I rented a car recently from Thrifty at IAH. In the past year I've had a few really good experiences with different Thrifty stations, and this was another.

One frequent downside of renting from Thrifty is that their stations are often far away from the airport. Cheaper real estate is part of how they keep their costs down. Less frequent shuttle service is another part. But at IAH, Thrifty is in the same building as all the other major rental agencies and is served by shared shuttles. So Thrifty is just as convenient as Hertz and Avis there.

Many Thrifty stations have improved their handling of Blue Chip customers. At IAH I was able to bypass the counter, go straight to the garage, and jump in a car with my paperwork already waiting in it. The guard at the exit updated the checkout time so I wouldn't be charged extra hours when I returned.

Return was equally fast. An agent scanned the car promptly, printed a receipt, and I was on my way. I don't think I stood still for even 60 seconds.

The car they gave me was fine. It wasn't ideal -- it was missing a few features I'd liked to have had -- but it was way better than the "worst in their class" Dodge shitboxes they used to fill their fleet with. And it was in fine mechanical shape.

All this and their price was still way better than their neighbors like Hertz and Avis. If this is the new Thrifty, I like it.