Is the car rental situation any smoother at MCO? Budget in particular?

[TMJR]

We arrive Saturday afternoon, and I know car rentals were a nightmare. We have a Budget rental as part of our Costco package, so I'm just wondering how it has been lately.

Thanks!

 

[MillauFr]

Does Budget have a skip the counter option? The counter is the worst holdup.

 

[FCDub]

Does Budget have a skip the counter option? The counter is the worst holdup.

https://www.budget.com/en/loyalty-p...stbreak today — it's,Returns are just as easy.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

Does Budget have a skip the counter option? The counter is the worst holdup.

Yes they do. You can link your FastBreak membership to your reservation. We did that in April, walked out to the kiosk, and were in our car 10 minutes later.

 

[TMJR]

Yes they do. You can link your FastBreak membership to your reservation. We did that in April, walked out to the kiosk, and were in our car 10 minutes later.

I have fastbreak, but I can't figure out how to link it to my reservation. We booked a package through Costco. If you could explain how to link them I would be so appreciative!

 

[Lewisc]

Rental cars booked as a COSTCO package are sometimes handled differently then other reservations

 

[mikehn]

Call the budget phone number and have them link your existing reservation to your fastbreak number. You budget reservation number is found on your costco itinerary.

 

[DebLovesPooh]

I've read that if this is the first time using Fast break that we still need to go to the counter. Is this still the case? Thanks!

Deb

 

[disneyeveryyear]

I have fastbreak, but I can't figure out how to link it to my reservation. We booked a package through Costco. If you could explain how to link them I would be so appreciative!

I had to call Budget FastBreak and they did it for me.

 

[Akck]

I have fastbreak, but I can't figure out how to link it to my reservation. We booked a package through Costco. If you could explain how to link them I would be so appreciative!

Did you enter your Fastbreak number on the Costco reservation? I done it and the Costco reservation shows up on the budget website.

 

[Akck]

I've read that if this is the first time using Fast break that we still need to go to the counter. Is this still the case? Thanks!

Deb

The first Budget reservation I had with a Fastbreak number, we had to go to the counter. All subsequent reservations, we were able to go directly to the garage and our name was on the car.

 

[holyrita]

Call the budget phone number and have them link your existing reservation to your fastbreak number. You budget reservation number is found on your costco itinerary.

Would love it if you could share here if this works for you. I was told by Budget that you cannot apply fastbreak with a Costco reservation and that I would have to cancel my current reservation and book directly with Budget.

 

[mikehn]

Hmmm, very weird considering I currently have a costco reservation with Budget that I booked on Costco and my fastbreak number is on it. Call back and speak to a different agent.

 

[Brandilla]

I've read that if this is the first time using Fast break that we still need to go to the counter. Is this still the case? Thanks!

Deb

I went to the fastbreak counter in the garage for my first rental with fastbreak which had a significantly shorter line than the counter inside. We had to wait outside in the heat, but we were on our way faster.

 

[dres40]

We booked our Budget reservation with Under.....Cover.... Tourist and cannot link my husband's Fastbreak account. I called UT and they could not do it and after many calls with Budget with LONG waits, I was told finally by the 3rd Budget rep that it was a prepaid reservation and cannot be changed. So it looks like a long wait in the terminal for us. I always get my tickets with UT, they have great customer service, but will not rent a car with them in the future. My husband said we could take a taxi and he would wait on line for the car but we might as well have paid for a more expensive reservation after doing that. Hopefully it's not too bad a wait.

 

[dres40]

double

 

[holyrita]

Can anyone speak to the rental car pickup lines at Budget vs Avis currently? Not skipping the counter and going straight to the garage but the check-in counters. I'm wondering if there is any different or if they are both 90-120 minutes during peak times.

 

[gharter]

We were there in April. Rented from Alamo, had prepaid.
Very smooth. Walked directly to the cars, picked one, loaded it and drove to the gate.

 

[NotUrsula]

Here now, and I've just learned of a new wrinkle in all this. (Got this story from an airport hotel shuttle driver; long story why, but I had to return to the airport to pick up my car.)

The B side operations at MCO are still closed. Last night, at 2 am, there were at least 500 people waiting in the A side rental car area to get through the process of picking up a car; there were 8 delayed SWA flights that had been held up by midwestern thunderstorms. I went in this morning at 9 am, and there were probably about 150 people in line, but THE KIOSKS WERE WIDE OPEN! I was out in the garage and in my Emerald Aisle vehicle in under 10 minutes. Use those kiosks, folks!!

Here's the new wrinkle: if you are returning a vehicle in the evening on a busy travel day, my shuttle driver friend advised me to show up 3.5-4 hours before the flight loads. Why? Because the line of folks attempting to return rental cars has begun wrapping half-way around the airport at MCO; it apparently sometimes takes a couple of hours to snake through that single-lane line to get back into the rental car garage area. The driver told me that he knew this because he has had several folks this week have to stay an extra night near the airport because they missed their evening flight whilst waiting in line to return a rental car.

We're going home mid-week on a late flight, and while I'm not sure yet just how early I will return the car, I'm going to split the difference and circle around to let the rest of my party out first; so if I do miss the flight, it will only be me that misses it, and not my entire family. (I'll keep a carryon of necessities with me, JIC.)

 

[holyrita]

Here now, and I've just learned of a new wrinkle in all this. (Got this story from an airport hotel shuttle driver; long story why, but I had to return to the airport to pick up my car.)

The B side operations at MCO are still closed. Last night, at 2 am, there were at least 500 people waiting in the A side rental car area to get through the process of picking up a car; there were 8 delayed SWA flights that had been held up by midwestern thunderstorms. I went in this morning at 9 am, and there were probably about 150 people in line, but THE KIOSKS WERE WIDE OPEN! I was out in the garage and in my Emerald Aisle vehicle in under 10 minutes. Use those kiosks, folks!!

Here's the new wrinkle: if you are returning a vehicle in the evening on a busy travel day, my shuttle driver friend advised me to show up 3.5-4 hours before the flight loads. Why? Because the line of folks attempting to return rental cars has begun wrapping half-way around the airport at MCO; it apparently sometimes takes a couple of hours to snake through that single-lane line to get back into the rental car garage area. The driver told me that he knew this because he has had several folks this week have to stay an extra night near the airport because they missed their evening flight whilst waiting in line to return a rental car.

We're going home mid-week on a late flight, and while I'm not sure yet just how early I will return the car, I'm going to split the difference and circle around to let the rest of my party out first; so if I do miss the flight, it will only be me that misses it, and not my entire family. (I'll keep a carryon of necessities with me, JIC.)

This is so discouraging on so many levels. 500 people at 2am? 150 at 9am? Hours just to return a rental car? Unfortunately I think most people are using third parties to book car rentals, because the price to book direct is so prohibitive, and aren't eligible to use the kiosks.

This is all so stressful and I just want to return to the magic after the last year and a half