Most USA car rental locations in the America are run as franchises, this gives the owner of the particular franchise the option to work with tour operators, like ourselves, or not.
This morning we have received word from Dollar Rent A Car stating a couple of locations that have opted out of the tour operator program and will no longer be bookable for any tour operators; basically they will only be accepting domestic bookings.
Dollar Locations
Dollar Location
Address
Date service will stop
SAN FRANCISCO SHERATON
SHERT ON FISHERSMANS WHARF
15/12/2011
MIAMI HILTON DOWNTON
1601 BISCAYNE BLVD.
31/10/2011
The Miami car hire location has never really been that popular to collect from but the Fisherman’s Wharf location is a bit of a shame, although Dollar do offer an office out of O’Farrell street approximately 2.5 miles away.
Any rentals booked to collect from these rental dates after the date the service stop’s will be honoured.
If you happen to be in Florida between 7th and 10th of April 2011, you might like to take the opportunity to visit the 8th annual Celebration Exotic Car Festival children’s charity event.
This four-day event showcases North America’s largest collection of exotic cars, race cars and iconic Hollywood movie cars, coming together to help children with life threatening medical conditions. Experience the legendary Sebring Raceway, meet the country’s most renowned celebrity chefs at the Jetport Food and Wine Party; enjoy the world class exotic car concours set along the waterfront of Celebration, participate in the acclaimed road rally and more!
Here is the 2009 highlights video of this great spectacular.
Directions to the event can be found here – http://www.celebrationexoticcars.com/2011/directions.php
One of my more popular series of posts mentioned vehicles that our customers were actually collecting – SUV’s , Convertibles and Minivans.
I thought I’d revisit these posts and offer an idea of the car rentals being collected in March 2011
Sports Utility Vehicles
The Sports Utility Vehicle has been a big seller in 2011, with the intermediate SUV being the pick of the bunch.
Mrs K Horsefield collected an Intermediate SUV from Orlando International Airport with Dollar Rent A Car on the 11/03/11 and got a Ford Escape.
Mr J Hyde collected a Standard SUV from Las Vegas International Airport again with Dollar Rent A Car on the 15/03/11 and got a Grand Jeep Cherokee.
Mr M Ding collected a 7str SUV from Washington Dulles Airport with Alamo Rent A Car on the 14/03/11 and got a Ford Expedition.
Convertibles
Our customers love convertibles, especially the Ford Mustang So you’ll be happy to know that the first 3 customers I checked all received Ford Mustangs.
Mr I Prideaux collected a Ford Mustang from Kissimmee with Dollar Rent A Car on the 05/03/11.
Mr N Foxall collected a Ford Mustang from Orlando International Airport with Dollar Rent A Car on the 15/03/11.
Mr C Beckett completed his rental of a Ford Mustang at Miami International Airport with Budget Rent A Car on the 15/03/11
Minivans
Large families and groups take advantage of these larger vehicles.
Mr R Tooby collected a 12 str minivan from Fort Lauderdale with Dollar Rent A Car on the 06/03/11 and got a Ford E350.
Mr S Carver collected a 7 Seater Minivan from Sanford Airport with Budget Rent A Car on the 15/03/11 and got a Dodge Caravan.
Mrs L Young collected an 8 Seater minivan from Tampa International Airport with Alamo Rent A Car and got a Toyota Sienna.
I hope you find this usual. If there is a category of vehicle you would like me to check or a specific pick up location please let me know by commenting below.
Just thought I’d make you aware of the new automated toll booths being operated in Florida.
Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise has moved forward with implementing all-electronic open road tolling, which allows customers on Florida’s Turnpike to pay tolls without slowing down or stopping. With all-electronic open road tolling, traditional tollbooths have been removed and ALL customers pay their tolls electronically, through either SunPass transponders or a new “TOLL-BY-PLATE” program. With the elimination of tollbooths, customers experience a safer, faster and more convenient ride to their destination. All-electronic open road tolling is better for the environment because cars are not stopping and idling at the toll plazas, which reduces emissions and improves customers’ gas mileage.
