Booking Alamo Car Hire thru Virgin

For the last few trips to Florida I have booked my car hire with Alamo via Virgin and it has been very successful. However, each time I get to a point in the booking procedure where I am told I must print off the Terms & Conditions and take them with me. Failure to do so ... etc etc.. So, being of a nervous disposition, I have dutifully printed off 6 pages of very small print and always , as told to, taken them with me. Not once at the Alamo desk has anyone asked to see them - and I am wondering, before I print them yet again, has anyone else ever been asked to produce their copy of the T&C's ?
I am considering taking my last trip's printout so I can wave them if necessary & hope no one notices the slight difference in date or perhaps there is someway I can take them on my ipad ?!
Thank You for any replies.
hiljil

No not been asked. I usually have the front sheet with reference number on it printed. That way I have a sort of check on my itinerary with booking details for:
Overnight Gatwick Hotel
Flight
Overnight Orlando Hotel
Car Hire
US accommodation.
Dick D

I booked via Virgin just before Christmas (for our trip to Florida in October). I wasn't told to print off any T&Cs, just that I'd be sent the booking confirmation via post (and the woman on the phone did concede that this was another area where bits of Virgin's technology may not be quite up to 21st century standards). I was assuming that we'd just need the sheet with the confirmation details on it, but I'm confident my wife will take the whole thing with us anyway.

We booked our car through Virgin/Alamo when we went to Orlando in October 2012 too, and the people at the Alamo stand at the airport got very confused for some reason - I think the VS paperwork is almost but not quite the same as the VH paperwork and the difference threw them for several minutes.

Thank you for your reply, wwerdna. It confirms what I thought and reassures me.

I should have made it clearer that I was booking online when told to print the T&C's. But if a person doesn't tell you to do it via a phone call why should I let technology boss me !!!!

Just a thought, AVIS have a 20% discount running at the mo. Have just booked a convertable for two weeks in Florida in Feb for a much better rate than Virgin quoted.

Thank you Dick for your reply. . Your itinerary sounds exactly the same as ours !

MrsBear99 I will certainly look at Avis. Thank you for alerting me to the discount offer.

We have booked Alamo cars, by phone, with VA for the last 6 years and have never had anything other than the single sheet confirmation with the booking number on. However I booked last week for our trip to Florida in February and have received a 2 sided 'Terms and Conditions' sheet for the first time with the confirmation booking letter. However it doesn't say anything about having to take this with you.



49 days to Florida

I've never been asked for the paper part of my licence by Alamo either but still always take it just in case!

[mitchja]

When I do the online check-in with Alamo, I always print the confirmation (including the T&C's) off and take it with me, though I've never been asked to show it. Same with the paper part of my driving licence.

I do always keep the rental agreement they give you as you leave the garage in the car glove box though.

Also don't forget that if you do the Alamo online check-in with either a VS or a VH rental booking, make sure you quote your FC number as you get 1000 miles

I am interested in this on-line booking as I have always gone to the desk. I have tried today to check in for my booking on 25th February but the Alamo site does not recognise the ref no. given by VA. Am I trying too early or am I doing something else wrong?

[mitchja]

It let me check-in online well over a month early for my trip I've just returned from in Florida.

I checked in online around Nov 25th for my Dec 28th departure. The only thing that prompted me to try at that time was because VH sent my ticket/voucher pack which had to Alamo leaflet in it.

Do remember that Alamo online check-in is also only available if collecting your rental car at an airport location.

Hi David 1946,
The last time I booked on line with Virgin and got an immediate confirmation. A day later I received the e voucher with my booking reference. This allowed me to do online check in on the same day. ( which is where it said I must print out the rental agreement document including the T&Cs and take it with me ). This was 3 months before my trip. So I was able to go straight to the garage to collect the car and not go first to the desk in the airport.
Hope this helps.
hiljil

Thank you both for advice, we are picking up at Orlando so will have to try again. Did you register with Alamo before trying as I haven't yet as the website didn't say it was necessary.?

[mitchja]

No, I just have the VS/VH Alamo online check-in web page bookmarked here

Thanks James that is a different web page so I will try that

David

I use the tripit app on my iPad to capture all my reservations, highly recommended.

Hi

Sorry to be a pain but I have now checked in with Alamo using the web page you kindly supplied. I have received an email confirmation which tells me to go to the counter or directly to the garage. However this is just a one page confirmation which gives all the details of the reservation but does not tell me to print off any T & C's and does not quote any telephone numbers for emergency use etc as you are provided with by the Alamo counter staff.

Have I missed something?

[mitchja]

Once you head across to the car garage and pick your own hire car (the cars are all size categories, just pick the size your have hired then pick which ever car you want in that category), you then simply follow the signs and drive to the exit. There is a manned barrier there and you just hand over the online check-in confirmation along with your driving licence and a credit card. The agent will then give you your rental agreement (which you need to keep in the car at all times) along with a welcome guide, basic map pack and also hand you back your licence and credit card.

You don't need anything else.

Do remember that you will be now charged an extra $2.95 a day for every day you use the automatic drive-through toll booths so to avoid this charge and if you are using toll roads have some small change US dollar bills or US coins to hand ready before you leave the garage.

Thanks for the info, have always used the counter in the past so its good to know what to expect.

4 weeks 2 days to go, not that I'm counting

David

Try uscarhire.com
Excellent