Avoid Rental Car Air Train Fee by Avoiding Air Train?
Oct 28, 2016, 1:56 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,746
Avoid Rental Car Air Train Fee by Avoiding Air Train?
I seem to recall seeing somewhere that one could avoid paying the Airtrain fee (looks like $19) by getting to the rental car center by a method other than Airtrain.
Anyone info on this, one way or the other?
Anyone info on this, one way or the other?
Oct 28, 2016, 9:53 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
How would that work? 
Rental agencies don't pay staff to monitor how you arrive or depart and adjust your bill accordingly.
The Airtrain fee is an airport garbage fee. The only way not to pay it is not to rent at an airport location.
Rental agencies don't pay staff to monitor how you arrive or depart and adjust your bill accordingly.The Airtrain fee is an airport garbage fee. The only way not to pay it is not to rent at an airport location.
Oct 29, 2016, 2:58 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: NJ, Bay Area CA
Programs: CO Plat
Posts: 162
Avis has removed the fee for me without hesitation when asked. But their interpretation seems to be that it's only applicable if you are a local renter with a local address which I happen to be. You may have to push a lot more to get them to do it if you arrive at the airport terminal and simply avoid using the train or if you are renting locally without a local address on your license.
Oct 30, 2016, 1:00 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,746
Exactly my experience with Alamo after the original post. I said I came via Uber, did I need to pay the fee? He said something along the lines of you're a local, you only need to ask". I was not charged the Airtrain fee.
Avis has removed the fee for me without hesitation when asked. But their interpretation seems to be that it's only applicable if you are a local renter with a local address which I happen to be. You may have to push a lot more to get them to do it if you arrive at the airport terminal and simply avoid using the train or if you are renting locally without a local address on your license.
Nov 2, 2016, 12:18 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,156
Hertz used to not charge it if you select the "Not Arriving by Plane" option when booking, but they stopped that about 2 years ago.
Budget and Avis (few hundred meters from BART), as well as Hertz (a bit further - just outside of the Tanforan carpark), although obviously their hours are more limited than the airport, and their prices can be higher (or on occasion, cheaper) than the airport so it doesn't always work out cheaper to rent from them.
Avis at least generally allows one-ways to the airport, so you can return there. The airtrain fee is only charged when renting from the airport, not when returning there.
(And yes, it's $19 now. Until a few months ago it was $20)
Avis at least generally allows one-ways to the airport, so you can return there. The airtrain fee is only charged when renting from the airport, not when returning there.
(And yes, it's $19 now. Until a few months ago it was $20)