The Turnpike has completed the first conversion to all-electronic open road tolling on the southern 47 miles of the Turnpike, from U.S. 1 in Florida City to the Miami-Dade/Broward County line. The conversion was implemented on February 19, 2011.
SunPasses or equivalent will be available from the supplier locally. I have contacted our three main suppliers Alamo, Budget and Dollar to enquire about the lost, their response’s were as follows.
Alamo Rent A Car
In FL if the customer drives on an unmanned toll road they are charged the Tollpass Convenience Charge (TCC) of $2.00 per day (not to exceed $6.00 per rental) plus the cost of the tolls. The TCC is only for those days where they actually incur a toll. As an example if the customer has a 7 day rental but only drives on a toll road 1 day and incurs a $.50 toll they will be charged $2.50 ($2.00 for the TCC and $.50) for the toll. This fee is charged from the HTA.
Budget Rent A Car
We offer our customer the chance to purchase the Eazipass locally at a cost of $2.95 per day or $10 per week.
Dollar Rent A Car
We are locally offering our Pre Pay Toll product, Pass 24 to customer when they collect and return their hire car. If the renter does not take the Pass 24 product we will charge them along with a $25 admin fee for each toll fine received during their rental. Therefore, every customer that rents a car is asked to sign a disclaimer about the $25 admin charge. The Pass 24 product is charged locally at $5.95 a day or $27.95 a week plus taxes and fees.
This post is as much for me as it is for you guys. I generally have to call different parts of the U.S. at least 10 times a day and I can never remember the time difference between the UK and varies parts of America. So this blog will list major locations and the time difference.
Pacific Zone
State City
Washington Seattle
Oregon Portland
Nevada Las Vegas
California San Francisco
Time Difference – GMT minus 8 hrs
Mountain Time Zone
State City
Montana Billings
Idaho Boise
Wyoming Jackson Hole
Utah Salt Lake City
Colorado Denver
Arizona Phoenix
New Mexico Santa Fe
Time Difference – GMT minus 7 hrs
Central Time Zone
State City
North Dakota Grand Forks
South Dakota Sioux Falls
Minneapolis Minnesota
Wisconsin Milwaukee
Nebraska Grand Island
Iowa Cedar Rapids
Illinois Chicago
Oklahoma Tulsa
Missouri St. Louis
Arkansas Little Rock
Tennessee Memphis
Texas Dallas
Louisiana New Orleans
Mississippi Jackson
Alabama Huntsville
Time Difference – GMT minus 6 hrs
Eastern Time Zone
State City
Michigan Detroit
Maine Portland
New Hampshire Manchester
Vermont Burlington
Massachusetts Boston
Rhode Island Providence
New York New York
Indiana Indianapolis
Ohio Cleveland
Pennsylvania Philidephia
New Jersey Newark
Connecticut Hartford
Kentucky Cincinnati
West Virginia Lewisburg
Washington DC Washington
Maryland Baltimore
Delaware Wilmington
Virginia Richmond
North Carolina Charlotte
South Carolina Myrtle Beach
Georgia Atlanta
Florida Orlando
Time Difference – GMT minus 5 hrs
Alaska is 9 hrs behind the UK and Hawaii 10 hrs behind.
Whilst driving in Florida you may come across toll roads, you are of course expected to pay these tolls locally. Below is a guide to toll roads in Florida.
Following the popularity of my last blog regarding car hire makes and models being collected I thought I’d update you with a selection that were collected in October this year.
Mr J Manson booked an Intermediate SUV for collection from Union Square, San Francisco on the 05/10/10 with Alamo Rent A Car and got this (looks like a free upgrade).
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Mr Gary Emerson collected a convertible from Sanford International Airport on the 04/10/10 with Budget Rent A Car and got this.
Ford Mustang Convertible
Miss S Walton collected an Intermediate 4 door from Miami International Airport on the 03/10/10 with Dollar Rent A Car and got this.
