Avis rental, on VA flight - A or B Garage

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Originally Posted by tura2

I emailed Avis and asked the following question,

I have been told that Orlando International airport has two garages and that preferred members that fly with British Airways have to go to Garage B to pick up their cars. As I am flying with American Airlines, I am trying to find out if I should still go to garage B. Is it who you book with that dictates what garage you go to or is the airline that you arrive with.

The reply was as follows,

Below are the directions/instructions for Avis Preferred members arriving at Orlando International Airport.

PREFERRED SERVICE
Take tram to main terminal (exits on 3rd level). Follow signs and use escalator or elevator to baggage claim facility on the 2nd level. Take the elevator or escalator (near Carousels 6 & 13) down to the tunnel level. Walk across the tunnel to the garage and take the elevator to the second level. Exit the elevator and proceed to the Avis kiosk inside the garage.
The Preferred desk closes at 1:00 AM so, after that time, the customer will need to pick up the car at the level 1 terminal location.
TIME for tram ride: 1 minute
DISTANCE from counter to garage: 50 yds.

Upon arrival at the rental facility, check the Preferred board for the space number of your preassigned vehicle.
You have the option to accept the preassigned car or exchange it for a similar car from the Select & Go Exchange Area or upgrade the car to a specialty vehicle from the Select & Go Upgrade Area. Cars in the Select & Go Upgrade Area have the additional daily cost posted on the hangtag.
Once you have selected your vehicle, drive the vehicle to the exit booth and present your driver's license to the Avis representative who will quickly complete the transaction and get you on your way[/I].[/I]

As you can see as clear as mud...

See more...

Thats all I can find. As you say, clear as mud!

[Alibayparc]

Originally Posted by Yordaman

I've heard conflicting stories on this, so I'm hoping someone can advise.

Flying into MCO on Virgin Atlantic, and I have a car booked via my Avis Preferred account. Do I go to the A or B side garage?

I've seen someone state that the 'preferred' screen only shows your name if you go the right one, albeit that if you pick the other side instead and do not see your name, Avis will still sort you out with a car. I'd prefer just to go to the right one, though.

I've been told that the 'right' side is that aligned to the airline check-in, which is therefore A. But I've also seen that someone said that since VA land on side B, that's the correct side.

Or do I just flip a coin...

Thanks for any advice.

See more...

Hi
Never rented with Avis but think it may be similar to Hertz. Were you asked for your flight # when you booked your car with Avis. If so they will use this information to asign either A or B. In your case A if you gave your Virgin flight #. I think your name will only appear on one side.
Alex

[danc99]

I just emailed Avis with my preferred details and booking and asked the same question. Lets see what they come back with...

[danc99]

Originally Posted by tura2

I emailed Avis and asked the following question,

I have been told that Orlando International airport has two garages and that preferred members that fly with British Airways have to go to Garage B to pick up their cars. As I am flying with American Airlines, I am trying to find out if I should still go to garage B. Is it who you book with that dictates what garage you go to or is the airline that you arrive with.

The reply was as follows,

Below are the directions/instructions for Avis Preferred members arriving at Orlando International Airport.

PREFERRED SERVICE
Take tram to main terminal (exits on 3rd level). Follow signs and use escalator or elevator to baggage claim facility on the 2nd level. Take the elevator or escalator (near Carousels 6 & 13) down to the tunnel level. Walk across the tunnel to the garage and take the elevator to the second level. Exit the elevator and proceed to the Avis kiosk inside the garage.
The Preferred desk closes at 1:00 AM so, after that time, the customer will need to pick up the car at the level 1 terminal location.
TIME for tram ride: 1 minute
DISTANCE from counter to garage: 50 yds.

Upon arrival at the rental facility, check the Preferred board for the space number of your preassigned vehicle.
You have the option to accept the preassigned car or exchange it for a similar car from the Select & Go Exchange Area or upgrade the car to a specialty vehicle from the Select & Go Upgrade Area. Cars in the Select & Go Upgrade Area have the additional daily cost posted on the hangtag.
Once you have selected your vehicle, drive the vehicle to the exit booth and present your driver's license to the Avis representative who will quickly complete the transaction and get you on your way[/I].[/I]

As you can see as clear as mud...

See more...

So if I really look closely at that, it says to take the escalator near "Carousels 6 & 13". From orlandoairports/getting-around-mco, A-side baggage claim is 1-16 (and B-side is 20-32), so does that imply A-side for rental...

Or is that a rather tenuous link

[Guest]

Hi

I recently returned from two weeks in Orlando, flying with Virgin but had car hire with Avis through BA Executive Account.

The instructions from Avis aren't really very helpful. We had to do the second bag drop which meant we ended up in Terminal A so I just went to the garage on that side. My name wasn't on the board (I imagine it would've been on the B side) but just went to the desk in the garage. I was second in line.

The main benefit in joining Avis Preferred is that you avoid the main desks (and associated hard sell) in the terminal.

So even if you go to the 'wrong' garage, you'll be fine.

[bighal]

So which side is it for Aer Lingus as our BA fly drive flights have now been changed from BA to Aer Lingus ?

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Originally Posted by bighal

So which side is it for Aer Lingus as our BA fly drive flights have now been changed from BA to Aer Lingus ?

See more...

MCO shows this:-
Airside:
1 (Gates: 1-29)
Security Checkpoint: West

This is the terminal map:-

orlandoairports/getting-around-mco/

[smithlane]

Originally Posted by bighal

So which side is it for Aer Lingus as our BA fly drive flights have now been changed from BA to Aer Lingus ?

See more...

I would like to know this too. We are flying through Dublin so will arrive as domestic passengers. What side do we pick up our luggage from? I booked our car hire separate from flights so they won't have flight number

[Yordaman]

Originally Posted by mr_nibbs

Hi

I recently returned from two weeks in Orlando, flying with Virgin but had car hire with Avis through BA Executive Account.

The instructions from Avis aren't really very helpful. We had to do the second bag drop which meant we ended up in Terminal A so I just went to the garage on that side. My name wasn't on the board (I imagine it would've been on the B side) but just went to the desk in the garage. I was second in line.

The main benefit in joining Avis Preferred is that you avoid the main desks (and associated hard sell) in the terminal.

So even if you go to the 'wrong' garage, you'll be fine.

See more...

Thanks Mr Nibbs

That makes sense, and ties into one story I heard, where they had the same experience and therefore deduced that they should have gone to garage B for Avis if coming from a Virgin flight. They also said that it didn't really matter as Avis in garage A still gave them a car easily.

I guess if that happens it just means having a chat at the kiosk first rather than going straight to a car listed on a screen. Still better than queuing at the main desk!
Cheers.

[Johnsonsontour]

We are Avis Preferred & have always travelled with Virgin & have only just found out (phone call to Avis Orlando this week!) that apparently they always book Virgin in at Terminal B which explains why our car has never shown on the board at Terminal A as we always go there! but we have still always been allocated one straight away anyway!