Anchorage car rental
May 14th, 2011, 07:37 PM
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Anchorage car rental
There are many threads here about renting cars away from the airport to save on the extra airport tax. Makes perfect sense. What I want to know is whether off-site rentals pick you up or if you take a taxi from the airport.
Is there a specific off-site rental office folks prefer due to its location?
Thanks for the advice.
Is there a specific off-site rental office folks prefer due to its location?
Thanks for the advice.
May 15th, 2011, 04:19 AM
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I can not give you specific info about Anchorage other than when I just checked for 1 week rental starting 7/23 - one company was the same airport or downtown and one was less downtown.
It is not as easy as - rent downtown and get a deal. It varies greatly by company and city. I have even gotten a better rate at an airport (Raleigh-Durham) than off-site. Some taxes (like Boston Convention Bureau fee) are applied whether you rent at airport or downtown. And sometimes the extra airport tax does not begin to cover the cost of travel to/from off-airport office - which may or may not be open when you need it. (And I got really inconvenienced once when I relied on the hours of a downtown rental office as listed on the website - turns out they had ceased weekend operations but not changed website).
In general, companies are not going to give you free transportation to a downtown/non-airport rental office when they have a facility at/near the airport. Enterprise is one company that advertises "We'll pick you up" but since they are now increasing their presence at airports, you should check to see if that applies if they have an airport facility and you want to be picked up at an airport and taken downtown to save money. Logic indicates they wouldn't, but logic often does not apply in these situations.
I suspect you are having sticker shock at cost of car rentals in Alaska - it really is high.
It is not as easy as - rent downtown and get a deal. It varies greatly by company and city. I have even gotten a better rate at an airport (Raleigh-Durham) than off-site. Some taxes (like Boston Convention Bureau fee) are applied whether you rent at airport or downtown. And sometimes the extra airport tax does not begin to cover the cost of travel to/from off-airport office - which may or may not be open when you need it. (And I got really inconvenienced once when I relied on the hours of a downtown rental office as listed on the website - turns out they had ceased weekend operations but not changed website).
In general, companies are not going to give you free transportation to a downtown/non-airport rental office when they have a facility at/near the airport. Enterprise is one company that advertises "We'll pick you up" but since they are now increasing their presence at airports, you should check to see if that applies if they have an airport facility and you want to be picked up at an airport and taken downtown to save money. Logic indicates they wouldn't, but logic often does not apply in these situations.
I suspect you are having sticker shock at cost of car rentals in Alaska - it really is high.
May 15th, 2011, 07:39 AM
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Is there a specific off-site rental office folks prefer due to its location?
There's a Budget site just off the airport at Spenard. We were always staying first night at a hotel on Spenard so would just take the free hotel shuttle to the hotel, then later walk to Budget to get the car. Also two other non-chain car rental places close by on Spenard. So if you are staying first night in Anchorage you can likely get a free ride via your hotel shuttle service.
Typically you'll save just the airport tax (there is a state tax, a city tax and an airport tax, total was well over 30% ... airport tax was something like 8-11%, can't recall exactly). Sometimes it was actually cheaper to just pick up at the airport and pay the tax because the off-site locale had a shortage of the vehicle type you wanted, so it is worth while to just go to one of the big sites like Priceline or Kayak that let you compare prices for all the companies both at the airport and away from the airport and see what's the best deal for the time you are there.
We've rented a couple of times from the Budget on Spenard, 2-3 times just at the airport, and a couple of times from the smaller companies on Spenard, though I quit doing that after a couple of disappointments. Pays check around for the best rates and be flexible.
There's a Budget site just off the airport at Spenard. We were always staying first night at a hotel on Spenard so would just take the free hotel shuttle to the hotel, then later walk to Budget to get the car. Also two other non-chain car rental places close by on Spenard. So if you are staying first night in Anchorage you can likely get a free ride via your hotel shuttle service.
Typically you'll save just the airport tax (there is a state tax, a city tax and an airport tax, total was well over 30% ... airport tax was something like 8-11%, can't recall exactly). Sometimes it was actually cheaper to just pick up at the airport and pay the tax because the off-site locale had a shortage of the vehicle type you wanted, so it is worth while to just go to one of the big sites like Priceline or Kayak that let you compare prices for all the companies both at the airport and away from the airport and see what's the best deal for the time you are there.
We've rented a couple of times from the Budget on Spenard, 2-3 times just at the airport, and a couple of times from the smaller companies on Spenard, though I quit doing that after a couple of disappointments. Pays check around for the best rates and be flexible.
May 15th, 2011, 12:00 PM
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Another thing to consider in Alaska - I would be less willing to rent from a small or no-name company since if the car breaks down in some distant place (and everything in Alaska is distant) you might have fewer options.
May 15th, 2011, 12:52 PM
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Thanks everyone for the fast replies. I'll use Kayak to see what is cheapest. I agree that it's best to stick to well-known names. It's worth the little bit of extra money to be sure.
For our last night, we will return to Anchorage and want to stay close to the airport and at a place that offers a shuttle. I'll post that question now in a new thread.
For our last night, we will return to Anchorage and want to stay close to the airport and at a place that offers a shuttle. I'll post that question now in a new thread.
May 15th, 2011, 04:59 PM
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For our last night, we will return to Anchorage and want to stay close to the airport and at a place that offers a shuttle
Seems like almost all hotels offer free shuttle to the airport, even the ones downtown.
Close to a dozen hotels on and near Spenard, only 5 minutes from the airport ... do a search on priceline or similar using 'located near airport' to get prices. Millenium is probably most expensive, then mid-range chains like Marriot and Holiday Inn Express ... Puffin Inn is OK, also less expensive non-chain options.
Seems like almost all hotels offer free shuttle to the airport, even the ones downtown.
Close to a dozen hotels on and near Spenard, only 5 minutes from the airport ... do a search on priceline or similar using 'located near airport' to get prices. Millenium is probably most expensive, then mid-range chains like Marriot and Holiday Inn Express ... Puffin Inn is OK, also less expensive non-chain options.
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