Originally Posted by
KimFT
I'm still trying to get a feel for how this location works. I see EA/ES in pics, but I also info about going to the counter.
Here's my situation. 4 adults one kid & a week of vacation luggage. In most major cities I'd do my normal ICAR & grab an SUV in the ES/aisle. Here... I'm concerned that we won't have a choice & I'll get stuck in an actual small car if I do this.
For now, I've made a full-size reservation & a midsize SUV reservation, hoping I can leverage the full size into an upgrade due to my status. Think this will work or will I confuse the counter agent?
If you arrive after 6:30am, you can go to the 4th floor booth to pick up your car instead of the counter on the first floor. If you booked an ICAR or FCAR and you're an Exec or higher, you'll be asked to select a car from the Emerald stalls or the Exec stalls (seen in the photos above).
Best to walk around first to see what's available -- of course, someone ahead of you in line can snag what you wanted. Keys aren't kept in the vehicles. Doors are sometimes unlocked, but don't load your luggage to "save" a vehicle -- you may be forced to unload everything if someone else claims the keys at the booth.
Keep in mind: what's usually in the Exec stalls are midsize SUVs and smaller: CR-V, Rogue, Escape, Forrester are the typical suspects. There's a good chance you'll find a couple of PCARs too, usually Impala or Maxima.
My guess would be that a large sedan with a big trunk would be better with 4 adults and 1 child than a small SUV, but I've squeezed 4 adults and luggage in a Prius, so I'm sure you could make either one work. If your child is younger than 7, don't forget a booster seat (state law).
Your best bet to leverage an upgrade beyond the Exec or Emerald stalls would be with a PCAR or higher reservation.