Self-service eliminates the need to queue at the counter

Alamo makes car rental very convenient. The self-service pickup is very quick. During the ten-plus days of using the car, I scratched the left bumper and the trunk in two small places. When returning the car, I informed the staff, who told us it was not a big deal. The return process was also very straightforward; they just took a quick look at the car, and we were done.

Self-service car rental, very quick.

1. We arrived at the car rental spot at the airport in the middle of the night, and there were still two counters open, which was great. It takes about 5 minutes to wait for the shuttle bus from the airport to the rental location. 2. The staff were friendly and not pushy. They only asked if we wanted to upgrade the car and recommended the very practical TravelTab (a Samsung Galaxy that functions as a phone, navigation device, and Wi-Fi hotspot). 3. After completing the paperwork, you go to the parking lot to choose a car. All the cars of the class you booked are parked together with the keys in the cars and doors unlocked. You can pick any car and drive away. 4. There were many options available across different car classes. The cars were new, well-maintained, and clean inside. 5. When returning the car, despite not having a full tank because the gas station was far from the return point, the staff said it was fine, which was very considerate.

Clearly selected a mid-to-large SUV on the website (more expensive) but was given the option of a compact city SUV (listed at a lower price) upon arrival in the US. The time spent waiting for and choosing the car was included in the rental period. Despite this, I managed to choose a newer car (with lower mileage), but ended up paying extra for a higher-grade vehicle and wasted 40 minutes waiting for it.