It's a good idea to provide your flight number when renting a car

When you book a rental car with us at an airport, we’ll ask you for the time you’d like to pick up the car and your arrival flight number. You’re not required to enter that number, but doing so offers many benefits. That way, you’ll ensure that the pickup your reserved rental car goes smoothly, even if your flight is delayed.

Car rental companies don’t keep cars for long

First, a brief explanation of how car rental companies operate. Especially at airports, rental companies have a massive fleet of rental cars. Cars are constantly being picked up and returned, and of course there needs to be space for them in the parking lot or garage. However, that space is limited, and the company does everything it can to use it as efficiently as possible. A rental car shouldn’t occupy a spot for too long. This is especially critical at large airports, where hundreds of rental cars are picked up and returned every hour.

Prevent “no-shows” in case of flight delays

Normally, a car rental company will quickly reclassify a reservation as a “no-show” if the customer doesn’t show up at the agreed-upon time. The car in question is then immediately available for rent again. The situation is different if the rental company knows the customer will arrive later because their flight is delayed. That’s why it’s important to provide your flight number when reserving a rental car. The rental company will automatically receive a notification if a customer’s flight is delayed and will hold the rental car for a longer period. This isn’t unlimited, however; if the delay exceeds two hours, it’s best to contact the rental company yourself. If a delay occurs—or gets longer—while you’re already on the plane, you obviously can’t make a call. In that case, you’ll just have to wait until the plane has landed and contact the local rental company immediately afterward.

Flight Number Is Also Important for Meet & Greet

Some car rental companies with locations outside the airport will be waiting for you in the Arrivals Hall to take you to your rental car, which is often parked nearby. This is called “Meet & Greet” and is a very convenient and personalized service that gets you on the road quickly in your rental car. But of course, a rental company employee doesn’t want to wait around unnecessarily. If the company knows your flight number, the rental agent can monitor your arrival time and determine exactly when to head to the airport.

Tip: Allow enough time between landing and picking up your rental car

When booking a rental car, you’ll specify a time when you’ll pick up the reserved car. Make sure to allow plenty of time from your flight’s expected arrival time. That way, you won’t have to stress if your flight is slightly delayed—and how often does that happen? Especially at larger airports, we recommend allowing at least one hour between landing and picking up your rental car.

No flight number available when booking a rental car

If you haven’t booked a flight yet when reserving your rental car, you obviously won’t have a flight number. That’s not a problem, because you can always add that number to your reservation later. You can also change the pickup time in our system up to 48 hours in advance.

Flight number not provided when renting a car

If you haven’t provided a flight number and will be picking up your rental car later than agreed, you’ll need to contact the local rental company yourself. This also applies if you’ve rented a car at a train station or city office, since you obviously won’t have a flight number in those cases. The contact information for the local rental company is listed on the voucher we sent you via email.