National Car Rental vs. Alamo - Opinions

[eeyoreland]

We usually rent from Alamo (once from Hertz). This year I was made aware of a National code through our church and it's about $50 less than Alamo for a week. I've never rented through National and I'm looking for opinions. Any horror stories? Or are most major companies the same as one another?

Also, any idea why Hertz's prices are SOOOOO much higher than Alamo?

 

[Ralph&Pam]

National and Alamo are both part of the same corporation, along with Enterprise. Their vehicle fleets are quite similar, but they appear to focus marketing for each unit on a different primary audience (National for business travel, Alamo for leisure travel, Enterprise with a lot of locations near car dealers/car repair operations to service renters who need a car while they have one in the shop), although there’s obviously no exclusivity in this regard and many of us choose which to use based on price. National’s affinity program (Emerald Club) allows you to book a Club reservation where you can skip the counter/kiosk and just go to the appropriate aisle to choose your car. You can accomplish the same thing as an Alamo Insider by completing on-line check-in and choosing Alamo’s skip the counter option. I usually book using Costco codes and lately that’s been Alamo, but I always check the National Emerald Club rates for comparison.

 

[bumbershoot]

I think they are both very good. We’ve used national if my stbx is with us because he has an amazing corporate rate he can use for personal use. If it’s just me then I use Alamo.

 

[writerguyfl]

National is generally considered to be a step up from Alamo, mostly because they provide more perks like their Emerald Club (frequent renter program). As Ralph&Pam notes, National is targeted at business travelers.

If National is cheaper than Alamo using your code, I wouldn't hesitate to use them.

Also, any idea why Hertz's prices are SOOOOO much higher than Alamo?

Like National, Hertz targets business travelers. Those business travelers will almost always be using corporate codes that provide discounts off of the rates that "normal" people see. If Hertz anticipates that all their cars will eventually be rented with corporate clients, there's not reason to discount them for the normal people.

 

[bumbershoot]

National is generally considered to be a step up from Alamo, mostly because they provide more perks like their Emerald Club (frequent renter program).

FWIW I havwn't seen much difference in what I can get from the Alamo aisles I rent from vs the Emerald Aisle. The bigger difference has been from the ex being Executive, but then he mainly likes the Chargers and Challengers he can get on work trips...

 

[writerguyfl]

FWIW I havwn't seen much difference in what I can get from the Alamo aisles I rent from vs the Emerald Aisle. The bigger difference has been from the ex being Executive, but then he mainly likes the Chargers and Challengers he can get on work trips...

I should have been clearer. The "step up" was related to frequent guest program and National's target clientele...not necessarily the actual vehicles. In some locations, National and Alamo literally use the same pool of cars.

 

[LindySpirit]

I hate renting from Alamo at MCO. I’ve done it three times, and each time it’s taken almost an hour to wait in line to check in. I’ve started paying attention, and they appear to consistently have the longest lines in Orlando.

Never had any trouble renting from any other rental places on premises!

 

[eeyoreland]

Thanks for all the responses. @LindySpirit have you ever tried checking in online before your trip? Then you can avoid the counter completely.

 

[LindySpirit]

Thanks for all the responses. @LindySpirit have you ever tried checking in online before your trip? Then you can avoid the counter completely.

No, because I always book through a third party like Priceline to easily get the best price.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If Hertz anticipates that all their cars will eventually be rented with corporate clients, there's not reason to discount them for the normal people.

Which in no way should be considered to mean that leisure travelers are abnormal people...

 

[kaytieeldr]

No, because I always book through a third party like Priceline to easily get the best price.

Yeah, when using an opaque or third-party site, sometimes you gotta choose which is more valuable: money, or time.

 

[ilikecarrentals]

In most locations Alamo and National are the same. They share staff, cars and systems. You will be fine with either. Most US based third party sites allow online check-in with Alamo e.g. travelocity, carrentalsavers.com, expedia etc. Like Kaaytieeldr mentioned - it is pretty much only opaque sites or opaque offers where you can't e.g. hotwire, priceline express offers etc.

 

[georgina]

Nevermind. someone already said it.

 

[peteykirch]

I hate renting from Alamo at MCO. I’ve done it three times, and each time it’s taken almost an hour to wait in line to check in. I’ve started paying attention, and they appear to consistently have the longest lines in Orlando.

Never had any trouble renting from any other rental places on premises!

That's why you do the Skip the Counter check in and go right to the garage, get directed to your aisle, and leave.

 

[jcvalenti]

That's why you do the Skip the Counter check in and go right to the garage, get directed to your aisle, and leave.

I used to do that, but with Costco, I always like to take advantage of the free extra driver and have my wife added on to the reservation (just in case). Is there a way to do that and still bypass the counter ? I've run into long waits at the Alamo counter before too ... but I've also been there when they were empty and other services were backed up. I think a lot of it just has to do with luck.

 

[bumbershoot]

I should have been clearer. The "step up" was related to frequent guest program and National's target clientele...not necessarily the actual vehicles. In some locations, National and Alamo literally use the same pool of cars.

But the step up is pretty the cars you have access to. And I haven’t noticed a difference until you’re executive with national.

I used to do that, but with Costco, I always like to take advantage of the free extra driver and have my wife added on to the reservation (just in case). Is there a way to do that and still bypass the counter ? I've run into long waits at the Alamo counter before too ... but I've also been there when they were empty and other services were backed up. I think a lot of it just has to do with luck.

Pretty sure you can just add her at the drive-thru kiosk as you leave mco.

 

[georgina]

I used to do that, but with Costco, I always like to take advantage of the free extra driver and have my wife added on to the reservation (just in case). Is there a way to do that and still bypass the counter ? I've run into long waits at the Alamo counter before too ... but I've also been there when they were empty and other services were backed up. I think a lot of it just has to do with luck.

Yes, I book with Costco and add DH all the time. I add his DL# and expiration date at time of online checkin, then just skip the counter and go to the car. I think we do show his license when we exit the lot.

Recently I flew to Boston to help DD drive her stuff to Washington DC, I added her info at online checkin but she wasn't with me when I picked up the car. I forgot to ask when I was at the booth if she was still a driver, I was more interested in whether the toll transponder they gave me would work all the way down the coast (it did!)

 

[peteykirch]

I used to do that, but with Costco, I always like to take advantage of the free extra driver and have my wife added on to the reservation (just in case). Is there a way to do that and still bypass the counter ? I've run into long waits at the Alamo counter before too ... but I've also been there when they were empty and other services were backed up. I think a lot of it just has to do with luck.

There should be an option when you are doing the online check in to add the second driver that is included. I know I've done it the last times we went down to WDW using Costco and Alamo.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

I hate renting from Alamo at MCO. I’ve done it three times, and each time it’s taken almost an hour to wait in line to check in. I’ve started paying attention, and they appear to consistently have the longest lines in Orlando.

Never had any trouble renting from any other rental places on premises!

Why are you still visiting the counter at all? You can go to the Alamo website and join the (free) Alamo Insider program. Then do online check-in with the skip the counter option. That will allow you to go directly to the garage and pick your rental vehicle from the appropriate aisle, handing over the paperwork to the attendant at the exit point. I have not visited a car rental counter at any large airport in the last 20+ years, renting from National (Emerald Club) and Alamo (Insider).

 

[PrincessPiperMommy]

When you do skip the counter with Alamo, how do you do that when you reserve on Costco? We normally don't rent a car while there, but we are this time, so want to make sure I'm doing it correctly to avoid the line lol. TIA