I rented a car from Avis Concord Padgett Airport. I showed up at noon, per my contract, and there was nobody there. Not just at the Avis desk... but at ANY desk. Not for any of the rental car companies. Not for the only airline that uses Concord Airport (Allegiant). Not at the police post. Not at the airport information desk. There were two other parties also searching for rental car personnel but the whole airport was deserted as if we were in some apocalyptic movie.

In the end I called the Airport Information line and was told that the airport was only staffed when there were commercial flights. I had rented the car from Avis from noon, but there was never any mention that the airport was simply not operational at that time.

So I called Avis. They asked me if I was OK to pick up from another location, for instance Charlotte Airport. I said that was OK as long as the price did not change. It did not. CLT Airport is actually much more convenient for me but when I booked the car it was cheaper from Concord. Anyway - I drive the 30 minutes back to CLT and get in line to pick up my car.

After a wait and service from a man that clearly wished he was anywhere else except behind the Avis counter servicing clients, he directs me to a parking bay that was... empty. So back I go in line and another staff member who is clearly not interested either directs me to yet another parking bay. There I find my car, and upon exiting the young lady at the parking exit checks my car and then she is the FIRST person to actually say "I am sorry about your troubles". None of the other Avis people ever uttered any form of sympathy or offered any kind of make good. Apparently this is how Avis works... The car was lovely.