Car Hire Upgrades?

davenpearsall

Someone mentioned to me that when booking car hire before you go on holiday only ever pay for the cheapest car.

If your intention is to have a bigger car only pay for the upgrade once you are there. The theory behind it is they will sell you the upgrade for cheaper once you are "at the counter" as such than what you would have paid for online or on the phone, perhaps months before hand.

Anyone got any information on whether this is true or not?

Many thanks.

richardw

But if you need a big car, and they only have the small one that you booked available, what do you do?

davenpearsall

good point. Well i imagine if you are a family of 4 there would be no point in taking the risk and you would opt for a family sized car.

Whereas myself, there would only be two of us but we don't particularly want to be driving around in a shoe box. I think at larger branches (especially airports) they usually have a large stock of cars. I have always found they try and flog you an upgrade once you are there.

richardw

davenpearsall wrote: »

they will sell you the upgrade for cheaper once you are "at the counter" as such than what you would have paid for online or on the phone

If you search hard enough it is possible to get very good prices on car hire for the car that you need in advance rather than waiting for a maybe that may not happen.

fifeken

I've noticed on trips to the USA that if I book the smallest car they never have many of them, and when you refuse to purchase an upgrade you get it anyway due to the lack of availability of what you've ordered. This has always just been for two travellers where a small boot didn't make any real difference. It's a gamble and depends on where you are going and how much you want a larger car whether you want to take it.

sheslookinhot

davenpearsall wrote: »

good point. Well i imagine if you are a family of 4 there would be no point in taking the risk and you would opt for a family sized car.

Whereas myself, there would only be two of us but we don't particularly want to be driving around in a shoe box. I think at larger branches (especially airports) they usually have a large stock of cars. I have always found they try and flog you an upgrade once you are there.

Have you answered your own question :rolleyes:

MenstrieBen

I'd suggest booking the smallest one you can get away with just in case.

Another thing that has worked out for us as often as not is to hang back in the queue - we've often than had an upgrade after all the cars in the class we booked were gone :j

davenpearsall

MenstrieBen wrote: »

I'd suggest booking the smallest one you can get away with just in case.

Another thing that has worked out for us as often as not is to hang back in the queue - we've often than had an upgrade after all the cars in the class we booked were gone :j

Good idea! :T

balsingh

In the USA, more often than not, they upgrade you as they don't really have many small cars. Couple of years ago, we booked the smallest cheapest car and we were upgraded to a convertible!! nice!!

Generally, the smaller rental stations run out of smaller cars first (upgrade more likely) while airports tend to carry more than average numbers of each car size (upgrade less likely).

mystic_trev

I've been using SIXT (booked via Travelsupermarket.com) the last couple of years. Three of the last four times I've used them I've been upgraded. The last time I booked a small saloon and they upgraded me to a brand new Landcruiser - great for driving around the Alps, and would have cost me four times what I paid!

cazziebo

Maybe out of two dozen car hires, I've been upgraded foc in all but two! That's here, Europe, US and Canada, nearly always booked through Holiday Autos or similar.

In Toronto, the chap at the desk did his damndest to sell me an upgrade, which I refused (just me and my daughter) and then said, he only had the superior car. :rotfl: :rotfl:

(If they saw the state of my own car, they'd be a bit more reluctant!)