Programs: UA 1K, Avis CHM, Marriott & SPG & PC Plat., Hyatt & Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,421
Quote:
Originally Posted by sdsearch
Is it an Avis bus or a consolidated bus?
(An Avis bus could presumably take you directly to your car if you're Preferred or above, but a consolidated bus can't.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by tatterdema
They are consolidated buses.
... and they don't leave the Rental Center before they are totally packed and people are standing up everywhere! Not really a relaxed ride back to the terminal.
My first turn in at the Avis consolidated facility was a fail. The hand held check out units didn't work and the counter couldn't figure out how to check me in. They finally shooed me away and I assumed (wrongly) that I would get an emailed receipt. I checked today to find TWO receipts at Avis.com.
The kicker: both were no charge. This is not the ka ching moment you would expect. I would rather they sorted out the proper charge and get me a receipt so that I can file it now rather than getting billed at some future unspecified time, perhaps after I've retired!
Oh, and the buses - unimpressive and few.
I would add 45 minutes minimum extra time to use the consolidated facility
TalkBoard Member / Moderator: Alaska Mileage Plan; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: MDT / Amtrak: MJY
Programs: UA 1K, AS MVPG, AA, AGR S+, HZ 5*, Nat'l Exec, Costco Exec, NPS Passport
Posts: 15,501
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimquan
My first turn in at the Avis consolidated facility was a fail. The hand held check out units didn't work and the counter couldn't figure out how to check me in. They finally shooed me away and I assumed (wrongly) that I would get an emailed receipt. I checked today to find TWO receipts at Avis.com.
The kicker: both were no charge. This is not the ka ching moment you would expect. I would rather they sorted out the proper charge and get me a receipt so that I can file it now rather than getting billed at some future unspecified time, perhaps after I've retired!
Oh, and the buses - unimpressive and few.
I would add 45 minutes minimum extra time to use the consolidated facility
Programs: AS mvp, Marriott g, Hilton d, PC p, BW d
Posts: 354
Quote:
Originally Posted by heffa
... and they don't leave the Rental Center before they are totally packed and people are standing up everywhere! Not really a relaxed ride back to the terminal.
sure hope they don't do the same for airport pickup.. or do they?
Programs: UA, AS, HH, MR Elite; Mud Tier on BA, B6, FL, Hyatt. All bases covered.
Posts: 12,983
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackal
The trend isn't necessarily for rental cars going offsite. The trend is, rather, for rental cars to move to consolidated facilities. Such facilities offer a number of benefits... The benefit for the customer is a better selection of vehicles and less of a chance that you'll need to wait for a vehicle if the company is running tight on cars.
I actually have yet to see one of these things that results in a net improvement in customer experience. The one at BWI is so laborious to get to and from, I no longer rent cars there at all. (Pickup used to take less than two minutes; now it takes more than 30.) SFO is slow going; that's how I learned to love BART. PHX can take forever. DFW has always been a pain. The new one at MCI adds no values compared to the old deal. The consolidated centers slow everything down just when you want to move fast. And they result in another line-item fee on your car rental receipt. I assume they've come into vogue these last 10 +/- years because various port commissioners have buddies who are architects and engineers and want to keep them busy. Strange how we survived without them for most of human history but now suddenly view them as indispensable.
__________________
"You'll see a number of changes in the months ahead, and I think you'll be totally enraged." UA CEO Smisek, made accurate
TalkBoard Member / Moderator: Alaska Mileage Plan; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: MDT / Amtrak: MJY
Programs: UA 1K, AS MVPG, AA, AGR S+, HZ 5*, Nat'l Exec, Costco Exec, NPS Passport
Posts: 15,501
Quote:
Originally Posted by heffa
... and they don't leave the Rental Center before they are totally packed and people are standing up everywhere! Not really a relaxed ride back to the terminal.
I used the facility in SEA for the first time yesterday. Both at pick-up and drop-off, I arrived at the shuttle pick-up area just as a bus was leaving. This was not at peak time--on the way out, I was one of two people on the shuttle, and on the way back, I was on the bus with one other family. Despite the low loads, the buses left within about 2-3 minutes of me boarding (good, because I almost missed my flight on the return!).
It still is a long way from the terminal, and the access roads are awkward, but it's not as bad as I was expecting from the discussion on this thread. And the facility itself is nice.
Programs: UA 1K, Avis CHM, Marriott & SPG & PC Plat., Hyatt & Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,421
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackal
I used the facility in SEA for the first time yesterday. Both at pick-up and drop-off, I arrived at the shuttle pick-up area just as a bus was leaving. This was not at peak time--on the way out, I was one of two people on the shuttle...
I arrived yesterday noon and there were a line of 10 people waiting to get on the bus. I had to skip the first bus since it was packed and take the next one. That too was full with people standing all over. No fun!
Programs: Delta Skymile DM, Marriott Platinum, PC Gold, Avis Chairman's Club, National EE
Posts: 589
UGH, I hate that! Last time that happened to me I had skis with. (Not at SEA)
Quote:
Originally Posted by heffa
I arrived yesterday noon and there were a line of 10 people waiting to get on the bus. I had to skip the first bus since it was packed and take the next one. That too was full with people standing all over. No fun!
Location: Stuck in the Northeast (and wishing I was in the Pacific Northwest)
Programs: Former AS MVP Gold, DL Skymiles, United Mileage Plus, Hertz #1 Club Gold, Avis Preferred
Posts: 92
Just back from SEA and the new setup is terrible even by offsite rental car standards. The buses are too small, and pick up/drop off on the arrivals level, which is fine in the am, but a complete disaster in the pm.
Luckily I knew from BWI and LAS that these things don't work out - I didn't even bother picking up at the airport - just grabbed it at an in-town location and one-wayed it back to the airport. Note that this saves a huge amount for more than a couple of days ($6 a day in concession fees alone).
Buses are small and run infrequently and slowly, taking at least 10 mins to reach the terminal. There is a light rail line right in front of the airport that runs past the rental car facility - I'm not certain why the geniuses couldn't figure out some way to piggyback on that instead of using the buses, which are not really working out.
As I say, rental cars ought to be where your chosen diety intended - on the first floor of the parking garage.
I usually try minimizing my use of airport shuttles since it's often cost me up to an hour.
The past week after arriving at SEA I stayed at the Marriott. I walked to the parking garage and thought I had lost my mind since I couldn't find the rental cars. Eventually I walked back to the terminal and discovered the shuttle. Only added about 20 minutes.
I can understand going to the consolidated facility where all the companies are already offsite (it would be great at LAX or ORD, for example). I can also understand it where the companies have outgrown the garage. I don't understand it where everything already works well (actually, I do under$stand it... it make$ a lot of $en$e).
I, too, picked up my bags and walked to the elevator and was surprised I did not see the car rental floors shown. They could have advertised a bit better!
Anyway, I just returned, 8 AM Tuesday after Labor Day. Bus was waiting and door closed after we boarded. Seats for all. Took about 3 minutes to the terminal. It appears to be MUCH faster to get to the airport from the facility than from the airport, which has a lot more turns. Or perhaps I just had a slow driver
