I see people all the time make dumb decisions at the airport that waste their own time.
- The premium check-in line is 8 people deep, and there’s no one in line for regular check-in, yet they wait in the premium line.
- The CLEAR security line has 10 people in it, while PreCheck has just two. They stand in line for CLEAR, where each person’s identity takes longer to verify than just showing a drivers license to the TSA document checker.
- The line at the desk of the rental car company they booked from is 50 people deep, but there’s no line at another company and they don’t have a prepaid rental but they stand in it anyway.
This is the line at the @Budget car rental at @PHXSkyHarbor. Remind me to never travel to Arizona ever again. pic.twitter.com/bPtKnFIlYq
— Jenne Raub (@jenneraub) March 15, 2024
In this case, there are photos of long lines for Budget and not many waiting next door for Dollar. Why not at least just get in the other line (go online to see if they have cars, and at what price, first).
This is a line at the Miami airport rental center, and I’ve written about the lemmings standing in line there before. Then, it was an endless wait for Dollar Rent a Car. No other company had lines like this, but no one switched.
If you’re a member of a car rental company’s frequent renter program, you don’t need to wait in the first place. You can join online instantly. With some companies you can even join online with your phone while you’re standing in line. Your rental reservation won’t be ‘on the board’ but you may be able to go to the company’s preferred booth instead of standing in line. Or you may be able to go to Emerald Aisle or Ultimate Choice areas, pick your car, and just show your license at the gate on the way out.
And when your rental isn’t prepaid – I almost never want a prepaid rental – there’s little downside in switching. Don’t walk over to the other counter and ask for a rental – use your phone first to search rates from other companies, although I’ve had luck as a walk up too. Also don’t ever book a third party prepaid rate that isn’t compatible with your frequent renter number.
Navigating travel is all about making the best use of time. If you can do that, you don’t need to show up two hours before your flight. Most of all you don’t need to waste time.
Don’t check bags. If you travel weekly, waiting half an hour on each of the trip, that’s more than two days a year of your life spent standing around at baggage claim. Looking back on my days, I don’t want my tombstone to read “Husband. Son. Father. Six months of his life were spent at baggage claim.” I also never want to wait for a car rental either.
And when your car rental company overbooks, so that even their elites are standing in line for a car, I find that $20 goes farther than status does.
Recent trip thru IAH. Terminal C Clear two lines at least 25 deep each, PreCheck lines 40 deep, regular line insane. Two minute walk to tram, 2 min ride to B, one person in Clear and zero in Precheck. Straight thru and then zip to C. People are lemmings.
We’ve done Europe last 2 years with one legal rollaboard, a legal backpack for over 2 weeks – 5 days of clothes. And washing them in airbnbs. Walk off the airplane in Venice and be through security on the AlliLaguna into town before 95% of everyone else has gotten their unnecessarily large bags.
In Scotland in 2022 we rented an automatic Cargo van from a local company for £1000 less than car rental companies were charging for manual compacts.
Going to Alaska this summer for two weeks. I just bought $250 worth of used under armour cold gear I can layer that when rolled up takes almost no space at all. And before the cruise in Fairbanks will be in an Airbnb I can wash all the clothes.
I live in Tucson. Small airport. No delays. Makes sense to fly from there to a huge international hub to o overseas. Always put your passport info into the airline app and then show up 60 min before departure., use the domestic boarding pass to go to the intl hub and then if they want to see your actual passport they’ll pull you out of line.
We also go from the domestic flight to the airline club, show our passports there, they check in the info, and go to the gate and board.
Lots of ways to avoid lines.
You could have used this tweet as inspo to call out Budget for not being properly staffed at PHX … on a Friday afternoon during spring break/spring training, no less! Or to challenge the rental car industry to upgrade its technology and allow online check-in/no-counter pickup for all renters, not just top-tier elites. Instead, in your typically smug way, chastized a vacationer for not exploring other options beyond the one she held a reservation for, cutting into what I assume is a short weekend break.
If all these travelers in line are willing to honor their rental commitment to Budget, shouldn’t Budget reciprocate by recruiting (and properly-compensating) enough employees to get these good people on their way?
