Hertz HLE vs Airport?
May 23, 2019, 2:54 pm
#16
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LAS - Las Vegas
Programs: Southwest
Posts: 131
When you swap they print you a new contract identifying the correct car, but don't charge you anything extra. If they're busy and you're just being picky because you want a sunroof or something, they might tell you to take a hike. But if they have a car in the right class and you have a valid reason for wanting/needing to swap (wrong car class, something wrong with the car, etc.), they'll usually make it happen if they have the inventory. For example I arrived at FLL during spring break a couple years ago and the only minivan they had for my FLL-TPA roadtrip was a base model Sienna with 55k miles, the smell of stale cigarettes, a broken power door, and a missing fog light. I took it since i had no choice but arranged to swap it at RSW (which is right off the highway between FLL and TPA), where they gave me a brand new fully-loaded Pacifica.
Another time, in Seattle, where I had rented from a Hertz Local Edition (HLE) about two miles from SeaTac the Hertz 800 number told me I could not turn in a clearly troubled car (it was smoking) on airport. I would pay a hefty one way penalty for altering the return location, they said.
I took from the earlier comments that posters were suggesting you could just go to an airport location, say you didn't like your rental from an HLE and go to the airport to swap for a wider selection at a lower rate (HLE vs airport).
May 24, 2019, 6:44 am
#17
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,703
It would matter if the HLE is a franchise.
May 24, 2019, 9:59 am
#18
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York suburbs
Posts: 4,210
It would matter if the HLE is a franchise.
Very few Hertz locations are franchises these days. Almost all are corporate, per the location information website section. Exceptions tend to be in some rural areas.
Very few Hertz locations are franchises these days. Almost all are corporate, per the location information website section. Exceptions tend to be in some rural areas.
May 24, 2019, 11:53 pm
#19
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,703
If you only go to major cities, yes they are mostly corporate, but there are still plenty of small towns with franchises. And Overland West's franchises basically encompass an entire swath of the Rockies (most if not all locations in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, parts of Utah, maybe more).
May 25, 2019, 11:31 am
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 6
Thanks to everyone for your amazing replies! This has been a huge help. With that being said, does anyone have any input on the HLE in Anaheim at 221 W Katella Ave.? Right now the HLE is $330 less than the airport location, but has pretty bad reviews. What would happen if they didn't have my reservation? Would I pay a ton more to rent from Hertz on the day of if I was in this situation, or would they try to help me find another location with a car? Thanks!
May 26, 2019, 1:08 am
#21
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,703
Thanks to everyone for your amazing replies! This has been a huge help. With that being said, does anyone have any input on the HLE in Anaheim at 221 W Katella Ave.? Right now the HLE is $330 less than the airport location, but has pretty bad reviews. What would happen if they didn't have my reservation? Would I pay a ton more to rent from Hertz on the day of if I was in this situation, or would they try to help me find another location with a car? Thanks!
May 26, 2019, 12:16 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 6
Also, do you mean underage depending on which car class I can rent, or if they honor the AAA fee waiver altogether?
May 27, 2019, 12:35 am
#24
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,703
Quick question, what would the likely recourse be if they did not have a car that I reserved? Do HLEs typically help you find another location that would honor it?
Also, do you mean underage depending on which car class I can rent, or if they honor the AAA fee waiver altogether?
Regarding AAA, I'm referring to whether they'll let you rent anything larger than a sedan.
May 30, 2019, 4:18 am
#25
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 24,997
I usually have no problems or issues whenever I rent from a Hertz Local Edition — and when a problem or issue arose, it was always resolved to my satisfaction.