is the operator of all four of these services, the state departments of transportation fund the equipment and cost of operation, as well as make the decisions about strategy and marketing. Without the states' involvement these trains would not exist.

We’ll start in the south and move north.

PACIFIC SURFLINER (San Diego-Los Angeles-Santa Barbara-San Luis Obispo)

The Pacific Surfliner corridor is all-Southern California, all the time. What started with two local trains between Los Angeles and San Diego in May 1971 when Amtrak began, has grown to twelve daily in 2011. Four of those trains operate to or from Santa Barbara to San Diego, and one of those four operates to or from San Luis Obispo. One other train operates solely between San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles.

Services offered include unreserved coach and Pacific Business Class. The latter offers more legroom, snacks and beverages. On most trains unreserved space on the bottom level of each car allows for free (but unreserved) carriage of bicycles. With the exception of trains 798/799 (the San Luis Obispo-L.A. trains) all trains are equipped with double-decker California cars.

From Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo, trains cover the same route as does the long-distance Coast Starlight. From roughly Ventura to Vandenberg AFB, the route is seldom out of sight of the ocean. Between Gaviota (west of Santa Barbara) and Vandenberg passengers see landscapes never seen driving, because U.S. 101 runs inland. It’s spectacular scenery.

South of Los Angeles, the train meets the ocean in San Clemente and runs in close proximity to it until Del Mar, where it goes inland.

Several southern California transit agencies as of this writing participate in the Transit Transfer program, in which Pacific Surfliner passengers can get a round-trip free transfer for use on local buses. These include Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Grover Beach/Pismo Beach, and Guadalupe.

SAN JOAQUIN (Oakland/Sacramento-Bakersfield)

The San Joaquin service was not included in Amtrak’s original route map in 1971, but was added at California’s behest (and money) in 1974. It has continued to expand since the initial train then to 6 daily round-trips.  Four operate between Oakland to Bakersfield, and two operate between Sacramento and Bakersfield. Stockton is the junction of the Oakland and Sacramento routes. Reserved coach service is offered. Along the San Joaquin route the Transit Transfer program currently includes Antioch, Fresno, Elk Grove, and Sacramento.

No one will claim that the scenery traversed by the San Joaquins will be something that you will want to come back to over and over again. Yet for visitors to California and for residents of the state’s big coastal cities the landscapes of the San Joaquin Valley demonstrate why California is an agricultural giant.

In the pre-Amtrak era, Southern Pacific operated San Joaquin valley service all the way from Oakland to Bakersfield, and then over the Tehachapis to Los Angeles. Other than the occasional Amtrak detour of the Coast Starlight, the San Joaquin rail service itself goes no further than Bakersfield, however connecting buses for rail passengers connect all 6 San Joaquin arrivals and departures with Los Angeles, and many other destinations in southern California as well as Las Vegas.

CAPITOL CORRIDOR (San Jose-Oakland-Martinez-Sacramento-Auburn)

This corridor runs from San Jose at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay to Oakland, Martinez, Sacramento and Auburn. It began in 1991 with 3 daily trains each direction, but has grown to 16 trains each direction weekdays between Oakland and Sacramento, 7 of which originate or terminate in San Jose. One train continues to or originates in Auburn. (11 trains operate on weekends and holidays.) Though funding comes from the state and the trains are operated by Amtrak, management of the Capitol Corridor service is in the hands of a Joint Powers Authority consisting of representatives of transit agencies in the six counties through which the trains run.

Unreserved coach service is offered. Space for the carriage of bikes is available on all trains at no cost, but is not reserved.  The Capitol Corridor has an extensive selection of connecting transit agencies that take part in its Transit Transfer program, which include but are not limited to those serving Sacramento, Davis, Martinez, the East Bay (AC Transit), and San Jose.  As with the program on the other two California corridors, you simply ask the conductor for a transit transfer (or two transfers if you're traveling roundtrip) when your ticket is lifted.  You have 24 hours in which to use the transfer(s).

Both the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin trains (and Amtrak’s long distance trains that serve Emeryville) offer connecting bus service to San Francisco over the Bay Bridge, but many Capitol and San Joaquin riders prefer to switch to BART in Richmond. The Amtrak platform is right next to BART, so a transfer is quick and painless. Discounted BART tickets are available on-board both the Capitols and San Joaquins.

AMTRAK CASCADES (Eugene-Portland-Tacoma-Seattle-Vancouver BC)

Since 1993, Amtrak has operated regional service in the Pacific Northwest using distinctive Talgo (Spanish) equipment found nowhere else in the U.S. (For comfort, amenities, and appearance, the Talgo trains are my favorites in Amtrak’s system.)

