Hertz - Have to Say, Not Impressed with Hertz at TPA

Arrived at 4:00pm. Evidently TPA does not have canopy service, so head to the Gold Line. Only person in line at that time, which is good as only one agent is working. Unfortunately, she is doing a reservation for a couple who didn't have a reservation, so it's a 15 minute wait. About a half-dozen non Golds arrived in the non-Gold line, so I feel for them if any are not ready to go. Evidently TPA is not a very big station (for any company, based on the lot - like 86 total slots) compared to the size of the facility.

I head up and hand her my license. No Presidents Circle upgrade, so I get a full-size which is what I requested. Ends up being a four-cylinder Honda Accord LX (about the only thing she has, so I take it. Technically a YF, but a Taurus is better equipped and bigger). Almost nothing on the lot (I see one Town Car, but I offered to do a paid upgrade and she said they had nothing, so I assume it has a reservation).

I won't write a letter, but my Rental Survey is going to be low marks across the board and I will take advantage of the "comments" section.

How big is Tampa's airport?

If you were charged for a fullsize, send an email to the gold service. They should credit you for the difference between a mid-size and a Full.

My understanding of the rules is that a PC upgrade is not optional. F to YF is not a valid PC upgrade.

I'm using one of my free weekend certificiates from the "3:1" promo, but if I had actually been paying the quoted $60 a day rate, then yes I'd have written a letter.

TPA is bigger than it looks, because there are rental car lots on both sides of the airport (red and blue). Regardless of what airline I fly in on, I always pick up my cars on the blue side because the lot is much bigger so there's more selection and more counter agents. This is no big deal for me because I have no checked bags on most of my trips.

I've been renting with Thrifty and Budget recently (much better prices than Hertz) and consistently get bumped into minivans and SUVs because full size is sold out.

Greetings,

I will be arriving at TPA the first week of April on on 2:30 p.m. arrival. I am flying SWA. Question, can I go to either the blue or red side Hertz counter or are they airline specific and or concourse specific? It sounds like the blue side would be the better option?

I've been renting with Thrifty and Budget recently (much better prices than Hertz) and consistently get bumped into minivans and SUVs because full size is sold out.

A minivan -- what a bump!

I think Rental Car Return is in Blue, because it did have a well-staffed counter (in the garage area - still no #1 Gold Board, however) so I probably would have done a lot better, there. So I'll cut em some slack. :)

Greetings,

I will be arriving at TPA the first week of April on on 2:30 p.m. arrival. I am flying SWA. Question, can I go to either the blue or red side Hertz counter or are they airline specific and or concourse specific? It sounds like the blue side would be the better option?

You can pick up your car at whatever side you want, but baggage claims are airline specific and you'd have to do some backtracking if you need to claim luggage and wanted to pick up at the opposite counter to your arriving airline.

I can say I've been upgraded more times to a better car at TPA than any other site. You have to remember the location and the amount of people who go through there.

As the other poster stated, if there is a line, go to the other counter and I think you will fare better.

Last great upgrade I've gotten was a Volvo for a full size.