crazygrl

Going to Key Largo in a few weeks. The price to fly is same at both airports for Saturday flights, which oddly enough is the cheapest day to fly during the week I'm going. The matching $$ was also for a Thursday flite into FLL. I'm checking car rental prices now, but thought someone might give me insight as to whether things other than price (like better rental company, ease of car rental etc) are to be considered.
I've read here that FLL would add about a hour to my drive time and that is ok. So if flight + car = FLL best, ok, and vice versa.
Thoughts?

happytrailstoyou

I note you are not interested in price, but I would like to share with you that in dealing with this problem recently, I saved $175 by picking up a car at the Thrifty office located three miles from the Fort Lauderdale Airport but returning it to FLL.

The reservation is for 15 days. I used promotion code 5SE1M. The total cost for a Ford Fusion, with all fees, is $481.34 vs. $655.05 picking up and returning to FLL.

HTtY

crazygrl

THANK YOU!!!! I didn't mean to imply that I wasn't interested in the price (actually I am quite the tightwad), but sometimes I found you get what you pay for, you know? And I didn't realize I could pick up outside the airport, and then return AT the airport. That's a great idea. Thanks again.

Dukey1

In terms of airports, you will find that FLL is a LOT easier to deal with than MIA.

Jaya

I second the above, FLL is MUCH easier than MIA for car rentals. Not matter how I try, I can get out of the MIA car rental area, but getting back to return the car is a maze. Do FLL if you can.

crazygrl

Thank you guys, this is a tremendous help.

crazygrl

I can get a better deal for MIA. If I fly into MIA I can get a non-stop flite going in. Is it really that bad at MIA re getting car back to them? I know what you mean about mazes at an airport, but should this be all that important in the decision making?

Jaya

MIA is certainly doable, just allow extra time in case you miss a turn on the way back. If you're already at the Miami airport, then there's no sense to pay more to go to Ft. Lauderdale. FLL would be my first choice if cost was not involved.

Dukey1

LOok, if you can get a better deal for MIA then why are you asking about FLL?

happytrailstoyou

Is it really that bad at MIA

Millions have solved the problem before you. If they can handle it, you can probably handle it too.

I didn't find MIA on this list of the 10 worst US Airports:
http://www.travelandleisure.com/arti...st-airports/13

If you can get a better deal for MIA then why are you asking about FLL?

I was wondering the same thing. Non-stop flight trumps airport for me most any day.

HTtY

crazygrl

Thanks to all for their helpful replies.

To answer what I consider the rather snarky comments/questions above:
**If you can get a better deal for MIA then why are you asking about FLL? I was not sure if there was a huge difference in price for car rental at FLL vs Miami that would negate any savings on the flite. And I thought before I spent hours investigating that, someone here could help out--like you did HTty. And if the car rental issue (yes I realize there are 16 agencies) at Miami had truly bad reputations, I thought that should factor in also.

**Millions have solved the problem before you. If they can handle it, you can probably handle it too:
Maybe one of these days you will be old and unsure and tired and wonder about what is the most easily doable thing. I've made plans and traveled all over the world without using travel agents, but this past year has just been a hard one for me and I've lost some of my mojo.

So, I apologize for asking what apparently to most of you "veterans" were questions with obvious answers.

happytrailstoyou

Thanks, grazygrl, for reminding me that you never know when you're going be berated here for making a logical statement.

You were concerned about dealing with MIA, and I simply observed that if millions of others have done it you "probably" can too and I provided evidence that MIA isn't the worst airport in the US.

Maybe one of these days you will be old

I am old. Probably older than you are. If I ever become feeble, I'll have somebody wheel me around airports.

HTtY

NeoPatrick

Miami used to be a nightmare for car rentals -- long waits for the shuttle buses, much traffic, horrible lines at the facilities, and a nearly impossible maze of possible or impossible turns to find your way out of the airport area. But last I knew they were building an entire new car rental facility at MIA much like the wonderful one at FLL.

Does anyone know if that facility is indeed open and it is now much easier to rent a car in Miami? I've avoided flying in or out of Miami for about a year now, so I'm unsure what the facilities are like now -- and I suspect other posters may be judging based on old experiences as well.

But that said, if I had a choice between flying in and out of FLL or MIA, I'd give FLL the edge by at least 2 to 1.

NeoPatrick

Ah, I found it. Looks like it's been even longer than I thought since I've rented a car at MIA:

http://www.miami-airport.com/cip_rcc.asp

BigRuss

>

That's because the criteria are equally weighted and a bit stupid. Wifi availability (amenities) and long check-ins get equal treatment and MIA has both. Get a hotspot to carry with you or a 4g tablet or phone and suddenly that check-in line sucks worse (as does passing through customs in Miami at any time, a criterion not listed on that survey).

BigRuss

That said, though, the listing of LGA as #1 on the worst list is somewhere between dead-on and no-brainer.

NeoPatrick

Big Russ, I'm confused. Is there an airport in the US that doesn't have wifi? How can wifi as an amenity mean anything since all airports have it. Miami charges for theirs just like many airports. I much prefer those that have FREE wifi.

But let me arrive in NYC at LGA any day over arriving for Florida at MIA!

travelgourmet

If I can summarize to ensure I understand the key variables:

1) You are really heading to Key Largo
2) You can get a nonstop to MIA, but have to connect to FLL
3) Pricing for the flights is similar

If I have the above 3 things correct, then going with MIA would likely save at least 2 to 3 hours of time (saved connection + less driving). In that case, I would say it is a no-brainer and you should go with MIA. Fort Lauderdale is maybe a bit easier, but not by that much and certainly not enough to take the extra connection + the longer drive.

As for "better" rental car companies, all I can say is that I pretty much refuse to rent from anyone other than Hertz or Avis. It just isn't worth saving a couple of bucks to me to sacrifice what I find to be better cars, service, and convenience.

happytrailstoyou

As for "better" rental car companies, all I can say is that I pretty much refuse to rent from anyone other than Hertz or Avis.

If you give Thrifty and Dollar a try, you will save money and you may change your mind. There is a reason Hertz bought these companies: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/artic...0_HertzG397502

HTtY