Originally Posted by
platbrownguy
I've had a half-dozen or so "luxury" bookings at DCA since July. I've pretty much always gone with a sedan (BMW 3, 5, and occasional 7; Audi A5; XTS, etc.). But I think they typically have at least a handful of what m907 described. One thing's for sure, when I say "I booked a luxury" they've always been really nice about letting me have whatever I want, and I took an SUV when I needed it (XT5?).
L'Enfant Plaza is indeed open and will have the car you booked ready for you (I used a free day there to get a one-way Tahoe to drop off in Vermont) but likely not much if any selection among different vehicles. The Tahoe I got was high-mileage but I needed the space.
I don't think BWI is much if any more convenient than DCA other than saving the extra 30 min on the train from BWI to WAS... at BWI, you have to shuttle from Amtrak to airport and back to Rental Center. Easier just to take an uber from Amtrak to the Rental Center instead of two long shuttle rides. Metro from Union Station to DCA also requires a line change.
Honestly I think the biggest factor is what day you plan to pick up. If you're picking up on a holiday-weekend Sunday or something when everyone has weekend cars checked out, there won't be much to choose from.
Good to know. I'll be coming down from PHL on the Wednesday of President's Week for a late morning/early afternoon pick-up. I have been to DCA once before (though I think I used Hertz - Took Lyft from Union Station) but never rented from BWI before. Not sure how selective they will be given it is a one-way luxury booking to Florida using a Free Day (couldn't book anything elite) so they most likely won't see the car again (or at least not for quite some time). Thanks for the tip as well regarding the shuttles. I'll be a little pressed for time as I booked a later train now so taking an Uber/Lyft from BWI Amtrak to the Rental Car Center directly sounds like a better option.
I guess another question would be if "elite" cars are typically used interchangeably with "luxury" sometimes or if there actually is a decent fleet of cars within the "luxury" category. I have driven a BMW 3 and 5 before along with the A5. My original booking was a Premium Elite SUV as that was bookable one way from Chicago to Florida when I was originally on that itinerary but I now only see those available for a same location pick-up and drop-off in the DC Area (no one-way option). An "elite" car is not a must by any means but it would be nice to have as an option should a location be inclined to be a bit more generous just to have something different to try above the standard ES options (which these days can be a toss up at best).