MilesBuzz! - Rental Car Shuttles.......yuk!!!

I just have to vent.....I can't stand the site of a Rental Car shuttle bus. It's difficult to manuever luggage up the bus steps, then back down again upon arrival at the rental area. I flew into San Jose, CA this A.M. and the shuttles were over-crowded with people and luggage. I realize airports that were built 30 years ago need to expand, and with limited real estate, the first thing to get pushed off to another location is the rental car facilities. Despite EWR being known for delayed flights.....it is one of the most convienent (for a large/old airport)for pickup of a rental.

I'm with you. I am so tired of schlepping my bags up and down the Avis shuttle stairs!

I am so tired too of getting on, finding a place for my luggage and then having it buried by the luggage of everyone who boards after. When I get to my terminal, I have to move so many other bags to get to mine.

[This message has been edited by TravelWeary (edited 07-09-2000).]

Gee, traveltoomuch, isn't San Jose one of the few airports where you DON'T have to get a shuttle bus for major on-airport rent-a-cars? One reason I like San Jose is, you can just run out to the car, jump in and be on your way in about 90 seconds.

What I really don't like about rent-a-car shuttles is delayed, dawdling returns... you're late, you're trying to catch a flight, and the driver hangs around on the sidewalk finishing a butt, then wanders the airport as if he were showing the bus to his friends.

BearX220: that USED to be true, but it's a nightmare now that they have moved rentals to a separate building. See: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum94/HTML/001531.html

[This message has been edited by usoftie (edited 07-09-2000).]

did u also notice the additional $6.00 transportaion charge on your rental agreement? guess what that is... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Another airport that is a breeze to get a rental car at is Savannah (SAV). They are right outside the airport doors. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
Love flying into here and getting a car for a week of golf at Hilton Head> http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

My favorite places for Rental Cars is at Phoenix - but only at the two older terminals. In one, you walk out the end of the terminal and get in the car. In the other, the Rental Cars are upstairs in the parking garage. You take the elevator from the terminal. Probably my LEAST favorite is the one in the Barry Goldwater Terminal. You have to walk/moving sidewalk about a half mile in the heat to get to the rentals.

Newark may be fine now, but they are going to shut down the monorail system this summer to do maintenance work. That should really screw things up for awhile.

Happy flying everyone.

DD

PSP is nice. It is a small airport but the rental counters are in the baggage claim area and the cars are right outside the doors.

My 2cents...

Best BWI..... walk accross the street & pick it up.

Worst DFW.... Wait 45min!!!! for the shuttle and then wait in line.... (admittidly it was 11pm)

Freefaller12k

I agree that this is an awful trend. MSP used to be great (18 years ago) and they were the first place I saw a "shared" facility. Now, DFW, SFO, SJC. The bus to the Hertz facility in Phoenix is forever, as is the new Denver airport. And, in the name of "more convenience", they actually charge you money for the disservice of requiring a bus.

Travel,

Try OAK. Rental cars are right outside the door. Only problem is that if you have business in the South Bay, the 880 can be tough!

Here's a trivia question -

Which airport has the highest charge to take the shuttle bus? A data point: Cleveland's 10-15 minute ride will set you back $11.

In recent travels, I've noticed they are at the terminal in Orlando (MCO), Tampa (TPA), Pittsburgh (PIT), Akron (CAK), Jackson (JAN)

The thing I hate the buses is the chance of an accident. 2 Weeks ago, a bus had to slam on the brakes and everybody went flying. My wife ended up with a huge bruise on her arm. I usually try to get a side seat next to the rack so I won't go flying. I will never sit in the middle back.

I've always been very satisfied with the Rental Car Shuttle service at SFO... since I fly UA, we get in at the North Terminal, and the shuttles pick you up from there and proceed directly to the rental garage, where it's just a matter of walking inside and taking the elevator to the floor where you are a preferred member at. Returning from the rental car garage, you make stops first at the South Terminal and Int'l Terminal, so the ride is a bit longer, but all in all we've never had to wait more than 20 minutes from actually walking outside the terminal to getting in our car (especially now that Avis has the lighted board with your name and stall number on it as you walk in Floor 3 a la Hertz Gold).

Funny story: about two months ago, my wife and I (we travel together on a weekly basis for business) had to wait almost three hours for a rental car shuttle at SFO... not because they were delayed -- they were bringing everyone BACK from the garage due to a bomb threat. After it was all said and done, there were about 500 people standing around outside SFO waiting for them to tell us it was OK to go to the rental car garage... until then, all the drivers could do was sit in the buses and explain ad nauseum to tourists that no, the buses couldn't leave yet and no, the whole airport wasn't going to explode, only the garage was threatened... fun times. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Mister Internet
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General suggestions:

PHX - terminals 2&3: Rent from ALAMO (Quicksilver), AVIS Preferred or Dollar - Cars are on ground floor 50' from baggage claim.

SEA - ALAMO, AVIS & NATL - cars are in terminal - just "up & over" - NO BUS.

SFO- THE WORST NEW SYSTEM IN THE WORLD - Can't avoid the bus because of remote location. My suggestion is to walk thru the INSIDE of the terminal (too many smokers outside) to the end of the North terminal & get on the bus at that point.