How to Get a Rental Car when Everything is Sold Out-Inside Secrets from a Pro

You saunter up to the rental counter at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, thinking you'll get a rental car. You didn't make a reservation, but after all it's 113 ° F. in the middle of August, and who in their right mind would want to come to Phoenix, now instead of the middle of winter when it's a balmy 85°. Well, vacationers who rent a car in Phoenix in order to drive to the nice cool Grand Canyon would, and guess what? Alamo is all sold out!!

You turn red; redder then you were because of the heat, and sweating profusely. You hear, "I'm sorry, sir, we are all sold out, and our competitors are too!!!" Oh, no what do you do! Well, take it from a former Reservation Sales Agent from Alamo Rent-A-Car; it still may be possible to find a car!! "How?" you ask. Well, first thing you do is to ask when Alamo will have a car. It could be they'll be expecting returns in the next hour, later that night, or possibly tomorrow morning. If the counter Rental Agent replies, tomorrow morning, make an reservation then, and there. If they have a car available tomorrow you can take the bus, taxi, or Phoenix shuttle to your hotel, and then call a taxi for a ride back to the location tomorrow. You can always cancel if you find one somewhere else sooner. And if the Agent has no cars available in the next 24 hours then what do you do?

You don't take his word for it that everyone is sold out all over town. You go ask the competition the same questions!! Such as, "Do you have a car now, in a few hours, tomorrow, etc.?" Well, after shopping around the airport you still can't find a car, then what!! Check the suburbs. Alamo has suburban locations, and you could take the bus, or a taxi, the Phoenix shuttle, or maybe your hotel shuttle to the suburbs. Okay you checked the suburbs; they are out too, then what?

You check the off brands, the non-national privately owned car rental agencies in your friendly yellow pages, either on line at www.dexknows.com or www.yellowpages.com, or use an actual physical Yellow Page book at the airport. Keep in mind however; the non-national car rental agencies may not be open 24 hours like the airport agencies are. A perusal of www.dexknows.com brought up 182 car rental agencies in Phoenix, 70 of which were not chain brands. They came from unlikely places like a car dealership, such as Five Star Ford which rents out cars on a short-term basis. And others like Rent a Vette, and Corvette Rentals may also have a car for rent while everyone else is sold out, but can you afford her? Handicapped Vehicle Specialists were also in Phoenix, but can you drive a vehicle that has been modified for the handicap? Also, there were family owned agencies like Capps Van and Car Rental included in the phone book.

So the moral of the story, is well you may be very well be able to find a rental car when everyone claims everything is sold out, but do you really want to go through all that? Be safe, make a reservation early.

If you enjoyed this article, you may want to read my other article in the travel section entitled, "How to Make a Cheap Car Reservation-Secrets of a Pro." Just click on the supporting link listed below.