From Eugene in the south to Vancouver, BC in the north, the major cities in between include Portland, Tacoma, and Seattle. The service is mostly funded by the State of Washington, with assistance by Oregon to cover the Portland-Eugene portion of the corridor.

Four trains operate daily between Seattle and Portland, two of which go as far as Eugene. Two trains run daily between Seattle and Vancouver BC, one of which originates or terminates in Portland. Washington’s long-term goal is up to 13 trains daily between Seattle and Portland running at speeds of up 110 mph (177 kph).

Coach and Business Class service is offered. Business class included a 2-1 seating configuration, larger seats, and a discount in the bistro car. Bikes can be transported on-board in designated racks, but require a reservation and small additional fee.

Just as when you cross the border by air, you need a passport to enter Canada.  Customs and immigration is performed at the train station in Vancouver.  It's fun to go flying by the Peach Arch border in Blaine, Wash./White Rock, BC and see the folks stuck in their cars waiting to cross the border.

These are terrific trains and they run in one of the prettiest parts of the United States. If you're in the Pacific Northwest you should figure out a reason, any reason, to go for a ride on an Amtrak Cascades train.

AMTRAK THRUWAY BUSES IN THE WEST

All four of these regional services, especially in California, are augmented by extensive connections provided by Amtrak Thruway motor coach (bus) service.

In some cases the the buses run the same routes as trains when train service is not provided,  For example, Thruway service is operated between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara on the Pacific Surfliners or between Seattle and Vancouver BC on the Cascades.  In other cases Thruway service is provided where no train service exists at all, such as between Bakersfield and Los Angeles on the San Joaquins, between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe on the Capitol Corridor, and between Portland and Astoria on the Cascades.

Most of the Thruway service (especially in California) is contracted for by Amtrak and operated by bus charter companies, while in other instances it may be regularly scheduled bus service provided by another company such as Greyhound.

In addition to buses, through Amtrak (provided you are also taking a train as part of the itinerary) you can reserve seats and have tickets issued on the Victoria Clipper (high-speed catamaran between Seattle and Victoria BC) or on Pacificoach bus service between Vancouver BC and downtown Victoria.  (The bus leaves from the Vancouver train station, travels via BC Ferries to Vancouver Island, and continues on to the downtown Victoria bus station.)  As a rule, if there is a green line on the Amtrak route map indicating other than Amtrak rail service, it can be booked and ticketed by Amtrak in conjunction with Amtrak rail travel.


Amtrak Service and Fares - navigational links
Backward to Routes - # 6 - Short-distance corridors - Central
Forward to # 8 - Service
Introduction

Amtrak Service and Fares - Routes - # 6 - Short-distance corridors - Central

HIAWATHA (Chicago-Milwaukee)

This short route (86 miles) connects Chicago with Milwaukee making just three stops including one close to the Milwaukee airport to which it is linked with free shuttle service.  Depending on the day of the week, 6 or 7 trains operate each direction.

Like a commuter train, only unreserved coach service is sold.














MICHIGAN SERVICE
(Chicago to Grand Rapids, Chicago-Port Huron, Chicago-Detroit/Pontiac)

Amtrak operates three trains daily (business class and coach service) between Chicago and Detroit/Pontiac.

One daily train is operated between Chicago and Grand Rapids (coach service only), and one between Chicago and Port Huron (business class and coach).

Same day travel from Chicago (and intermediate points) and Toronto is possible in either direction but requires arranging one's own transportation between the Amtrak station in Detroit and the VIA Rail Canada station in Windsor, Ontario.  Reservations would have to be made separately with VIA Rail.

At one time Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada operated a through train from Chicago to Toronto through Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario but no longer.

Via Port Huron one can travel between Chicago (and intermediate points) and Toronto but the schedules are such that an overnight stopover is unavoidable.  Between Sarnia and Toronto service would be on VIA Rail Canada, and require separate reservations and ticketing.


HOOSIER STATE (Chicago-Indianapolis)

The Hoosier State operates on exactly the same schedule as the Cardinal (Chicago-Indianapolis-Cincinnati-Washington DC) but only on the 4 days of the week that the long-distance train does not run, thus making for one daily train between Chicago and Indianapolis.  Only coach service is offered on the Hoosier State, without any snack or beverage service.

ILLINOIS SERVICE

(Chicago-Quincy, Chicago-St. Louis, Chicago-Carbondale)

Twice daily trains run between Chicago and Quincy, Ill.  Business class and coach service is available.

Four daily trains operate each direction between Chicago and St. Louis with business class and coach class.  The Texas Eagle provides a fifth daily train with the full array of services of a long distance train.

