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Alamo Rent A Car
Category: Hotels & Travel Car Rental Car Rental [Edit]
9020 Aviation BlvdInglewood, CA 90301
(310) 649-2242
About This Business:
Rent real cars from local car owners, through one free immediate online sign-up. From $5/hour or $25 per day, RelayRides provides a variety of cars,… read more »
66 reviews for Alamo Rent A Car
66 reviews in English
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Review from Chad Y.
2/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Whoever enjoys renting a car? There is just so much uncertainty when you think about it. For example you have to think about how long is it going to take you from the baggage claim to the car rental location. Did I get the right car size? Is the car going to be clean? Do I take the optional insurance coverage? Do I prepay the gas? Well, forget about it...there are so many bigger things to think about when you are traveling, like did you remember your id or passport?
I digress. Alamo offered a great rental car experience that I found to be rather enjoyable. While rates may vary depending on where you are, their rate is consistently reasonable and the cars decently maintained.
The LAX location is a bit of a challenge since it is located off the airport property and a bit away from the terminals. The shuttle ride can be a bit of a ride and you do need to plan an extra 10-15 minutes to make your way from the baggage claim to the garage.
Once at the location, you can go the traditional route and visit the agent counter, however save yourself some time and hit up the self-serve kiosk. It will save you the trouble of having to wait in the line and having to answer no no no to whatever other options they present. If you really want to upgrade, you can...if not, you don't have to.
Once they print your confirmation agreement, you can be on your way.
Head out the doors you came in from the shuttle and find the classification of the car you want and pick the car. Keys will be in the car and you just load up and be on your way. Drive over to the check out gate and sign out, if you rented a GPS, you'll pick it up there.
Directional signs are a little lacking so it can be easy to get lost. Also, the cars are decently kept and clean, but you will come across a few bad apples so make sure you don't settle till you get the car you want!
And like others have written...Costco travel does offer a pretty good deal! -
Review from Chris V.
Arlington, VA
4/20/2012
We had reserved a convertible for our visit back to sunny SoCal, but we didn't get one. I guess I don't understand it. It's like Seinfeld said, that's the point of the reservation (granted we still got a car, but geez).
At least the service was friendly and fairly quick (if you've reserved beforehand use the kiosk and skip the lines!). -
Review from pauline c.
Los Angeles, CA
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
There are shitty car rentals. And then there are SHITTY car rentals. Rest assured, Alamo is not one of them. This car rental facility is HUGE. The best part is that if you have a costco membership, you can book your car through http://www.costcotrave...
The quote I received there was almost half of what other websites were charging, even with things like 15% discount codes and stuff.
The process is also easy. You can get shuttled for free from LAX, as it is a few minutes from the airport. Just wait in the designated car rental shuttle areas and you can hop on any Alamo/National shuttle.
At the car rental site, you sashay yourself over to the kiosks and input your confirmation number, credit cards, etc. Then, it will print out your receipt. Take that receipt and walk out to the lot, and go to the section with your car size range. They are labeled, midsize suv, suv, compact, etc. There is a whole line of cars you can sit in and look at to choose. If you don't like the first one you sit in, no problem! Go on to the next.
For my midsize SUV rental, I was able to poke around (inside and out) of the Jeep, Ford Escapes, Hyundais and Rav4s. You can take your time picking.
When you are done, the key is on the door. You just drive it to the exit and the person at the booth looks over your receipt and verifies you got the right sized car. Exit, and be on your merry way.
Upon return, you just drive into the area labeled rental return. A guy looks over the car and prints out your final receipt, no frills, no hassles, 5 minutes tops if no one is ahead of you. Very awesome indeed.
PS they have free 2nd driver, unlimited miles. -
Review from Sean B.
5/2/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Best one I've dealt with by LAX. I'm a believer. I'll go back. Fox made me want to never fly into LAX again, Alamo redeemed it.
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Review from Jonathan M.
Chicago, IL
4/27/2012
It took us all of 15 minutes to check in pick out our car and be on our way. The process was so easy. There was a self-check kiosk, but because of the way I booked my vacation (a package on Expedia) it wouldn't allow me to check in this way. Instead I had to wait in a quick line and when I got to the counter there was no quick sell to try to get me to agree to services and upgrades that I did not want. I simply answered no to all the questions to which the agent said that I did not need to even speak to him. Best part about Alamo is you can pick whatever car you want. They give you the row that you can choose from and then its up to you. The return was even easier. Drive up, get out, and a guy will scan the car, check your gas and you are waiting for the bus to return to the airport, which takes about ten minutes for the return trip.
