by Scotty Mack

Created on: March 16, 2008   Last Updated: March 19, 2008

Should I rent a car at the airport or at one of the nearby off-airport rental facilities when traveling on vacation? This would seem like an easy decision to make. Go with the one in the airport because it will be faster, right? Not so fast ... There are other factors to consider:

* Airport Concession Fees: Companies located in an airport typically have to bid on those locations and have to pay a percentage, flat fee or both on every car they rent from their counters located there. That cost is, of course, passed down to the consumer and can add substantially to the cost of a rental car. The bottom-line cost of cars rented from airport locations range from 20% to 50% more than cars rented from the nearby off-airport locations because of these concession fees.

* Speed of pick up: In most cases, it will generally be a slightly faster process from the moment your plane lands to the time that you are driving away in your car rental when you rent from a company located inside of an airport. This is not necessarily the case, however, during "peak season," when lines at airport rental car counters can become overwhelming. In most U.S. cities, these peak times are usually around Easter week, the 4th of July week, Thanksgiving week and from the third week of December to January 1st during the Christmas holidays. Also, any weekend of the year, the car rental companies that have contracts with major international tour companies in major tourist hubs, can develop huge lines for rental cars when an entire planeload arrives at the rental desk before you. These international tour company contracts tend to be with some of the major rental car companies. Typically, rental car companies' off-airport locations are within a mile-and-a-half of the airport, so the complimentary shuttle bus service that they operate between the airport and their rental locations is a quick trip.

* Speed of return: In this case, the car rental companies inside of the airport get a slight nod. Not having to take a shuttle bus from a car rental company's off-airport location to the airport definitely speeds up the process. Keep in mind, however, that at many airports, the major airlines have curbside check-in and the off-airport car rental companies drop their customers off directly in front of these curbside check-in desks. This saves some of the time lost in the shuttle transfer and is more convenient than having to drag your family's luggage from the airport parking garage into the terminal building.

It is best to research these things before reserving a car. Call prospective rental car companies and ask about the total price and the timing of their airport shuttles if they are not located inside of the airport. You may find that you not only save time, but have a little extra money in your pockets to spend on souvenirs!

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