Originally Posted by
skoenig
I know they are owned by the same corporation. But any differences? Avis's rates seem, generally (but not always), more than Budget's, but, of course, rates can vary by location, exact discount codes used, etc. Sometimes the difference is small, sometimes big. For an upcoming rental, picking up a full-size car at Burbank Airport and leaving it at LAX 3 days later, the cost is about $129 for Budget and $140 for Avis. Would Avis generally have a wider selection of vehicles at the same airport location, or is it just a matter of chance, dependent on who picks up or returns vehicles? I had one bad experience with Budget, regarding payment for a small dent, and one bad experience regarding vehicle selection and needing to have the car washed when I turned it in (but the latter was at an off-airport franchise, and service I got at the nearby airport location when I had to switch cars was fine), but generally my experiences with both Avis and Budget has been fine.
The differences are essentially based upon the market which each brand targets. Avis is the business brand and Budget is the leisure brand. Avis has a loyalty program which gives upgrades and better service. The Budget program is not really a loyalty program. Budget tends to be a business hours enterprise whereas Avis tends to have 24 hour service. The rates then reflect that as people who rent from Avis rarely need to pay for the car themself whereas Budget is competing with the likes of Alamo and Thrifty.