Other Car Rental Programs/Partners (ie. Alamo, Enterprise, Sixt) - Not sure if rental will be 2 or 3 days (Alamo)

It's about 50/50 whether I'll need the car for the third day.

Is it better to make a reservation for 3 days and potentially return it a day early (early return penalty), or to make the reservation for 2 days and potentially return it a day late (not sure what the penalties are here)?

It's about 50/50 whether I'll need the car for the third day.

Is it better to make a reservation for 3 days and potentially return it a day early (early return penalty), or to make the reservation for 2 days and potentially return it a day late (not sure what the penalties are here)?

If you keep the car an extra day they will charge you the extra day and an overstay fee of $10.99 (each day you keep it longer.) ALSO. Alamo also has minimum keep requirements on their rates...meaning if you say you want it 3 days originally and you only keep it two, the rate will be pro-rated, in effect still charging you the 3 day base rate split over the 2 days...then add the $15understay fee.
Where that came from is to protect smaller rental markets where someone who say books a week but returns their car in three days. Then there is lost revenue and lost booking dollars during busy times. So they charge an understay fee...and charge late fees for folks who may be keeping the next customer from getting their reserved car during busy times.

this is an interesting topic for me because I too can't decide whether I want to keep the car for 2 or 3 days... however my situation is slightly different:

I don't know if I'll need the car in Vegas Thursday thru Saturday or Friday thru Saturday... what will happen if I call or just don't show up on Thursday and try to pick up the car on Friday if I decide on 2 days instead of 3... is there any penalty with Enterprise?


Also, do you know what the overstay fee is with Enterprise on bookings for 48 hours but I end up keeping it for say 52 hours (2 days and a couple of hours) I'm thinking of doing this in both FLL and ORD at Enterprise. Will they just charge the $6.50 per hour that they quoted me on the booking page? (for each additional hour)

Just make two different reservations - one for two days, one for three and cancel the one you don't need.

this is an interesting topic for me because I too can't decide whether I want to keep the car for 2 or 3 days... however my situation is slightly different:

I don't know if I'll need the car in Vegas Thursday thru Saturday or Friday thru Saturday... what will happen if I call or just don't show up on Thursday and try to pick up the car on Friday if I decide on 2 days instead of 3... is there any penalty with Enterprise?


Also, do you know what the overstay fee is with Enterprise on bookings for 48 hours but I end up keeping it for say 52 hours (2 days and a couple of hours) I'm thinking of doing this in both FLL and ORD at Enterprise. Will they just charge the $6.50 per hour that they quoted me on the booking page? (for each additional hour)

As I work for both Alamo and National I can only speak for them. I suggest you telephone Enterprise and question them directly...to get the best answer. Their billing is different than most rental companies, from what I understand...so I would not even want to begin to give you any kind of an answer other than tell you to call them directly.
That's not much help but I didn't want to leave you hanging with your question.

thank you for posting that response.

I will find out first hand and will be able to answer my own questions soon enough. Maybe it will be helpful to other FT'ers.

--Russ