Renting car in Wichita

[Andrea Griffa]

Hi all
It's 10 year I chase in the Plains and I've always rented my cars in Ok City or Dallas.
This year I would like to rent my vehicle in Wichita ICT mid continental airport. Anyone knows if there's a good budget or Alamo?
Thanks in advance

 

[Shawn Schuman]

Hey Andrea, I'm almost certain ICT has both Budget and Alamo.

Edit: Here you go.

http://www.flywichita.com/info-maps.php

Click on "ground level" and the rental car services are on the right side. If you click them you can see a full list of available companies.

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Thanks! And if someone tried them, are they affordable? Even in case of damaged car by hail or storms?

Hey Andrea, I'm almost certain ICT has both Budget and Alamo.

Edit: Here you go.

http://www.flywichita.com/info-maps.php

Click on "ground level" and the rental car services are on the right side. If you click them you can see a full list of available companies.

 

[Mark Blue]

From what I've been told, just take the insurance they offer and you should be covered in the event an accident occurs. Sounds like you're an experienced pro at auto rentals with 10 years under your belt.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Timothy Finn]

As a Wichita resident, I can advise you on one tip....do NOT rent at the airport. The satellite locations around town have a smaller variety of cars, but can always get you what you need, and the prices are usually a lot better.

Tim

 

[Jon Strebler]

I agree with the above poster and will always recommend that you do not rent from the airport. You can save a good amount of money by renting from a neighborhood location. Even if you have to take a taxi to the location, you will save money in the end because the airport rentals are usually about 30% more expensive, sometimes even more. For example, the taxes and fees alone on a rental from May 5-16 would be over $220 at the airport, and just $37 at a neighborhood location just a few miles away. Check your credit card to see if they offer a damage waiver and this will also save you a lot of money depending how long you will be out for your trip. It looks like the Budget Wichita locations charge $28 per day for the damage waiver at all locations so that will add up over a trip and if your credit card covers it then you will save a lot of money. If your credit card does not give you a damage waiver then it might be a good idea to apply for a credit card that does offer this. In the end, renting from a neighborhood location and using a credit card which covers your damage waiver could save you upwards of $500 for a two week chase trip. Just make sure to double check any credit card and rental policy to make sure that you are covered. Also check with your insurance company to see if you are covered insurance wise, and if not then get the supplemental liability insurance which is around $7 per day and it will cover you in case of an accident. The damage waiver is important though and not cheap so depending on your budget then a credit card which covers that may be the best route to go.

Hope that helps.

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Thank you guys for your replies! You wrote many useful advices, except for one banal answer.
(one thing I have learnt in USA is that things can change from state to state, and I have no experience to rent cars in Kansas)

 

[Bill Hark]

Andrea, all the above recommendations are good. If you rent away from the airport, check the business hours of the rental place. If you arrive at 9 PM and the in town rental places closes at 8 PM, you may be stuck renting at the airport or waiting until opening the following day. Not good if the chase target the day after your arrival is in western Nebraska.

Bill Hark

 

[Sean Mullen]

Andrea, all the above recommendations are good. If you rent away from the airport, check the business hours of the rental place. If you arrive at 9 PM and the in town rental places closes at 8 PM, you may be stuck renting at the airport or waiting until opening the following day. Not good if the chase target the day after your arrival is in western Nebraska.

Bill Hark

Some off-airport locations may not be open at all on the weekends.
Also, if you rent off-airport you may be able to return the car to the airport without a penalty. This comes in handy if you have an early flight out. Ghost bookings for Hertz pickup off-airport in Wichita(6.5 miles/10km from ICT), returning to ICT from 4/30 to 5/13, vs renting at / returning to ICT same time period:
$370 vs 918 Ford Focus(or similar)
$391 vs 987 Toyota Corolla(or similar)
$407 vs 1021 Nissan Altima(or similar)
$520 vs 1079 Toyota RAV4(or similar)

Ghost bookings for Hertz pickup off-airport in Oklahoma City(2.5 miles/4 km from OKC), returning to OKC from 4/30 to 5/13, vs renting from / returning to OKC same time period:
$375 vs 1245 Ford Focus(or similar)
$397 vs 1259 Toyota Corolla(or similar)
$414 vs 1274 Nissan Altima(or similar)
$505 vs 1295 Toyota RAV4(or similar)

These were standard rates, for my age group; no coupons or discounts, no added options. If you have AAA or something similar, you may get another 5-10% discounted.

I didn't bother checking DFW rates, as I don't usually fly there.

This is for Hertz; they have a lot of sites on the Plains. Last August I flew out to Denver, took a cab downtown to a Hertz a couple blocks away from where ChaserCon was held. They gave me a VW Jetta, as they didn't have the Chevy Cruze I wanted. Even after the cab fare, I saved $250 over renting at the airport. I wasn't happy with the Jetta's gas mileage, so I ended up trading it in for a Cruze in Wichita, at ICT. They were very helpful and courteous. No extra charges, and I dropped the car off at Denver airport.
Another time a few years ago I swapped cars in Stillwater, OK. Hertz also has an option where you can rent an exact model(like the Chevy Cruze I love so well), but both times I used it, they didn't have the car I wanted available.
Also, if you have / can get an American Express card, they have a program called Premium Car Rental Protection. For a flat fee of $24.95 per rental period(up to 42 days), NOT per day, it offers primary coverage. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the coverage offered as a side benefit from Visa / MC etc is not primary, meaning you go through your own insurance company first, and then your card picks up any balance. Per AmEx website: "You can decline the rental company's Collision Damage Waiver, Personal Effects Coverage and Personal Accident Insurance when you rent a car with one of your enrolled Cards. Note: Liability is not included". You simply sign up for the program, and when you use your AmEx to rent the car, it is automatically covered and billed. I think there's an annual fee for the card($60?), but it's well worth the price.
More info here:
https://www295.americanexpress.com/...e.do?intlink=US:Amex:NewSiteSearch:RecomLink2

Hope this helps.

Sean

 

[David Wolfson]

Ditto what Sean says, including about Hertz and the AMEX primary coverage. My Costco AMEX card is free, but dunno about others. The waiver fee is only charged when you return the car and settle up using the AMEX card, not when you pick up the car and use the AMEX card as your bond. Soooo... if you're really poor (or cheap) and are returning the car undamaged.... If I remember right, the rental car damage waiver isn't automatic with the card. You do have to sign up for it, but there's no charge and you only sign up once.

The last I checked the major European auto clubs had reciprocal arrangements with AAA in the United States. That means, besides being able to get free paper maps, travel guides, etc., in the States, you should be able to get the special deals AAA has with Hertz, including some nice discounts.

Most major rental agencies will pick you up and drop you off at the motel where you're staying, if it's reasonably close to the off-airport agency.

 

[Sean Mullen]

Usually the AAA card is good for 10% off hotels as well.

 

[Bob Schafer]

I've had a Chase (!) World MC for awhile. That card provides me coverage on a rental car in Ireland, which is a long story irrelevant to stormchasing, but anyway there is no annual fee.