Originally Posted by
windowontheAside
I'm looking to book a car at JNB. Looking at BA.com, group C is described as a compact and gives Toyota Corolla as an example. However, Avis.com in South Africa describes group C as a mid-size, but also cites a Toyota Corolla. From what I can see the Toyota fits my view of a mid-size and I'd be perfectly happy with that.
But I don't want to book a compact through BA and find I'm given a smaller car, and they tell me that's fine because it's what I booked. Any thoughts or experience? It seems strange to me that the two sites classify group C differently. The BA price is about 2/3 of the price of booking directly with Avis, which makes me slightly concerned about getting a smaller car. I know from past experience, buying an upgrade on the spot can be rather pricey.
FTR, I am aware of various issues with Avis in JNB. That's a whole different kettle!
We were in JNB in February this year, we hired a group C car with Avis through BA. We did get a brand new Toyota Carolla.
When we returned home we had a bill for an extra driver which was free as a silver BAEC. We also had a bill for fuel which came to about R20. A phone call to Avis and it was all sorted quickly and refunded within a few days. We appeared to have a speeding fine (which was probably genuine) but it was such a small amount we didn't bother about it.
We also have an additional yearly insurance which covers world wide. It's not only cheaper than taking on extra cover with the hire company, it also gives peace of mind. The insurance has also proved to be well worth the money. When you have an irritating situation like trying to charge for exhisting damage you just fill in a report and they refund you before they've sorted it out.