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Review from Julie V.
Arlington, VA
4/13/2012
Did not have the car that we reserved. And there were no cars to upgrade.
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Review from Emil H.
Millburn, NJ
4/8/2012
Nice facility, knowledgeable staff, clean cars. I rented a full-size (Nissan Altima) that drove well. Their shuttle got me from the arrivals deck to their office (which is shared with National) in about 7 minutes, the way back was a bit longer because we were the last terminal stop, maybe 15 minutes.
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Review from Christopher M.
Somerville, MA
12/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
The price was right, everything else was wrong.
I was told that they always have at least one mustang on the lot. They lied.
Their checkin kiosks were buggy and forced me to start from the beginning three times (And it is NOT a short progess).
The sebring I got was ok.
The directions to get back to the car retun lot were BUNK. I missed my flight.
The shuttlebus drivers are jerks.
but the price was right. -
Review from CJ J.
12/1/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Wow. I don't remember the last time I gave anything 5 stars!
Ok. Here we go.
Go to http://Costco.com
Do a rental car search
Get best deal possible
Go to Alamo at LAX (or whichever place gets you the best deal)
At Alamo, go and use your card to bring up your reservation (best way is to have your confirmation # and credit card ready)
Go to the lot of cars
Pick a car in your size range
Get in the car
Check out (give your ID for verification, etc)
Drive off.
Not only was the experience seamless and just amazing, I felt like I was going car shopping! I didn't like the car choices and while walking around the lot for a couple minutes ALL THESE OTHER CARS STARTING COMING OUT OF THE WASH! It was madness. I was running around to cars, grabbing keys (so I can hold the car), sitting in them, checking them out, all happy and excited like they were giving away something free or something. LOL! It was fun.
Also, through Costco including taxes and fees I paid right under $100 for 5 days. YEA BABY!Listed in: Yea I'm a Car Chick....
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Review from Crystal K.
Los Angeles, CA
11/21/2011
I've rented from this Alamo location a few times and I think it's the best car rental place compared to its nearby competitors. The thing that I like about Alamo is that you can choose your vehicle instead of being assigned to one.
Often times, cars are parked in the wrong spots - working in your favor. There have been numerous times were I've driven away with a standard size vehicle at a midsize rate simply because they've ran out of parking spots and needed to park the car somewhere. -
Review from Wendy C.
Los Angeles, CA
10/28/2011
DON'T RENT FROM HERE!
I waited in line waiting my turn for the associate, when one of the employees (I think it was a manger) tells me to go to their Kiosk. I told him I was waiting in line because I had a question about renting a car there and he goes on to, in an irritated manner, tell me to just go to the kiosk.
Man, he was rude and irritated. The shuttle drivers that take you to Los Angeles airport are just as rude,
They're very angry there. So I always ALWAYS ALWAYS take my business to Dollar Rental which is about 2-3 blocks down the street. -
Review from Alia D.
1/6/2012 4 Check-ins Here
I should've read these reviews before I decided to rent a car. Especially Cj J.'s review. Costco!? I had no idea! In any case I had to get a car straight away because mine was going to be in the shop for about a week and I didn't really want to spend the rest of my Christmas vacay being stuck at home. I came to pick my car up on a rather cold Thursday night. I didn't have any paperwork, just the confirmation code on my phone in my e-mail. I was helped rather quickly due to the lack of customers. The gentleman who helped me was crazy grumpy pants. Maybe it was the cold maybe he was just a Grumpy McAngryhead. Either way, He was rushing me along and didn't explain anything to me. Just ran my credit card and handed me the paperwork to sign. I kind of just stood there waiting for him to explain to me what I was supposed to inital and why but nothing. So, I was that person standing at the customer service desk reading the contract for myself. Yes I realize one should do that anyway but sometimes it's just easier when things are explained. After I was done he said sent me off with a "Thank You". Um, cool? I had to ask where to get a car. Then he huffed and pointed out to the back telling to to just pick a car. Pick a car? Just randomly walk out there and grab a car? I had never been to this location nor have I ever had to pick my own car. I get out to the lot and find that all the cars have keys dangling from the door. Ok, I get it.