Between Chicago and Carbondale, Ill. Amtrak offers two daily regional trains with business class and coach service.  The City of New Orleans also covers the same route.

The regional trains in these markets sell reserved space for bikes at $10 one-way (June 2011).



MISSOURI RIVER RUNNER (St. Louis-Kansas City)



Two trains operate daily each direction between St. Louis and Kansas City offering business class and coach service.  Reserved space for bikes is sold for $10 one way (June 2011).



HEARTLAND FLYER (Fort Worth-Oklahoma City)

One daily train each direction offers coach service.



















Amtrak Service and Fares - navigational links
Backward to Routes - # 5 - Short-distance corridors - Eastern
Forward to Routes - # 7 - Short-distance corridors - Western (Pacific coast)
Introduction

Airlines - Reconfirm your flights and tickets

  (photo by Armando Lobos)

Over two years ago I wrote a post recommending that passengers reconfirm airline reservations.

Two things occurred recently that signaled me that it was time to write a follow-up.

First, a client of mine went through a tortuous process of making reservations to Europe on United, which involved United and its code-share partner, and soon to be (maybe) happily-ever-after-merger-partner, Continental.

Second, another travel agent blogger whom I follow, Janice Hough, wrote a post about complications that ensued for one of her clients on a round-trip ticket that involved two carriers.

I just reread my original post from December ’08 and I like it.  I don’t think I need to cover the same turf in detail though I recommend you read it if you haven't already.  The next two paragraphs summarize its main point.

Airline flight schedules can and do change after you’ve bought tickets.  Even though the airline or the travel agency (on-line or bricks-and-mortar) that you booked through is supposed to notify you of schedule changes, the system doesn’t function perfectly.  You may never get calls or emails about schedule changes, or you may accidentally ignore them.

Call the airline – each airline if your trip involves multiple carriers – anywhere from a few days to a week or two prior to departure to make sure the schedule you have is correct.  If something has changed and it’s a problem, it’s much easier to straighten out over the phone ahead of time than at the airport on the day of departure.

But the business of code-shares and two airlines on a ticket bring up another element to reconfirm in addition to the flights themselves: your electronic ticket.

In nearly all cases now you no longer have a paper ticket but rather an electronic ticket stored in the reservation.  For the most part, electronic ticketing is convenient for both passengers and the airlines, because it has eliminated the need to put physical tickets in the hands of passengers prior to travel.

However the system is not foolproof, and in the same way that schedule change notifications are not foolproof.  There are multiple systems that an electronic ticket must navigate, and when more than one airline computer system is involved there is greater potential for a problem.

Here’s why.

Just because airline A codeshares with airline B it doesn’t mean that the airlines use the same computer system.

For example, if you booked a trip on United from San Francisco to Munich using United flight 1577 to Newark and United flight 9254 to Munich in fact you’d be on a Continental flight to Newark and a Lufthansa flight to Munich.  Neither Continental nor Lufthansa use the Apollo system that United does.  And if you booked the trip through the online travel agency Travelocity, the Sabre system would have been the one used by Travelocity to create the reservation and issue the tickets.  That’s three different pairs of electronic hands stirring the pot.

Now just because there are many systems through which the electronic ticket has to jump, it doesn’t mean things won’t work out fine, but it does the mean the potential for a problem increases. 

When you have an itinerary that consists of code-share flights you need to call each airline to reconfirm the schedule, and also to confirm that the electronic ticket is safe and sound in the reservation.  If there is a problem with the schedule or the ticket, contact the airline or travel agency  through which you purchased the ticket originally in order to get it resolved.

Code-share flights and ticketing are a kind of derivative of the interline ticketing system that has existed probably as long as commercial aviation.  I suspect interline ticketing was simply copied from the railroads, which ruled the transportation roost when airlines began operating in the 1930s.

In brief, it simply means that in an itinerary consisting of different airlines, one carrier collects the money and issues the tickets, eventually paying the other carriers through a clearing house.  Usually the carrier issuing the tickets is the first airline in the itinerary, but in the case of international travel it normally would be the first “over the water” carrier.  (If a travel agent issues the tickets it is no different; the agent is an intermediary, but the money still is collected by the first airline in the itinerary.)  Many of the newer, so-called “low cost carriers” either have no interline ticketing agreements (Allegiant) or very few (JetBlue).  Southwest currently has none, but did have one with the now defunct ATA and may in due time have one with Volaris, a low-cost Mexican carrier with which it now collaborates to transport passengers between the U.S. and Mexico.

