THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CAR RENTALS

Get up to speed on how to snag a deal and avoid pesky fees.

- DANIEL BORTZ

Last spring, airport rental counters were eerily quiet as pandemic-wary Americans canceled their vacations and stayed close to home. But as spring turned to summer and fall, customers started returning, looking for vehicles for road trips as well as longerterm rentals at home to avoid using public transportation and ride-hailing apps. Business travelers also increasingly turned to rental cars. This summer, as more people receive a vaccine and the economy reopens, air travel is likely to pick up, too. That means customers will again be lining up at airport rental car counters—and navigating a maze of prices, fees and insurance coverages.

Many car rental agencies are taking measures to help protect customers from contracting the coronavirus. For example, Enterprise is sanitizing its vehicles between every rental; other companies are allowing 24 hours between rentals. Find out what COVID-19 precautions a company is taking before making a reservation.

HOW TO FIND A GREAT DEAL

A number of factors can affect rental car rates, meaning there are a number of ways you can score a deal.

Look beyond the big chains. Avis, Hertz and other large rental car companies have more locations than smaller agencies do, but they don’t always offer the lowest rates, says Jonathan Weinberg, founder and CEO of AutoSlash, a website that helps travelers find rental deals and track rental rates. Rental companies such as Payless and Fox Rent a Car often offer cheaper rates, with rental rates of 15% to 30% less than rentals from big chains.