So I get into my first choice of car in the compact vehicle aisle and it smelled like smoke. I'm pretty sensitive to smoke and it irritates my sinuses. I move my happy ass on over to the next car, that one smelled like hot armpit. NASTY! I didn't have too many other choices and a family had gotten into a car I had not been in yet. They started loading. Whelp, with the only other car being stalked by another customer I had a choice to make, armpit or smoke. I chose smoke, at least I could crank the heat and drive around with the windows down. I didn't want to be accused of smelling like B.O.
I drive the car around for a week. The Yaris had really good mileage and the smoke smell did disappear. However, there was a continuous rattling sound which I found unusual for a 2012 car with less than 4K miles on it. Returning it was just as strange but the customer service was much better than the initial contact. If I ever need a car again I will probably go through Costco to get a better deal but hopefully with a better company. -
Review from David S.
Sacramento, CA
1/15/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I rent cars quite often when out of town on either business or pleasure so the treatment from Alamo exceeded my expectations. Everyone offered assistance and a smile from the front customer desk man, the lot attendants, and the check out person I saw on the way out of the lot. The ease of renting a car here is simply amazing, fast and courteous just the way it should be done...KUDOS LAX staff!
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Review from yekta a.
10/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
They let you pick your own car! I liked that! Whatever class of car you reserved they will let you walk on the lot and pick what you want!
Great location by LAX, and there's a shuttle to-and-from the airport and back. The staff are nice and there's a cool self-service console when you go to pick up your car that I highly recommend you use instad of waiting at the counter! -
Review from Anjana R.
San Jose, CA
10/13/2011
Good mileage cars are available here.They let us pick cars in our own wish.Communicate to them properly if u have taken insurance online.
Also if u book online and if its a midsize car be sure they give u midsize .Sometime they will upgrade it to intermediate and cost you more.
Our car was liltle dusty.But served the purpose.
Good way to save money -
Review from Elle P.
5/15/2011
Alamo, you rock!
I've rented my share of cars and the experience I had at Alamo was by far the most pleasant experience that I've ever had.
1) Reservation was not lost.
2) NO UPSELL. They did not try to persuade me that I needed to be in a full size sedan. When I declined the extra insurance, they didn't say another word.
3) Fast! A long line, but it moved quickly.
4) Courteous staff. Everyone was really polite and terrific (except for the odd little man who was supposed to help move the line faster, but that was more of his social awkwardness than rudeness or blase attitude).
5) Impeccably clean car.
6) Shuttles to and from airport were speedy and frequent.
7) Cheapest deal at LAX.
Definitely recommend Alamo and I'll be renting from them again in the future. -
Review from Andrew H.
Los Angeles, CA
9/28/2011
I am also a big fan of alamo rental car. if only they had more local locations. I have used Alamo many times, often because their rates are great. I also recommend becoming a member, booking online and printing out your reservation. I recently used them after arriving at LAX and saw the HUGE line for the counter. My family freaked out but I assured them we wouldnt have to wait because I used the self-service kiosk to check out the car. After paying we walked out into the parking lot and got to pick the full size car that we wanted. When you exit they check your paperwork, credit card, drivers license and then you're driving. Returning the car at LAX alamo is even easier as you just pull up, they scan the bar code on the door, check the mileage and you're done. No heavy inspection of the car or anything. Oh and when you arrive at LAX, there are frequent shuttles that take you to the lot.
Of note, once I rented from Alamo in Sacramento and at that alamo you dont get to choose what car you wanted. I got a car that was dirty on the outside. I wrote alamo about how dirty the car was and they gave me a 1 day free rental. pretty sweet. -
Review from L'Vette S.
Nashville, TN
9/20/2011
I love Alamo! I rent from this location every time I'm in LA. I book online at http://Alamo.com, securing a GREAT rate. When the plane lands, I bus it to the depot, walk up to the counter and am driving off the lot in my car within 10 minutes. I usually get a nice upgrade too. The cars are always CLEAN!! Not to mention they never smell smokey! =) They have what you need, whether its a compact, or high end LUXURY vehicles. I love the unlimited miles because I usually put at least 300 miles on the cars over a weekend, let me tell you!
Alamo is the best. I rent all over the country with them.
See ya soon Alamo! -
Review from Jennifer K.
Chicago, IL
11/23/2011
This place is awesome!!!! I booked my car through http://Priceline.com then when I arrived off the shuttle bus I went to the easy kiosks, printed out my reservation and was directed outside where I can choose my car! Luis helped me out. He was super cool. I ended up with a nice impala. Overall great experience. Use the kiosk thing, so simple. Highly recommend.