In practice, airlines now and in the past would try to keep the passenger flying entirely on its own route system but that’s not always possible, especially for international travel, so multi-airline itineraries are the solution.  However the problem that inspired Janice Hough to write her post involved a simple domestic round-trip from Seattle to Washington, D.C., where the outbound (and ticketing carrier) was Alaska Airlines, but the return was on United, and the electronic ticket issued through Alaska for travel on United was not linked correctly to the United flight reservation.

Frankly, this system was simpler and more reliable in the age of paper tickets, but that age is not coming back.  Until (and if) electronic ticketing of code-share and multi-airline itineraries becomes foolproof, your best protection is to reconfirm all of the flights (and tickets) by phone with each carrier well before you begin your trip, and then again while en route.

An ounce of prevention…

Car rental - Near the airport can beat at the airport

What is the price of convenience?

For many travelers it is priceless; they’ll pick the swiftest and least complicated way regardless of cost to get from point A to B.  Or more to the point of this post, from their arrival airport to their car rental.

For others it may depend on how great the price difference is, before they will consider picking up a car rental from an off-airport location that requires more effort to reach.

Lately I’ve been checking both airport and near-airport locations, either when a client asks me to or when I think it may produce significant savings with minimal disruption.

The price difference can range from nothing at all (or even more expensive from a non-airport location) to a modest difference to a huge difference.

Before giving some examples I’ll explain why the cost differences exist.

The reason is simple: it costs more for the car rental companies to do business at the airport because airports often impose taxes, user fees, or concession fees that the rental companies have to pass on to customers.

For many travelers – especially business travelers – the price difference is not enough to deter them from renting at the airport.  For business travelers time really is money, and the money that might be saved by renting off-airport isn’t worth it if it reduces the amount of work time available.

Leisure travelers have different agendas, and if time isn’t particularly precious then it may be worthwhile to compare the cost.  There is the potential to save money, which you could  better apply to the trip’s lodging and meals.

Here are examples, some of which are derived from my clients’ experiences.  Because I overwhelmingly book Hertz, I am using only Hertz examples but you will likely encounter similarities with other rental companies.  Off-airport locations cannot offer shuttle service to and from the airport, so customers must allow for the additional cost of a taxi.

San Francisco, compact car, 22-29 July, AAA discount:
Airport - $587.67
South San Francisco (about 3 miles from airport) - $212.30

Eugene, Ore., full size car, 10-17 August, AAA discount:
Airport - $336.69
Downtown Eugene (about 9 miles from airport) - $229.70 (see note below)

San Francisco, economy car, 12-13 July, AAA discount, one-way rental to Chico:
Airport - $183.05
South San Francisco (about 3 miles from airport) - $91.12

Chicago O’Hare, intermediate car, 3-10 August, AAA discount
Airport - $425.20
Des Plaines (about 3 miles from airport) - $251.04 (see note below)

Even though you pick up a car at an off-airport location, you may be able to return it to the airport at little or no additional cost.  In the Eugene example,  the price would be the same if booked with a return to the airport.  In the Chicago O’Hare example the price would only increase ten bucks to $261.12, almost certainly less than the cost of a taxi from Des Plaines to O’Hare.  The only way to know this is to try pricing it with the different options.  Obviously if you can get back to the airport using the rental car, it will save money (no need for a taxi ride back to the airport) and increase convenience.

Renting from an off-airport location will not always result in savings or in savings enough to justify some additional trouble and transportation cost to pick up the car.  I tested other cities and found no savings or actually higher prices for off-airport rentals.  Surprisingly in Las Vegas, a city where historically the price for an off-airport rental has been less expensive than an airport rental, I found the opposite to be true.  But nothing is constant in the travel industry which means that you need to do the research if you want to know for certain.  Because something is a particular way today means nothing tomorrow, a month from now, or a year from now.

In general I think you’ll find that when there is a savings it will more likely be for a rental of greater length – a week or longer.  Weekend rentals from airports can often be remarkably low even with the mandatory fees included.  Furthermore, if you’re traveling over a weekend, even a long weekend, you may not be interested in the extra time necessary to pick up and drop off a car at a remote location.

Interestingly, when researching rates a few months ago for a client booking a car in France I came across a similar situation but one that involved train stations.  I found a substantial savings was achieved for picking up a car from the Hertz location in downtown Aix-en-Provence compared with picking the car up at the Hertz facility at the TGV station a little outside of town.

As with airports in the U.S., the French railroad system imposes additional fees for doing business at the train station.  And as in the example for Eugene, Ore., the car picked up in the center of Aix-en-Provence could be returned to the TGV station for the same price.

To sum up: if you are surprised in a bad way by the cost of an airport car rental, consider investigating what the cost would be for renting from a nearby location.  You might be surprised, but in a good way.