Car Rental after Airline changes your flights?

ok, so months ago I booked a really great Car Rental price for my late Oct trip,

Swa had adjusted the flight times twice, and probably again, before takeoff.

My arrival/pickup time was 7pm, now I get in at least an hour EARLIER!

If I plug in new times, the rates are over $40+ more.

How does one handle this when flight times are different from original reservations/pricing?
Do I arrive and then just pace myself to get to car rental over an hour later..or what happens if I arrive an hour earlier?

 

In my experience, the car rental companies expect flight delays and early arrivals. When you get to the rental company they will adjust the time when you rent the car. The price will remain the same but the return time will reflect the early pick-up. Hope this helps.

 

Just double check the rate. I've had it happen more than a few times where the price has gone up because of an early pickup. They didn't adjust the dropoff time so an extra day got added.

 

If you end up doing an EXTRA day because you pick up earlier... then adjust the times.

 

No, I just think it will be about an hour earlier PICKUP, but I would also return it earlier too.
Same days.

 

Personally, I would just stop and have a non-adult beverage, then slowly make my way to the rental center. Maybe hit another $870k jackpot at the airport slots.

 

SWAIR changed my flight from Buffalo to vegas, to 9 hours earlier. Had a week rental (van) for $408. Now I have to get a 8 day rental for almost 140 more. Yeesh.

 

I think you should not react right now because it probably won’t be the last schedule adjustment.

I once arrived early and needed to adjust my return time to keep my booked rate. It was at the Alamo kiosk IIRC.

 

How soon is the trip? Prices and flight times change again.

Are you a member of the car rental company's club? If so, car should be ready and waiting for you even if an hour early, especially if you gave them your airline info.

If you are not a member of their club, join, it usually saves a lot of time.

 

You should call the car rental agency when it gets closer to your trip and tell them you will be there early. 1 hour early shouldn't be too much of a problem for them. They normally charge in 24 hour increments so unless you are over the 24 hour time frame they probably won't charge you extra.


But since you are going in late October you should just check their web site to see if the rental prices drop (and then rebook). Plenty of time for them to drop prices as it gets closer to your trip.

 

I disagree with that. At every car rental agency I've used in LV, there is an hourly late fee, once you hit the rental check-in time, the late clock starts. Once you exceed the daily rental rate on the late clock, you are charged an extra day. This can be significant as in the case of @Champster1

 

I've called car rental companies when I was going to arrive early and haven't had any problems or extra charges. Some times I even didn't call, I just arrived up to an hour early and didn't had any problems. This was as long as I wasn't close to the 24 hour daily rental time frame.

And yes, once you exceed the 24 hour daily time frame on your rental it can get expensive when they charge you for the extra day.

If you arrive more than an hour earlier then they may charge you extra.


But same thing if I arrive later, if I arrive within an hour or so later than my reserved time most times I don't have a problem. Anything more than an hour, unless you call to tell them you will be late they can cancel your reservation. I've had that happen to me, flight was delayed and we were stuck on the tarmac. By the time I arrived they gave up my reservation (I was 3 hours late).

 

It shouldn't matter at that time. I'd just go ahead and go through with picking up the rental as if nothing happened. Rental car companies have to be hip to all the goofy reshuffling of flight times, etc. these days.

 

You will be fine if your total time using the car is the same as what you booked. That is what the final charge is based on. So if you booked for 48 hours, and pick/up return within 48 hours everything will be the same. You will get dinged for extras if you book for 48 hours and return after 50 hours. Rental car company won't care if you get there 1 hour before your scheduled pick up. Assuming you don't show up a day early or something like that.