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Review from thien h.
1/25/2011
I had booked my reservation online through priceline. The customer service here was OK it was not extraordinary and it did not suck either. The person that was helping me over the counter did not speak English very well and I believe he was trying to trick me into getting accessories for the car like a DVD player and Navigation, I told him I already got a phone with navigation and he just gave me a weird look like I'm a cheap skate that bastard.
Car: Chrysler country town, very nice car. The side door open via keys and also the trunk. The reason why I got a mini van was because I wanted a comfortable ride to San Diego with all of our luggage and to let my friends yell out of the car "ARE YOU DOWN FOR THE GANG BANG" or "YOU LIKE EGG ROLLS".
The price for the past 3 days came out to be 304 dollars which includes:
Gas, collision insurance, and unlimited miles.
I'd come here again, but make sure you understand the guy before you say yes to anything.
By the way the guy name that helped me was Avra. -
Review from L M.
Boston, MA
9/2/2011
First: Become an Alamo member for deals & upgrades
Second: Book online
Third: Use the kiosk to check out
Fourth: Bring a copy of your online order (**important for upgrades, you'll show it to the guard at exit, bring it or get charged for a bigger car.)
I had a great car, great price and amazing customer service.
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Upon return, I was running late for my flight. THIS IS WHERE IT GETS AWESOME:
First, Steve in the return lot comes running across the parking lot to the shuttle stand to hand me my wallet which had fallen out of my bag. Doh! (Thanks Steve!) No wallet, no ID. No ID, no flight. Steve was a lifesaver!
But I was still waaaay running late for my flight when Crystal the shuttle driver heard my plight. I was the lucky recipient of a quick prayer and then she 'took the shortcut' to get me to my terminal. I gave her my business card and asked her to email me so that I could properly thank her. The next day I received a call from her checking to see if I'd made my flight. (Thanks Crystal!)
That is beyond customer service -- that is good old-fashioned kidness. I am grateful to Steve and Crystal and wrote directly to Alamo to ask the LAX management team to thank them personally.
Alamo LAX: Recommended! -
Review from Artisha W.
Roanoke, VA
10/11/2011
Absolutely The Worst Customer Service!!!
Manager very rude! Asked for help and was given an nasty remarked all because I did not have a proof of confirmation but I had my confirmation number with me and said if she don't see a print out then I will not be able to rent the vehicle!! I never remembered seeing that on the list of requirements when renting. I ask for her email and she got nasty like if she did not wanted to give it to me so I could Fwd her my confirmation e-mail! Never ever again will I rent a vehicle from LAX Alamo!!! -
Review from Nina S.
Honolulu, HI
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
i wish it was cheaper.. i love their self serve car service and also we rented two cars i hope next timewe get a deal
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Review from Phil C.
1/10/2011
I've used this rental place at least 3 times the past two years and I haven't had any trouble at all. The prices are much lower than Hertz or most other national brands. Most people there are polite, though I don't have to interact with many of their staff because of self-service kiosks, which is fine with me.
The selection of cars can be limited though, and it can be hit-or-miss. The last time I went, I only had the choice between a Chevy HHR (not the greatest but acceptable) and a KIA sedan. Another time I rented from here, I had more options and managed to get a Jeep Compass, which was rather good. Every car I've rented here was spotless.
The last couple of times, I've used the self-service kiosk, which is a major time-saver. They have people to help you at the kiosk too if you need it. All you have to do afterward is go to the appropriate car area based on the size you ordered, find the keys inside the car you want and drive to the check out place. Returning the car has been pretty painless as well.
The location is a little bit farther out than the other rental places, so do keep that in mind when returning. The shuttle service is generally prompt and plentiful. The drivers are generally okay, but one time the driver forgot to stop at my terminal, forcing him to drive around the airport again. Since I wasn't in a rush, it was all good. -
Review from Angella S.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2010
I would normally not review a rent-a-car service. But Alamo at LAX deserves mad props.
Really. I've rented countless cars around the states and beyond, and I must say that my second go at Alamo rent-a-car service was quick, smooth, and painless.
Here's where how it goes...
First, try to reserve the car online through hotwire or something. Save you some $$.
Next, take the shuttle from the airport.
