If I need a car when we travel, I prefer to rent from Alamo. They’re not always the cheapest, but I get great customer service and they usually have a good selection of cars ready to go.
After we landed in Dallas yesterday, we caught the shuttle bus to the rental car center. It’s been totally remodeled since we were last here six months ago. As we walked past all the rental company counters, I saw that the only company with a line was Alamo, with whom we had a reservation. Plenty of people were working the counter, but it looked like about a forty-five minute wait to get a car.
A small sign on a kiosk reminded me of a “skip the counter” option. I hadn’t had much luck doing that in the past, but I figured why not give it a try. This time, it worked. As I waited in the non-moving line, I added a little more info into the phone app, and in a few minutes had a ticket. I ducked out of line and headed out to get a car.
In the parking garage I showed the rental agent the bar code on my phone, which stated, “You click we pick.” When Preston saw that he said, “Ah, the mystery car.”
I said, “A batmobile?”
He chuckled and said, “I’ve been working here eight years and no one has ever come back with ‘batmobile’! Customers usually hope for a Jaguar or Ferrarri.”
I added, “Either that or Knight Rider.”
I assumed that I would get a compact car, midsize at best. But as we looked down the row of vehicles ready to go, Preston said, “Want a Jeep? I’ve got a Wrangler at the end of the row.”
My wife and I both said, “Sure!” If I had reserved a Jeep on the front end, it would have cost me twice as much. So this was a sweet upgrade and promised to be a fun way to tool around the Dallas area.
I think every time we’ve rented from Alamo at DFW, we’ve gotten some kind of upgrade, from a compact to a van or SUV. That’s why we always come back to them.
Waite for it... 