Airport Car Rentals

The market for airport car rentals is very much divided between the 8 biggest car rental companies, Enterprise, Hertz, Thrifty, Alamo, Dollar, Avis, Budget, and National.

When you go to most biggest airports in the U.S. these companies are your main choices for car rental, at least for car rental agencies with on-site service.

Typically, on-site service means more convenience for you. You get to fill out the rental papers right there at the airport's premises. Sometimes, also the cars may be located close by, within the airport's premises.

In contrast, off-site service regularly means that you have go with a shuttle bus to the off-site rental facility to fill out the papers and get to the car.

Getting a service counter at the major airports is expensive for the rental car agencies, which is why you won't find too many smaller rental firms with on-site service.

Top Companies for Airport Rental Cars

One research company, ARN, ranks the rental car companies based on how big marketshare they have on the airport rental car market.

Based on some dated ARNs research, the 8 biggest companies for car rentals in 2002/2003, at the top 50 airports were:

3. National (11.38% marketshare)
4. Alamo (10.59% marketshare)
5. Budget (10.38% marketshare)
6. Dollar (8.14% marketshare)
7. Enterprise (4.22% marketshare)
8. Thrifty (4.18% marketshare)

There are certain benefits for going with the bigger rental car companies. These benefits may include:

You may get frequent flyer points for your airline loyalty program from some of the bigger car rental companies
You may be eligible for hotel discounts as the bigger rental car companies have affiliated hotels
You get tried and trusted service from an established company (all in all, there are over 3,700 rental car companies in the U.S.)

Airport Rental Cars - Resources

Anchorage Airport Car Rentals
The Anchorage airport car rentals are available from at least 7 car rental companies, including Avis, Hertz, and Dollar Rent-A-Car.

Atlanta Airport Car Rentals
Atlanta airport car rentals are provided by 10 companies, six of them with counters inside the airport.

Boston Airport Car Rentals
For Boston Airport car rentals there are 8 rental car companies that operate at the Logan International Airport.

Burbank Airport Car Rentals
Burbank airport car rentals are available from Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, and National.

Chicago Airport Car Rentals
There are several major companies for Chicago airport car rentals in each of the three major Chicago airports (O'Hare, Midway, and Gary).

Cleveland Airport Car Rentals
Cleveland airport car rentals have been available at the Consolidated Rental Car Facility since 1998.

Dallas Airport Car Rentals
Dallas Airport car rentals are located at the DFW’s two-hundred acre Rental Car Center that consolidates ten rental car companies.

Denver Airport Car Rentals
Denver Airport car rentals for on-site car rental are available from 10 different companies.

Detroit Airport Car Rentals
Detroit airport car rentals are available from 7 on-airport car rental agencies, including Alamo, Hertz, and Dollar Rent-A-Car.

Honolulu Airport Car Rentals
There are 5 on-site companies for Honolulu Airport car rentals .

Houston Airport Car Rentals
Most of the companies for Houston airport car rentals are located at the Consolidated Rental Car Facility.

Indianapolis Airport Car Rentals
Companies for Indianapolis airport car rentals include Alamo, Avis, and Thrifty.

Kansas City Airport Car Rentals
Kansas City Airport car rentals are available from 9 major car rental companies serving Kansas City International Airport.

Las Vegas Airport Car Rentals
Las Vegas airport car rentals customer counters are located in the center of the baggage claim area.

Los Angeles Airport Car Rentals
Los Angeles airport car rentals are available from about 40 rental car companies that operate out of LAX.

New York Airport Car Rentals
There are lots of options for New York airport car rentals for all of the three major New York airports.

Miami Airport Car Rentals
Counters for Miami Airport car rentals registration are located inside the baggage claim area, on Level 1 of the Terminal.

Philadelphia Airport Car Rentals
Philadelphia airport car rentals are available from Alamo, Budget, and National, for example.

Phoenix Airport Car Rentals
Phoenix Airport car rentals will move during 2005 to the new Rental Car Center.

Pittsburgh Airport Car Rentals
Pittsburgh Airport car rentals are available on the baggage claim level of the Landside Terminal.

Portland Airport Car Rentals
You can find Portland airport car rentals from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Budget, and Dollar Rent-A-Car, for example.

Providence Airport Car Rentals
Providence airport car rentals are available in-site from Avis, Budget, and Hertz.

Richmond Airport Car Rentals
Counters for Richmond airport car rentals are located Located adjacent to the Baggage Claim area for 7 rental car agencies.

San Antonio Airport Car Rentals
San Antonio airport car rentals are provided by 9 on-site rental car agencies.

Seattle Airport Car Rentals
Seattle airport car rentals are available from 9 rental car companies that have information counters in the Baggage Claim area, and 5 with car pick-up/drop-off at the airport on garage's first floor.

Salt Lake City Airport Car Rentals
Salt Lake City Airport car rentals are located on the ground floor of the short-term parking garage.

San Diego Airport Car Rentals
Reservation boards for San Diego airport car rentals are located near the baggage claim areas of Terminals 1 and 2.

San Francisco Airport Car Rentals
San Francisco airport car rentals are located on the fourth floor of the SFO Rental Car Center.

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