Best and worst airport locations for frequent renters / road warriors

[businesstraveler]

One clear conclusion from the thread about why Enterprise makes things so difficult for its most frequent customers, is that the Enterprise experience varies greatly from location to location. I'm interested to hear from others about their experiences at various Enterprise locations around the country -- particularly what the best and worst airport locations are. Ones to use, ones to avoid.

Here are the criteria that matter the most to me (although if you have others that are important feel free to add to your review):

1. Where is the location in relation to other car rental choices? For example, at BWI (Baltimore-Washington airport), Enterprise is in the same off-airport rental car facility as everybody else. But in the Orlando airport, it's off airport and two highway exits away in its own location. So there's no reason to avoid Enterprise based on their location at BWI, but definitely a reason to avoid it based on its Orlando location.

2. If it's an off-airport location AND the bus is operated by Enterprise, how frequently does the bus run? Again, at BWI the bus is run by the airport, so one can't fault Enterprise if it runs slow (and it actually runs quite quickly and frequently). At the St. Louis airport, Enterprise operates its own bus and I've waited well over 1/2 hour for it.

3. Once inside the Enterprise location, how fast or slow is the process? Are there long lines? Is enough staff working? How quickly do they "process" you as a customer and get you in your car?

4. Horror stories: leaving you stranded because they closed at 11:00 p.m. and your flight was late. Arriving and having to wait an hour because your car wasn't ready. Being transported to another Enterprise location to get a car, etc.

5. Anything else I've missed.

I'll reply to my own post with a few reviews.

[businesstraveler]

Here are a few...

Orlando airport location
Review: Avoid at all cost. Waited over 30 minutes for a shuttle bus, while nearly every other company sent two or three buses in that time (Hertz sent at least 7 -- I counted them). Rode bus two exits in wrong direction (the Enterprise location is east of the airport, where most of the activity in Orlando -- Disney, the convention center, most conference hotels, etc. is to the west). Waited in two long lines-- first to sign the initial contract, then to wait for a person to "show you your car." Clearly not enough staff working. Extremely slow process.

In general, Orlando is a tough place to rent cars --it has got to be one of the busiest car rental markets in the country. Thrifty is much closer to the airport and runs many more buses, and is much faster once inside. But I've found them to be extremely disorganized -- telling me to walk back in the lot to cars spaces that don't exist. Giving me a car that some other man was already in and about to drive off. I used Payless once and concluded that place is scary, even scarier than Enterprise. Budget, Dollar, Avis -- maybe one or two more have on airport locations and are probably the way to go.

BWI airport
As already mentioned, in same rental car facility as rest of rental car agencies. They often don't have enough staff working the counter (and only two computer terminals), so it can be quite slow. They are not too aggressive in selling the extra insurance, and you can get out of there fairly quickly.

Chicago Midway
On airport location which is convenient, recently moved from one side of the rental car level of the garage to another, with more space. The biggest downside to Chicago is I've found them to be extremely aggressive in selling the CDW -- makes it clear that Enterprise is in the insurance sales business as much or more than they are in the car rental business. Chicago Midway Enterprise also has an appetite for really small cars with fewer features than their competitors -- say if you rent a "midsize" or "standard" at any other company, you'll often get cruise control. But in Chicago you'll often need to rent a "full size" or more to get cruise.

Indianapolis
Very positive experiences. Now with close airport location (they moved closer than they were a few years ago). Got in and out of there quick. No complaints. Recommended!

[businesstraveler]

I was just in the process of cleaning off my desk, and came across a brochure I printed from the Illinois' Office of the Secretary State Mandatory Insurance Division. I downloaded it after a conversation with an Enterprise agent at the Chicago Midway airport. When I said I wanted to decline the CDW, he asked if I was carrying any "proof of insurance," such as my insurance card. I said, no, I didn't realize actually carrying the card from my home state was required -- I rent cars all the time and no one, not even other reps at Enterprise Chicago Midway, have said that it's required. He said it's an Illinois State law. I said, "Where is this written down? I've never heard of it before." He said that if I want proof, contact the state of Illinois. I said, if this is a law, how come no one else informs me about it? He said he was doing me a favor, by letting me know, and the other Enterprise agents and other Illinois rental locations have done me a disservice by not informing me of the law.

I thought, "What an outrageous line of b.s.," used in an attempt to trick me into buying the CDW. I added it to my to-do list to call the state for the satisifcation of to proving him wrong. I googled and found the brochure with the number for the Office of the Secretary of State Mandatory Insurance Division. The problem is, whenever I called them, they were either "at lunch," "closed for the day," or I was put on hold forever and it didn't seem worth my cell phone minutes. As outlandish as Enterprise can be, turning to a state bureaucracy to correct their b.s. can be just as challenging. If anyone else wants to take up the challenge, here's the info:

Office of the Secretary of State
Mandatory Insurance Division
501 S. Second Street
429 Howlett Bldg.
Springfield, IL 62756
217-524-4946

Here's the question to ask them: "If I am renting a car in Illinois, can I be ticketed for not carrying my insurance identification cards from my home state? My understanding is that as along as I am insured, I do not need to carry the actual cards with me, but let me know if I'm wrong on that."

[trabpukcip]

Originally Posted by businesstraveler

I was just in the process of cleaning off my desk, and came across a brochure I printed from the Illinois' Office of the Secretary State Mandatory Insurance Division. I downloaded it after a conversation with an Enterprise agent at the Chicago Midway airport. When I said I wanted to decline the CDW, he asked if I was carrying any "proof of insurance," such as my insurance card. I said, no, I didn't realize actually carrying the card from my home state was required -- I rent cars all the time and no one, not even other reps at Enterprise Chicago Midway, have said that it's required. He said it's an Illinois State law. I said, "Where is this written down? I've never heard of it before." He said that if I want proof, contact the state of Illinois. I said, if this is a law, how come no one else informs me about it? He said he was doing me a favor, by letting me know, and the other Enterprise agents and other Illinois rental locations have done me a disservice by not informing me of the law.

I thought, "What an outrageous line of b.s.," used in an attempt to trick me into buying the CDW. I added it to my to-do list to call the state for the satisifcation of to proving him wrong. I googled and found the brochure with the number for the Office of the Secretary of State Mandatory Insurance Division. The problem is, whenever I called them, they were either "at lunch," "closed for the day," or I was put on hold forever and it didn't seem worth my cell phone minutes. As outlandish as Enterprise can be, turning to a state bureaucracy to correct their b.s. can be just as challenging. If anyone else wants to take up the challenge, here's the info:

Office of the Secretary of State
Mandatory Insurance Division
501 S. Second Street
429 Howlett Bldg.
Springfield, IL 62756
217-524-4946

Here's the question to ask them: "If I am renting a car in Illinois, can I be ticketed for not carrying my insurance identification cards from my home state? My understanding is that as along as I am insured, I do not need to carry the actual cards with me, but let me know if I'm wrong on that."

Customers don't visit this site. If you are trying to help them, I'd suggest another avenue. Otherwise you'll just be talking to yourself my friend.

[businesstraveler]

Originally Posted by trabpukcip

Customers don't visit this site. If you are trying to help them, I'd suggest another avenue. Otherwise you'll just be talking to yourself my friend.

LOL, indeed Trabpukcip, I seem to be learning that reality the hard way. Do you have another site you recommend? I like TripAdvisor.com for hotels, but they don't have reviews of rental cars (yet).

This
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...ks&btnG=Search

is certainly a baromoter of the frustration, but it's scattered all over the place -- personal blogs, epinions.com, random review sites.