Ford Fusion
Mr J Davidson collected a 7 seater minivan from Boston International Airport on the 06/10/10 with Alamo Rent A Car and got this.
Dodge Grand Caravan
Mr A Taylor-Gregg collected a luxury vehicle from Union Square, San Francisco on the 04/10/10 with Alamo Rent A Car and got this.
Today’s blog is about driving times from Orlando to other Florida Cities and Towns. Apparently Florida isn’t just about theme parks!!!
All the numbers are in miles
Orlando to
Boca Raton 192
Bradenton 114
Clearwater 106
Cocoa Beach 47
Daytona Beach 54
Fort Lauderdale 209
Fort Myers 153
Fort Pierce 114
Gainesville 109
Jacksonville 134
Key West 371
Kissimmee 18
Lakeland 54
Melbourne 67
Miami 228
Naples 187
Ocala 72
Panama City 336
Pensacola 438
St Augustine 98
St Petersburg 104
Sarasota 130
Sebring 86
Tallahassee 243
Tampa 84
West Palm Beach 171
Remember all our rentals include unlimited mileage, so you are free to explore as many of these locations are you wish, if someone could drive to Sebring for me and tell me what happens there I’d appreciate it
We have a great limited time only special offer. For bookings made by 20th ofSeptember for collection in Florida between the 13/09/10 – 14/12/10, 01/01/11 – 14/12/11 and amazingly 01/01/12 until the 31/03/12 we can offer you this free upgrade.*
The vehicles are still subject to availability as per our terms and conditions and only applies to new bookings, so don’t delay take advantage of this year’s hottest upgrade deal.
Continuing the series showing which vehicles our customers are collecting, I decided to take a look at the people carriers (minivans). From my research, it appears that this category doesn’t have the same depth of product as the convertibles and the sports utility vehicles do.
Mr S Taylor picked up a 7 Seater minivan from Orlando International Airport on the 31/07/10 from Budget Rent A Car.
Mr J Hampton picked up a 7 Seater minivan from Orlando International Airport on the 31/07/10 from Budget Rent A Car.
Mr J Sterling picked up a 7 Seater minivan from Sanford International Airport on the 31/07/10 from Alamo Rent A Car.
Mr S Brown picked up a 7 Seater minivan from Orlando International Airport on the 30/06/10 from Budget Rent A Car.
Dr N Reid picked up a 7 Seater minivan from Boston International Airport on the 28/07/10 from Budget Rent A Car.
They all got this.
Dodge Grand Caravan
Mr M Keeble picked up a 12 Seater minivan from Orlando International Airport on the 24/07/10 from Budget Rent A Car.
Mr S Mitra picked up a 12 Seater minivan from San Francisco International Airport on the 26/07/10 from Dollar Rent A Car.
Mr S Hearn picked up a 12 Seater minivan from Orlando International Airport on the 01/08/10 from Budget Rent A Car.
They all got this.
Ford E-350
Mr M Carroll picked up a 8 Seater minivan from Miami International Airport on the 25/07/10 from Alamo Rent A Car.
Mr S McGoven picked up a 8 Seater minivan from Orlando International Airport on the 03/08/10 from Alamo Rent A Car.
Mr N Glendinning picked up a 8 Seater minivan from Sanford International Airport on the 15/07/10 from Budget Rent A Car.
They all got this.
Toyota Sienna
Mrs E Hewitt picked up a 7 Seater minivan from Cape Canaveral on the 18/07/10 from Budget Rent A Car and got this.
Kia Sedona
Mr G Williams picked up a 7 Seater minivan from Tampa International Airport on the 31/07/10 from Alamo Rent A Car and got this.
Dodge Ram Van
Have we missed any makes and models that you have hired?
September for collection in Florida between the 13/09/10 – 14/12/10, 01/01/11 – 14/12/11 and amazingly 01/01/12 until the 31/03/12 we can offer you this free upgrade.*
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