Next, strut your stuff right into front and swipe your credit card at one of the self-service kiosks. **They have people there to help you too.**
After obtaining your receipt, walk right out to any one of the cars in the parking lot (correction: Cars in your chosen class, of course).
Last step, start the engine, drive up to the check-out booth, and roll on out of there!
So simple.
The return in just as easy. Drive in, let them scan your car, print your receipt, and you're good to go.
Almost a joyful experience! -
Review from Connie W.
8/23/2010
Terrifying car rental experiences, we've all endured one at some point or another. It's difficult to select a rental car company given the myriad of negative reviews found on Yelp and elsewhere, so this time I bit the bullet on the cheapest rate and expected the worst.
We rented from the Alamo in LAX for a four day, one-way trip to San Francisco. Alamo stood out from the rest by offering competitive rates in conjunction with a waived drop fee, which reaches $100 and upwards elsewhere. I don't know if this was a one-time special or common practice, but there are also countless discount codes available if you search.
Picking up and dropping off couldn't have been easier, especially with their kiosks. The lot was completely out of compact cars when we arrived. We waited in line for twenty minutes at customer service only to be told just to take whatever car was available one class up. By that time though, the lot had compact cars available so we weren't able to take advantage.. but now you know! -
Review from Christopher T.
Brooklyn, NY
10/28/2011
Rented four or five times already the last two months, definitely a good rental agency. People are friendly, can use Kiosks quickly, a variety of cars to choose from which is the best part!
Returns are quick, and shuttles come often. So far I've had a new Elantra, Focus, Jetta, Santa Fe to name a few. -
Review from Shannon N.
San Jose, CA
9/2/2010
I booked my rental online with a Costco discount and coupon, and went ahead to fill in all the extra details online so I could use the kiosk when I arrived. However, when I got there and used the kiosk, it conveniently didn't acknowledge my $20 coupon... so then I had to go stand in line to talk with someone at the rental counter. Eventually things got straightened out and I got to go pick out my car. I had only one choice in the compact cars when I was there, so I drove off in my stylin' Hyundai with manual locks and windows. Haven't seen a car without automatic locks and windows in years. Anyway...
When I returned the car, the guy checking me in handed me my receipt (after charging my card) and I noticed the price was almost $40 higher than my confirmation! I told him it wasn't correct and he looked it over and said the difference was the pre-paid gas that I purchased. I didn't purchase any pre-paid gas from them (and of course returned the car with a full tank of gas!), and had to show him my printout from when I rented the car to show that the pre-paid option was $0.00. A few minutes of arguing later, I received a corrected receipt with the pre-paid gas set to $0.
This experience reminded me to always get everything in writing and have it handy when traveling. If I hadn't had my rental confirmation e-mail handy when I picked up the car, I would've been charged extra. I also needed the rental confirmation that I received when I picked up the car to prove that I didn't purchase $40 of gas. Shady business going on over at Alamo... -
Review from Bart C.
Manhattan, NY
11/25/2008
My theory about bias in Yelp reviews is that there's not a lot of reason for people to Yelp common, everyday businesses, like car rental agencies UNLESS they have a bad experience. Then they use Yelp to grind the axe. If the company just does it's job - a rental agency like Alamo gets you in & out quickly with a car that's clean and drives well just like you expected, then there's not an incentive to write a review. In high volume businesses like rental car agencies that deal with lots of customers who are under stress this is even more of a problem. As a result the reviews get weighted with horror stories and don't give you an accurate picture of what you can expect if you do business with company.
So here's my review: the shuttle picked us right up and took us to the nearby lot. The kiosks where super efficient with no line and had us assigned to a car in minutes. One of the Alamo representatives went out of his way to grab a baby seat and walk us to our new car, which was clean and performed perfectly, just as expected. And when we returned the car they didn't stress out that the Impala logo had fallen off on the freeway. Oh, and everyone was really nice.
If you need a reliable car rental agency at LAX I recommend these guys. -
Review from Aspasia s.
San Francisco, CA
5/22/2007
Never again.
Very long wait.
Customer disservice.
Communication is poor.
But they do deserve a star for the efficient and fast shuttle service to and from LAX airport. -
Review from Shay E.
Hawthorne, CA
10/15/2011
The process of renting from Alamo LAX station is GREAT. Save yourself time, and arrange your rental online, and check-in online, to skip the initial check-in process, and just go straight to your car of choice. Rates are amazing too. The staff is polite - and honest. I left my iPod Touch in the car that I returned, and they called to confirm that it was mine. That alone is great!