Hi there! I do need to defend myself a little and let you know I got a good deal on the Budget rental through United. I actually do have status with Enterprise and had it last year with Avis when I had United Platinum. Yesterday was definitely a good reminder to better prepare for bypassing the car rental line at an airport in the future! (Which I have done in the past although many of my past car rentals have been in places where there were far fewer travellers, like Bangor, Maine and Sun Valley, Idaho). And yes it did cross my mind yesterday to cut bait on the Budget rental and just go to Enterprise!
Just wait for everyone to sign up for pre check then the regular lines will be no wait.
Denver airport is the worst. Clear line is 50+ people deep, wrapped around an escalator, and TSA is longer, but at least moving- literally walking moving- through the queue lines. Winner?
TSA regular by a Denver mile, lol. As in saving 15 minutes. It was so funny to see the same frustrated guy in a Mets jersey keep wondering why he’s in the Clear line, and because the queue lanes are *solid* paneling (and not a ribbon you can duck under), everyone is trapped in the Clear line waiting longer than regular TSA.
Which is one of many reasons Denver is the worst airport in the United States.
As for rental cars- websites are absolutely the way to go, and not with expedia, go with the direct provider… That way they can’t use the excuse that, “Expedia is a 3rd party provider and their inventory is not up to date”.
Finally- I have learned long ago that some people not only don’t care about waiting in line, they actually *prefer* too wait in line. It gives them comfort that they are doing the same thing as others- no matter if it’s right or wrong.
-Jon
The lines at some car rental counters are empty sometimes because they have NO CARS to rent available
Agree that Denver Airport is a national disgrace and may well be the worst airport in the USA. I have a list of 18 major problems with it.
@JoeF, same with us: we generally travel 6-8 weeks at a time through Southern Africa in winter with a wheelie carry-on and an underseat backpack. We also wear small crossbody slings and a very thin belt bag (fanny pack) that is discreetly covered by a packable down jacket.
Like you, we’ve found the secret is lightweight, drip dry clothes that can be washed and layered. Black and dark gray all-purpose athleisure pants, colorful shirts, a zipper fleece, packable down vest, and 2 pair of shoes, in addition to minimal loungewear (soft fleece pants and tee) will roll easily into packing cubes and compress nicely. In the backpack is toiletries and meds, scarf and gloves, chargers and electronics. In the sling/crossbody is the tablet, cellphone, reading glasses, and a small plastic pack containing meds that will be needed in transit, so no digging through the big meds bag in the backpack. Fanny pack carries the passport and wallet.
We also buy used athletic wear or occasionally hit the thrift stores. Sometimes we leave garments behind for the locals; they appreciate the clothing, and our return home is even made lighter.
Friends don’t let friends pack Cotten.
So to save time from waiting for checked bags you do laundry while on vacation? What don’t I understand?
@ JoeF
“use the domestic boarding pass to go to the intl hub”
How does this work? You don’t need the boarding pass for the Int. flight?
@Gary
Last week you wrote:
“3 Reasons You Should Stand Up As Soon As Your Flight Lands”
by Gary Leff on March 13, 2024
Now you are anti-standing-in-line???
@jack
1. Laundry machines do the job while we’re eating or out. 5 days of clothes weighs a lot less than 14 days of clothes.
2. You won’t get an intl BP til someone sees a passport and / or Visa if needed.
@Moe – that post was anti-waiting in line as well
So one of the many reasons I got PreCheck? I have permanent soft-tissue injuries in both shoulders, both hips, and one calf. Not having to remove and then re-lace the hiking boots I need to better support those injuries during travel is a huge relief. The bonus of not having to pull out a 3-1-1 bag or electronics is also kinder to my joints.
Now, if the difference was really huge? Sure, I’ll commit. But the only time I’ve seen the line be shorter in the main line was an early morning flight for the holidays. A shorter line during that season doesn’t necessarily mean everyone in that line is a seasoned traveler. It could still take longer.
I’ll just arrive early – heresy for you I know, but some of us do that – and build in the time to get through security with minimal inane packing/unpacking.
The comments remind me of why airports need to be designed with airside connections if they have multiple separate terminals… DFW is so much better in this regard compared to JFK.
Had a time in MIA where an AA rep tried to stop me from going past the crowded D concourse checkpoint to the E concourse checkpoint which was less people and also where the PP Turkish lounge was. D and E are also connected airside so I had no issues getting to my gate after my 2 hour stay.