Brahmama

Bob, I am hoping you answer this because I read your post about renting from Enterprise in Calgary.
Maybe you can answer some questions?

I can't find an email address for them - I can't get their telephone to answer - and I can't find any answers on their website, which is very slow and takes forever to load. (Just checked - it's not loaded yet!

I particularly need to know about their cancellation policy which I can't find on their website.

Also, I need to know what sur-charges and local taxes might be. There is an * by the total - saying that these maybe be added.

I was told that car rentals go fast in Canada, so I thought I'd better get that done for September travel!

Thanks,

Carol

bob_brown

Well, there has been a change since I was there last August! The McKnight office I used seems to be out of action and the airport counter is now within the airport, which means it has to charge all those ugly fees like concession fee and other ripoffs.

The phone number for the airport office is (403) 233-8021 .

I would call one of the other offices and see if they would deliver a car to you at your hotel. Many of the hotels have a shuttle service to the airport.
I don't know that using that ploy would work, but it is worth a try.

Standard car rented at the airport is $339 C, which is about $310 US these days for a week.

A standard sized car rented from another office is $213. That is a major difference for a one week rental!!
At that differential I would take a taxi to the rental office, or about a block away and walk up!!

The pickup number is (403) 282-9881.

The toll free number for the main office is 1-800-261-7331.

I could find nothing about a cancellation penalty. I emailed them, but the email address was not revealed.
I suggest you call them.

I would sure as heck try to find out if I could get a delivery to my hotel and beat the airport fee level.

I have no idea why your computer was so slow. The website responded to me right away.

Try again. Are you on cable, DSL, or dial-up?
That might make a difference.

laverendrye

Enterprise is now running a tiresome commercial here in Canada which seems to appear on every second commercial break during the NHL playoffs. The main message is "We pick you up". I don't think that there would be any problem getting a car at your hotel.

bob_brown

Let's hope delivery is a reality for hotels. I in Phoenix, there is some technicality that for the non airport offices you have to be seen arriving in a private vehicle in order to avoid the airport tax. At least that is my recollection.

I know I met my cousin once and she drove us to a site well off airport and we got our car there.

If you stay at a hotel on the north side of Calgary, there is an Enterprise office onthe Edmonton Trail, which is north of the city.

I use the Greenwood Hotel and its web site says nothing about a shuttle. I emailed them and asked: Do you have an airport shuttle?

The problem for me is often this:
I need to be at the airport early to fly home. The shuttles are not always operating at the hour I need to be there.

Brahmama

Bob, and Laverendrye:

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate the 800 number. We contaced them this morning.

FYI, we reserved an Intermediate (4 passengers 3 luggage) for 2 weeks for a total of 515.80 Canadian. The included concession fee was 58.07. We are supposed to get a AAA discount at the desk when we pick it up. We'll see how that works!

We don't know yet if we are staying in Calgary or driving on to Red Deer - we keep flip-flopping back and forth! So we decided to pick it up at the airport.

You're right, it's slow because we have Dial-Up - since we live in the middle of nowhere in nw Texas. We can't get anything faster and only have one provider.

Cancellation Policy is just dial 1-800-Rent A Car (isn't that too many digits??) and (this is really strange) she gave us a confirmation number but refused to take our credit card number over the phone.

Now we are set - as soon as we find a place to lay our head in Jasper - I guess we'll go with Home Accomodations - even some of those go up to 140 per night!

Carol

bob_brown

About 3 years ago, the homeowners in Field and Jasper became aware of just how far under market they were compared with commercial accommodations. They started raising their rates rather sharply.

I know the place I used in previous years in Field went from about $115 to $160 C per night in a flash. The increase has not seemed to slow up demand.

bob_brown

For anyone else turning in to this discussion, the Greenwood Hotel, which is just off the Barlow Trail south of the Calgary Airport, offers a complementary shuttle.

I find the Greenwood to provide consistently good quality rooms. There is a good restaurant located in the hotel itself. Parking is free, and the location is convenient to shopping and to the highways.

No, I don't own any stock in the Fortis Company. I just know a comfortable hotel when I stay at one.