Nervous about having car hire through Budget.

[welshmum]

We have now switched back to BA and booked our September flydrive with them.

We have a good price but the car hire is with Budget.

I have read so many negative reviews about them including long waits at the desk, poor cars and I am just getting a bit nervous about it.

Anyone able to put my mind at ease?

[Softy]

There’s a Budget thread 4/5 down from this one that should help.

[Gryff]

I too am not a lover of Budget but we are also BA fly Drive and Budget car hire
My tips
Investigate their new online check in it can be done up to 2(two ) hours before pick up
I intend to do it on my long connection wait at Heathrow
Read read and if possible get someone else to read the paper work before you sign
Do not take the marvellous up grade price today it’s often because they only have that class of car left anyway
Don’t accept well it will need to be a smaller car then nope it won’t I’ve had a mustang
Convertible they had to bring round from Avis because they didn’t have my group of car available so know your group
They allocate you a car if it’s a clunker go back to the in garage desk and demand something else
Toll pass make sure you have said no and ticked the box as no if you want to refuse it
Likewise check no responder on the windscreen and switch it off
Make sure if you have two drivers as BA budget car hire does not include a second driver sometimes a spouse is free you only pay the current upgrade price which is $65
For the length of hire at the desk
And before exiting the car park at the barrier check the paperwork is correct
On return do not accept we will email your receipt nope you won’t a print out please
We have our own sun pass so I use it but if you are using it keep a note of the tolls you used daily
If the free visitor toll pass scheme is reintroduced I use that or pay as you use the tolls
If not doing lots of driving about

[Pupbelly]

Just book your own car through Andy at DFCH. You don't have to take the Budget option - granted you've paid for it but just don't bother and hire what you are happy with. If the BA Fly Drive package is cheaper than doing BA flight only then you're no worse off and 'pretend' there's no car in the deal.

[captain-codeye]

We’re the Avis options loads more when your booked? Or now?

I have seen differences between budget and Avis about £5 different at times?

BA are very good and would swap the provider for you.

[Radcliffe]

We were feeling the same as always used Alamo before and read some not so good things about Budget - so just rang BA and changed to Avis - did not cost that much more. This was December though so don’t know how prices have changed since then.

[EssexSue]

We have used Budget with no problems at all.

[Pupbelly]

Out of interest OP what is the price with BA flights only, compared to the FlyDrive package?

[Gryff]

My trip in July right through to sept 11th with BA fly drive mid size flying PE out BC on the way back the difference on flights only plus car hire via Alamo Brits or DCFCH the fly drive is almost £900 cheaper or put another way the cost of the 2 grandkids flights
The Avis option was £300 more than budget for us
I have used Budget before and as I said just stand your ground the other reason I choose Budget is there is a budget car hire office 5 mins from the villa and I’ve changed the car there before when I had an issue and as DH travels separately with the Gdks it’s a 10 min job to add him to the car when he arrives at the office and not
An hour in the que at the desk
I’ll wait and see how the online check in works as I’ve not tried it with Budget before

[andyhaz]

we have used budget 3 times and only had 1 problem as we hired a 12 seater but the bay number they gave us, the car wasn't there so we took the only one there which was 15 seater at no extra charge but i would use again if need to be