helraiser

Does anyone know what options there are for full size SUV and luxury SUVs at Halifax International? YHZ? Looking to rent for a week.

Thanks!

YYZC2

I rent at YHZ every week.

Explorers and those Mitsubishi things for regular, Suburban for "luxury".

It's a small station with not a lot of high-end traffic. You kind of get what you get. If you have specific needs, PM me for the station manager's e-mail address.

aztimm

I'll be arriving at YHZ on the late US flight from PHL. It is due to arrive around midnight, and the Hertz office supposedly stays open until 1am.
Does anyone know if they stay open until that flight arrives, and passengers make it through customs & immigration?

I reserved a small SUV (SUV Small, IFAR), it says, "Jeep Compass or similar," for 10 days.
Does anyone have an idea what I'll actually get?

sokolov

I don't know, but I'd be surprised if they actually checked when passengers come out the door. The Hertz desk is not in the main terminal. I would expect them to close shop at 0:55, whatever may be with your flight.

BTW: If you rent the next morning from the downtown Hotel location at 1919 Upper Water St. (Halifax Marriott Harbourfront), you may save significantly. In my experience, the cars are the very same they have at the airport. I was told they actually bring them in from the airport for each rental, and when you drop a car at the hotel they drive it out to the airport for washing etc. Still, renting at the airport is usually more expensive.

If you want to rent at the airport anyway, call the station beforehand and ask what they can do for you in case you can't make it by 1 am.

YYZC2

They will wait past 01:00, within reason.

There is an AC flight from YYZ that arrives at 02:00, and the agencies most definitely do NOT wait for that.

Duke777

I haven't had any issues the past 4 months on my 11-12 PM US/Canada flights into YHZ. I have avoided getting in after 1 AM though.

aztimm

I just did a comparison for my dates, using my company's CDP, picking up in downtown Halifax, dropping off at the airport, and it is actually more expensive!
The weekly rate is about $30 lower, but the daily rate (for extra days), is about $25/day higher.

The reason I asked if they look at the incoming flight info is that I regularly fly to a small airport in PA (AVP), and there's always someone from Hertz who's stuck around for me, even when flights have been delayed. I wasn't sure if it was a Hertz thing, or just an AVP thing (the other desks usually are manned too).

aztimm

Thanks!

I'll be on US 3382, due to arrive at YHZ at 11:50pm. However, the on-time performance is only 63%, with average delay of 32 min.
So long as there aren't other international flights arriving at that time, I wouldn't think Immigration & Customs would be busy, and we should easily make it to the Hertz counter before 1am, even with that average delay.

newfbc

put your flight info in your reservation.. they will see that and *may* check to see if the flight is late if you're a no show.

Ron.

sokolov

How did it go?

aztimm

Just a quick follow-up...

Flight was quite early. Expected to land at 11:40pm, but we landed at 11:20pm.

Wasn't a bad wait at all through immigration and customs, perhaps 15 min for the whole thing (there was another flight that landed just before ours). They had 4 agents working late on a Wednesday.

Was perhaps 11:45pm by the time we got to the Hertz desk. My folio was all ready to go, with my flight (and arrival time) on it.
We had reserved a small SUV and the agent tried to get me to upsize (there was a Surburban there), but I declined and stuck with my Jeep Contour.

I had printed Google map directions into town, and the agent gave slightly different directions. As it was, I ended up using the Google printout (going through Dartmouth, over the MacDonald bridge, due to not taking a turn on the freeway). There is a $1 toll for that bridge, they'll give change, but you need some Canadian money handy. I didn't yet have my Canadian SIM card activated, so was doing directions the old-fashioned way (it is now active).
Regardless, once in town my hotel--the new Homewood Suites--was rather easy to find.
I'm guessing 30 min max drive, leaving YHZ around 11:50pm on a Wed night. Hardly any traffic at all.

The vehicle was nearly new, about 2,000 miles on it when I got it. With a drive to Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg so far (with jaunts around town), I've already put a few miles on it, and more to come (with a drive up to Sydney, around the Cabot Trail, over to Saint John, etc).
No, we didn't need an SUV, but it is certainly quite comfortable.

sokolov

When you get to the Northernmost parts of the Cabot Trail, turn right and drive to the Northern tip of the island. Maybe Bay St. Lawrence (whale watching tours with a guarantee to see wheles).

There are unpaved roads up there. Now you know why you have an SUV. :-)