Why does National not allow some one-way rentals (even at a higher price)?
Jul 7, 2018, 7:28 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Programs: American Airlines Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 3,790
Why does National not allow some one-way rentals (even at a higher price)?
I'm confused:
I tried to book a car for a 1-way trip, picking it up at GSP and dropping it off at CLT. There have to be plenty of people who do that; the airports are pretty close by.
Usually 1-ways are allowed, but picking it up on the day I wanted to and dropping it off the next day wasn't allowed; no cars were available. (Cars were available at both airports at pretty low prices for returning to the same airport, and 1-ways were available, also at pretty low prices, the day after I wanted to pick up the car.)
I didn't want to pick up a car, change the reservation after I picked it up and run the risk of a huge fee, so I just booked from Avis.
I've booked from National exclusively for the last 15 years or so and am Executive.
What gives? Why does National not want my business for a 1-way rental? I'd be fine with paying even 2x the regular rental rate.
Thanks.
I tried to book a car for a 1-way trip, picking it up at GSP and dropping it off at CLT. There have to be plenty of people who do that; the airports are pretty close by.
Usually 1-ways are allowed, but picking it up on the day I wanted to and dropping it off the next day wasn't allowed; no cars were available. (Cars were available at both airports at pretty low prices for returning to the same airport, and 1-ways were available, also at pretty low prices, the day after I wanted to pick up the car.)
I didn't want to pick up a car, change the reservation after I picked it up and run the risk of a huge fee, so I just booked from Avis.
I've booked from National exclusively for the last 15 years or so and am Executive.
What gives? Why does National not want my business for a 1-way rental? I'd be fine with paying even 2x the regular rental rate.
Thanks.
Jul 7, 2018, 10:23 am
#2
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
Rental companies routinely restrict one-way rentals on specific dates for a variety of reasons. If you can provide your intended rental date we can check for other options for you.
Jul 12, 2018, 8:42 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 777
Cannot speak for elsewhere, but answer am getting to that query as it relates to NYC market is that Manhattan locations are getting hammered by parking rates. Thus when things are tight or whatever and they don't want any "extra" inventory winding up in the city one way rentals from local airports aren't allowed.
To date have not had much success in booking one way at any price from say LGA to any NYC location. OTOH others have so it may simply come down to booking at right time when system will allow.
To date have not had much success in booking one way at any price from say LGA to any NYC location. OTOH others have so it may simply come down to booking at right time when system will allow.
Jul 19, 2018, 2:03 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 765
The NYC parking situation is unique. They need to have enough cars on hand to fulfill reservations because people get pissed if a car isn't available in Manhattan when they need it. Yet they can't have too many sitting around because they pay by the space to park overnight
I once had it happen to me picking up in Manhattan for a Florida drive in rate. No cars available. They let me pick up at EWR instead and matched the rate even down to the taxes. And took $50 off the rate for the inconvenience. I live in NJ so that was not much of an inconvenience to me. I only reserved out of Manhattan because the taxes were lower at a NYC non airport location and I could walk to that location from Penn Station.
I once had it happen to me picking up in Manhattan for a Florida drive in rate. No cars available. They let me pick up at EWR instead and matched the rate even down to the taxes. And took $50 off the rate for the inconvenience. I live in NJ so that was not much of an inconvenience to me. I only reserved out of Manhattan because the taxes were lower at a NYC non airport location and I could walk to that location from Penn Station.
Jul 19, 2018, 8:09 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 777
The NYC parking situation is unique. They need to have enough cars on hand to fulfill reservations because people get pissed if a car isn't available in Manhattan when they need it. Yet they can't have too many sitting around because they pay by the space to park overnight
I once had it happen to me picking up in Manhattan for a Florida drive in rate. No cars available. They let me pick up at EWR instead and matched the rate even down to the taxes. And took $50 off the rate for the inconvenience. I live in NJ so that was not much of an inconvenience to me. I only reserved out of Manhattan because the taxes were lower at a NYC non airport location and I could walk to that location from Penn Station.
I once had it happen to me picking up in Manhattan for a Florida drive in rate. No cars available. They let me pick up at EWR instead and matched the rate even down to the taxes. And took $50 off the rate for the inconvenience. I live in NJ so that was not much of an inconvenience to me. I only reserved out of Manhattan because the taxes were lower at a NYC non airport location and I could walk to that location from Penn Station.
Sending people out to EWR, JFK, or LGA is not unusual nor matching the rate down to penny. This and or given credit for taxi fare, gas or whatever else the manager felt like throwing in to sweeten the deal.
Back when National had more Manhattan locations you could be sent from say 80th to West 77th, or down to 12th street, anywhere that had inventory.
Some holidays National actually sent people to Hertz who were honoring the reservations totally as well. That Hertz had inventory to accommodate their own reservations plus take some of National's was telling.
Major issue for National and all car rental places in Manhattan now is the dwindling supply of garages. The red hot RE market has turned not only garages but petrol stations into gold mines for owners. West 77th and West 12th Street National garages became luxury high rise buildings.
Needless to say the garages that do remain have seen demand increase.
Other issue for National was that after Enterprise purchased it took a long hard look at leases. Many National locations in Manhattan were only really busy on weekends and or peak travel periods (such as major holidays).
Enterprise moved National out of east 80th over lease costs, only to move them back in, then took them out again because of low business. However since the lease was still valid the East 85th Enterprise location moved into that space. Oddly they make money in that location (even with the high garage rates) where National couldn't. But then again the two have different business models with Enterprise doing a large corporate and insurance company loner business.
Jul 27, 2018, 3:21 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Programs: American Airlines Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 3,790
Yes, and that's why I can't figure out why one-way rentals sometimes aren't allowed (and my question relates to "flyover" states, not NYC). I'd think that an algorithm would just jack up the one-way pricing between GSP and CLT, instead of not allowing 1-way rentals at all.