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Review from Purvi R.
Boston, MA
2/28/2010
The bf had to wait over 2 hours to pick up a car that was already paid for. Two. Hours. On a gorgeous Saturday morning. On vacation. F you, Alamo.
Alamo 'claims' you cannot retrieve prepaid reservations on their automated computers, however this is complete bull - you totally can, I've done it many times before. As Alamo reps earn commission, they want to make sure they can try to upsell every customer in every way imaginable. After a 2 hour wait, we ended up with literally the last car on the lot - sorry to the people behind that had to wait even longer to wait for a car. By the way, 2 hours could have been 3 or even more, if they hadn't finally added someone else to the counter to service customers. Whoever planned personnel at Alamo on a Saturday during the holiday weekend needs to be canned. Complete, utter incompetence.
Goodbye Alamo; you've lost us as customers for good. Hope the door hits you hard on the way out. -
Review from Sean S.
Oakland, CA
3/4/2009
I had a very fustrating experience with them. When you check in online you are supposed to get hassle free pick up your car and go. That's not what I got. What I got was the online drive through line being closed and the woman in my online lane couldn't work the credit card machine who sent me inside to wait in the standing line (all types of mayhem ensued with cars needing to back up to let me reverse). The woman there totally tried to upsell me on everything that I already went through online. She ran my credit card, no problemo, so really, what the heck?
Also, they have a little convenience store inside which I thought was cute and allowed me to buy advil after the headache this melee caused me. Turns out though, while this store is new, its not 21st century, they only take cash. Conveniently but not for your bank account, they have an ATM there that is willing to surcharge you for your money that you can then turn over to the same guy for your products.
Alamo:It's like a whole 15-30 minutes stacked against you. -
Review from Philip M.
Brentwood, CA
3/17/2010
Car rental experiences are always a crap shoot. I should know.
I only needed to rent a car for a few hours to run some errands. Luckily, I was able to get a good last minute deal from Alamo. I went to the office and headed straight for the kiosk. I pulled up my reservation using the confirmation number. I swiped my drivers license, answer no to the typical insurances, upgrades, and GPS questions, swiped my credit card, got my contract print out, and I was heading out the door within 5 minutes. The kiosk is the best thing that ever happened to the car rental experience because it does takes no for an answer and doesn't pressure you to buy the optional products. I usually do purchase insurances because I just want to walk away if anything shall happen. Trust me, things does happen!!! Since I only needed a car for a few hours, I declined the insurances.
The other good thing with Alamo is the ability to pick any car in your category. They must have been short on small vehicles since I saw they parked a few minivans in the economy and midsize aisle. I was able to pick one of the few small cars left, got in, and drove off the lot within 10 minutes.
The return was easy as well. There were just a couple of people in the return line. I got my receipt within 5 minutes, took the shuttle to the airport where they drop you off at the airline you are flying on. A big plus.
Overall, the experience was fast and efficient and with minimal human interaction. The only human interaction I had was at the exit booth and when I returned the car. I was lucky that day. But I know it might not and will not go this smoothly every time. -
Review from Zakk D.
San Jose, CA
2/15/2008
As an avowed SWA credit card holder and frequent flyer, Alamo Rent A Car gets me 1/2 a credit each time a rent a car from them. I've been to LA 4 times in the past 6 months, always returning to Alamo for the perks, the decent cars, the shuttle to and from LAX that runs every 10 minutes, and great litte cars.
They never have more than 2 customers service people working the front counter, but the line moves fairly quickly. They are often out of the economy car (all I need to get to and from meetings) but will upgrade you free if they are out.
A car for the day usually runs in the $30-35 range, which is a very fair price for a nice clean car. -
Review from cindy w.
New York, NY
5/29/2008
Alamo Rent-A-Car is the best -- from its website to its car-pickup I had MINIMAL human interaction in my car-rental purchase history which means NO HASSLES. Gotta love technology that allows me to avoid employee ineptitude. I chose Alamo for its low price when I decided to pick a 5-day midsize SUV for my family visit. Online, I was able to print-out my car-reservation with a barcode for automatic check-in at the Alamo kiosk. When I arrived to LA, the Alamo bus whisked us to the rental site where I bypassed the long lines, went to the Alamo computer kiosk, scanned by barcode paperwork, walked to the parking lot, picked out my car, and drove it for final check-out. No fuss.
