Returned home from Phoenix a week or so back.

My intention was to fill up the car rental after exiting the expressway and before entering the airport.

Not only did I find no gas stations in the area but it took me a half hour of circling to find the car rental return. I just kept following signs (and using gas).

Eventually I gave up (I had a plane to catch) and paid 6.50 per gallon at the car rental to have them refill the car.

Just part of the trip, I guess.

Another reason I use my GPS gas station locator.

They told you what it would be at the time of rental I suspect.

Gretchen,
They didn't have to tell me. I knew.

I've always been able to find a gas station between an expressway and the car rental return.

Not in Phoenix.

I forgot to mention.

I picked up the car in Las Vegas and got charged and extra $100 or so because i wasn't returning to the same location.

Interesting that they gave me a car with Arizona plates to return to Arizona for them.

They should have paid me. Not charge me.

Two people got charged for the same thing. I just undid it for them.

This isn't uncommon.

Charlotte used to have the same problem.

Boston has a gas station on the airport with reasonable prices but it is confusing to get to.

Philadelphia was not simple.

Laguardia was easy to find but there is no choice.

Columbus was easy if you don't mind sketchy neighborhoods.

As to the dropoff charge, if you were surprised by it,why didn't you just go to another rental car company?

This is nothing new - for example, finding a gas station that is conveniently located off the major highways leading to Newark (NJ) airport is almost impossible.

When I rent a car I always make a mental note if there are any gas stations close to the airport and the approximate price of gas. If there's nothing close I plan on buying gas well before I get to that particular airport - if you fill up the tank within 10 or 15 miles of an airport the gas guage will still read "full" when you drop off the car at the rental place.

Sorry you had a bad experience, Myer.

On June 5, we found gas on our way back to the airport without using our GPS. We exited off I-10 east just before the airport exit and made a right, away from the airport, on Washington (can't find DH's receipt to verify location). About two-three blocks in, on the right, is a gas station though I will say it is the only one we found in the vicinity and I think we just got lucky.

There is a large sign on the Dollar rental car counter that gives renters three options for refueling--bring it back empty and pay dearly; refuel yourself, or, pay in advance to have the company refuel at $2.99/gal, which, at the time, is what we paid at the station so it would not have been a bad deal.

Funny you should mention this! When we rented a car in Phoenix in February, we had a very difficult time finding a gas station, as you mentioned. We wound up in the airport before we knew it and had to exit and circle back. This past trip, we remembered the inconvenience and exited a couple exits earlier. We went left off the freeway, then still ended up circling a bit as there were no gas stations. After we did find one, the price was reasonable and it was easy to get back on the highway. But I agree, Phoenix is not easy!

Ackislander,
I wasn't surprised by the drop-off charge. I knew that was what inflated my car rental charge. I was prepared for it.

I just thought it was interesting that they got two people for the same car and I was doing them a favor by returning it to the source.

I may write to the car rental company and let them know that in view of this I should get a refund for the drop-off. It's the least they could do since I brought the car back (though quite dirty) for them.

I left myself almost 4 hours from the time I left Sedona to my departure time.

Since I had never seen cactus before, I got off the highway a few times to take pictures. I still had more than enough time.

Had I known, I would have gotten off an exit early and filled up. Then, following the signs to the car rental return added a good half hour and before I knew it I barely had an hour before flight-time.

I wasn't about to exit the airpoort area an go looking for a gas station. I just bit the bullet and paid for it.

I just thought I'd let people know that Phoenix Airport doesn't make it easy to fill up on your own.

FYI, I've lately been filling up my rental car quite a ways before returning to the airport. That's because what they seem to consider "full" is just that the needle is on "F." And in many cars, that could be a gallon under the tank being completely full. Since I have received many rental cars that way, I certainly have no issue returning them that way.

I've even driven 30 miles (compact car) after filing the tank and returned the car with the needle still on "F" and never had any problems or been charged extra. So I now never stress over filling the tank immediately adjacent to the rental car return. Just note how the fuel gauge behaves when you fill the car up and what it reads when you pick it up.

I always ask before I rent if there is a drop off charge. Some car companies like Hertz usually do not have drop off charges.

joe,
Whether or not there's a drop-off charge isn't the issue. It's the total price.

And during the times I was checking Alamo was the cheapest. Whatever is charged is somehow built in.

Hertz has a drop off charge. Picking up on Utah and dropping off in Nevada doubles the price.

Dohlice,

But wouldn't you feel ripped-off if they gave you a car that you knew you were returning to its home.

Don't people get paid to do that?

I would fume half the way there.

Well how do you know it was going home? It may have come from Tucson...

;-0

I always give my rentals a fill long before the airport. If it still shows "F" when I get there, I'm safe. If not, I'll need less gas at airport rates when I do refuel!

Andrew,

Dollar told us specifically that gas must be purchased within 10 miles of the airport, fyi.

Ilucy,

It's still a lot closer to home. Isn't it?

<Dollar told us specifically that gas must be purchased within 10 miles of the airport, fyi.>

Along those lines, one of my rentals a couple years ago required a gas purchase within a certain distance with a receipt to prove the location of the station.