Auditdi

Arriving SFO 10 AM this Sunday with a Premium reservation, any comments on availability of cars in this class on Sunday mornings?

Auditdi

Arrived SFO at 10 AM, Premium had 3 cars, Maxima, Taurus and Impala LT
checked Executive Aisle and there were two LTZ Impala, cancelled Premium and just used my Executive and got a better car for less.

IsleOfMan

I usually have no problem getting the booth agent to adjust my rate down from PCAR to ICAR when in instances like this. I've been doing this instead of the 2-reservation+cancel method for 6 months or so and have never once been denied or hassled.

neo_781

Interesting mix of cars this morning around 9:30/9:45 beyond the standard Nissan's (Altima and Maxima), KIA's and Hyundai's there were:

Chargers
Jeep SUV's
Nissan SUV
Buick LaCrosse
Mustang
Challengers (2 or 3)
Camaro

Also it was very quiet in the garage so maybe that's why the mix was more varied than my typical Monday morn experience.

lsugolfer

Can we talk about the $20.00 fee for the Air Train that is tacked onto every rental?

My 3-day rental with my corporate base rate has taxes of 52% of that base. Wow.

neo_781

It's not really a National specific thing (or SFO specific either for that matter) ... Hertz, Avis, etc... all have the same thing.... sometimes you will see it as a Facility Charge ... it's a fee the airport charges and the rental companies pass it on to the customers and tack it on your bill.


Also I think in the case of SFO its a $1/minute of your life wasted to get to the garage

lsugolfer

Well I know it's a facility charge. But I rent with National so I'm going to discuss it here.

neo_781

Go for it! and good luck but not sure how it's relevant to the cars selection at SFO.

roadman3313

The fee applies for those who use the Airtrain. It was part of the agreement with the airport to help pay for the Consolidated Facility/Airtrain to/from the airport.

The fee is waived for local renters (presumably who do not use the Airtrain). Show your ID at Customer Service and they will remove the $20 fee and associated taxes for the total cost being $20 lower. Same process at Enterprise.

Foxtbh

If you took a cab to the facility, presumably for under $20, can you get it removed?

noah

Good luck getting a cabbie to take you there; with average waits of 2-3 hours, they're holding out for $50+ trips into SF (or even better down to Palo Alto for $70).

roadman3313

If you don't use the Airtrain the fee should be removed as the intent from the Airport was to only charge Airtrain users, however you'd probably have to do some explaining as Rental Agencies generally don't remove it unless you are a local renter (which is technically irrelevant). Below is an article that was published in 2012 on the purpose of the fee and how rental car companies mischarged it.

SFO Airtrain Fee Explained

A personal note: I do rent from National, Enterprise, and Hertz. Hertz if I select "Not arriving by Airplane or Train" the fee shows on the screen but is not on my contact when I pick-up. This is the easiest in my opinion as you don't have to explain anything to an agent. The fee is just not added in on the printed contract as it is assumed you are a "walk-up" (I'm local so I generally am). It is also removed upon return for Hertz Platinum members as they receive rides to/from the airport and do not use the Airtrain. With National and Enterprise I show my Driver's License upon return at the Customer Service booth and they remove the fee. If I'm doing a one-way out it is a little more complicated but that's my personal experience in regards to the fee. Hopefully the article answers some questions about it and how it is often not well explained or understood.

And as indicated at the bottom of the article... "(Enterprise Holdings, owner of Enterprise, Alamo and National, did not respond to requests for comment)"

ms18294

Hi All,

I have seen a few people mention that they've seen minivans in SFO EA. Is this typical? Are there usually bigger vehicles for a family of 5? Not sure if it matters, but we're arriving on a Friday (Aug 15), and looking for a "comfortable" vehicle for our drive out to Yosemite.

Thanks!

noah

Minivans and SUVs are not uncommon on the aisle in SFO, but the time when you don't find one is of course the time what you most need it.

If you go through this thread, you'll get a sense for what vehicles are available. Most people would advise you, if you think a standard sedan won't work, to reserve a minivan or SUV just in case, and then if the aisle doesn't have what you want, you can take that -- or if you get lucky and find a larger vehicle, you can cancel the other reservation.

ms18294

Noah, Thanks for the tip. So you're basically saying to make two reservations: One Aisle reservation, and one specifically for a Minivan. Then I'm covered either way. Is the cancellation of the unused option something I can do with the on-site attendant in the lot? Or does this require phone calls, etc.?