Returning the car was not a problem either.
I'd recommend this route if you can print out your paperwork.
The only confusing part was that Alamo didn't distinguish its seperate classes for SUVs in the parking lot -- mid-size SUVs were parked in SUV spots versus compacts...so I had to ask an employee for help.
Also -- Alamo customers love posting online coupons so do a google search for discount codes. I'd definitely go back to Alamo for the right price. -
Review from D W.
Puyallup, WA
1/13/2012
Individual experiences with any vendor are subjective so all I can relate to you is the terrible experiences (yes, that's plural) I've had with Alamo. I've given them far too many opportunities because they always seem to have the most competitive rates but let me tell you, you pay for that in the end.
First experience was in Las Vegas where they rented us a car with prior damage and we did not see the damage until the next day. We immediately returned the car and told them about the damage but they refused to acknowledge our innocense and tried to charge us the absurd amount of $1500 for repairs. Luckily we have family members in the legal profession and Alamo finally relented after a strongly-worded letter from our attorney.
A similar thing happened this past Aug. ('11) in Hawaii where they told us to do a walk-a-round and report any damage over a certain size (they even had a sizing card). I always do a very thorough walk-a-round after the Vegas incident and saw some damage but it was under the size they had shown me on the card so did not worry about it and drove off the lot. Upon picking my wife up 15 minutes later however she thought I should have declared the damage. So we drove back out to the airport and reported the damage and all of a sudden Alamo's tone changed. They now accused us of the damage and once again we received a $1500 bill. They seem to like that number as ALL minor damage seems to be worth $1500. Once again I had to do way too much legal wrangling and force them to back down.
Now they've done it again. I apparently got a parking ticket while in Miami (extenuating circumstances too lengthy to go into here). Suffice it to say I was not aware of this ticket as I didn't receive the actual ticket nor get any notification from the police. The first time I was even made aware of a violation was two months later when Alamo informed me they had just applied a $171 charge to my credit card. The ticket was for $151 and Alamo unilaterally decided to tack on another $20 as an "administrative fee" (what a scam!). I'm now in the process of fighting with Alamo again. My experience with Alamo should warn you at least of some of the pitfalls of this agency. It seems they try to get their money at the end of the transaction, through whatever means they can. They DO NOT deal in good faith and I will NEVER use them again. I suggest you do the same. -
Review from John O.
Honolulu, HI
1/2/2012
This is got to be the greatest deal of them all. I just returned a rental car yesterday back to alamo rent a car at the LAX ( LA airport) They charged me just 77.00 a week, and i got a brand new car with unlimited miles and this was the most efficient service i have ever received. In fact. this is how i was able to choose the car. they tell you to go to this row and choose the one you want, out of about 10 cars lined up. i was about to choose this one car but the person on the side of me decided to not take that one and as i looked i saw it was a toyota and took it. when i brought car back at 7am on new years day i went into lot and about six or so reps were directing me in to the proper area and one of them got me out, ck'd car and printed my receipt all in 1 minute and was on the shuttle bus going to the airport in another minute. wow, had time to relax before my flight as i thought i would be rushed due to delays but that was real fast and unbelievably efficient. I have always had the best deals with alamo over the yrs. although this was my first time traveling in the last 7 years.
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Review from Brian C.
11/2/2009 1 photo
No problems for me. They have self check-in kiosk. Awesome. Avoid the lines. Check in/return was efficient and hassle-free. Rates were reasonable and the cars were clean.
If there was an issue, it would be not enough economy cars on hand. The last time they ran out, we were given something the next level up at no charge. Cool. -
Review from Kat C.
10/14/2008
Wow, compared to my first, junky, experience renting a car in Seattle, this place was a luxury!
A huge shuttle picked us up at LAX and drove us (about 5-7 min) to the rental location. We walked in and were a bit overwhelmed by the long, winding, line but noticed some people were checking in electronically.
MINUS 1-star for the workers not directing ppl to/informing people about the electronic check-in machines...SO MUCH FASTER!
After our confirmation printed, we walked outside and headed towards the economy cars section (under the parking garage) ... it was like...musical chairs...everyone viciously ran to their car of choice. Our car's AC adapter wasn't working so they let us upgrade to a full-size because there were no more cars left! (shaaa-wiiing!!) No hassle, either.
Returning was also a breeze...just parked it back in the garage and we were all set. WILL DEFINATELY use their services again if I need it!
