Thrifty Car Rental - Washington Dc - Ronald Reagan National Airport

I recently used Thrifty Car Rental at the Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington DC and had a surprisingly smooth experience, though I understand this may not be the case for everyone.

Personal Experience:
I arrived when it was not crowded, which gave me the luxury of choosing any car I liked from the available selection. The staff were friendly and helpful, making the process quite pleasant.

Potential Concerns for Other Travelers:
However, I acknowledge the validity of other reviewers’ concerns. The system at Thrifty doesn’t guarantee a specific car for each reservation. In peak times, this could mean limited choices or having to settle for whatever is available.

Rental Process:

1. Arrival: Reach the rental car area in Parking 1, either by shuttle bus or, if using a ride app like Uber or Lyft, use the designated drop-off zone on National Avenue.
2. At the Counter: Be prepared for a sales pitch for additional insurance, upgrades, or services, but stick to your original booking if you prefer.
3. Car Selection: In the adjacent parking lot, choose any car that suits your needs. This freedom of choice is a plus, especially during less busy times.
4. Departure: Show the paper from inside the car and your driver’s license at the exit cabin for a final check.
5. On Your Way: After verification, you’re ready to hit the road.

In summary, while I personally had a great experience and faced no issues due to the timing of my visit, I understand that this might not be the case for everyone, especially during busier periods. The flexibility in choosing a car is a significant advantage, provided the availability aligns with your timing.

The staff was so incredibly friendly and very patient as we had a lot of questions. They allowed us to return our car before they opened, unlike the other car rental places at this airport. We had a very early flight so this was helpful.

UPDATE: changing my review from 1 star to 5 stars due to the resolution provided by Tracie, via social media PM. Tracie listened to my concerns and provided fair compensation. THANK YOU!!!
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This review is for a horrible experience I had back in April 2023. I will say upfront that the staff at DCA was very professional and friendly, but it still didn't make things better.

I waited over 2 hours just to get a rental car. I am not sure what was going on, but both Thrifty and Hertz had long delays. I was willing to forgive the staff for this delay, but things got worse!

Since there were delays of over 2 hours for vehicles, I guess the crew did not do a safety check on my vehicle. I ordered the vehicle for a road trip. While I was driving the tire warning light came on, then the tire blew out!

I waited over 90 minutes on the phone on the side of a busy interstate just to reach Thrifty/Hertz to report the problem. Long story short, I waited on the side of the road for THREE HOURS to get assistance. Then Thrifty/Hertz made me drive over 60 miles on a donut to replace the vehicle (that was scary and dangerous- speed limit was 70 MPH).

Insult to injury, I was charged $100.00 for the tire replacement service. The blow out was not my fault, I could have died, I was left on the side of the road for three hours, then I was charged $100.00.

Best value car rental option at IAD so I didn't expect much. Instead the staff was very helpful. Special mention to Luke Luwis who provided me with exceptional customer service, including leaving his post to personally check on my preferred EV rental. I was really impressed by his going above and beyond his responsibility. Great job!

While the line looked long, it actually moved fairly quickly processed via the Hertz counter. Friendly employee. Received an upgrade to a clean and nice SUV. SUV was ready to go right in the front of the lot.

Loved the car but the counter was empty of any employee while the line was 20 persons deep

Rented a car more than twice from the DCA Airport. They often have the shortest line and are always super fast. I would recommend to Plan your Route before your rent your car and maybe the EZ Pass is a value option for your trip. After the rent is complete your have to take the upper floor to get your car. Very easy and customer friendly.

The price was right (saved over $100 using my employer's employee discount), and the customer service was excellent!

The only difficulty I experienced was finding the place, as I live locally. There should have been instructions provided during booking that explains the necessity of taking a shuttle, the shuttle location, and the best location to walk from, if that's preferred.

I had a really great experience renting from thrifty. To get my rental car it was quick and the staff was friendly. My highlight though, was when I dropped off my car. A kind gentleman named Robert greeted me and offered to drive the rental car to my gate so I wouldn’t have to wait for the shuttle! Who does that? He is such a gem! Thank you for a great experience! I will be coming back :)

You must take the shuttle to the rental car terminal. Any of the employees can check you in, regardless of the company that you booked with. Use a credit card, not a debit card, because they will place a hold on your card. The staff is very friendly and will make sure you understand the contact. Once you have your paperwork, walk out to the lot that you booked your reservation for. An attendee will show you the cars to choose from. You must show your contract and driver's license to leave the lot.

Perhaps it was the excellent service I received from Estelle, but my experience at Thrifty was very different than most of the other raters.
She helped me immediately find the right car for me while I was going through a stressful family situation, thoroughly explained what I would need/costs would be if I extended the contract, and when someone else was on a break from their post, she helped me find the car as well. Her personal care and concern would bring me back to rent from this Thrifty.

We had never rented from Thrifty before, and were hesitant based on reviews we read. However, for the vehicle we needed, they were about 1/2 the price and we decided to take a chance. We picked up our van at DCA and returned it to LGA. The lady at the counter at DCA was very friendly and took great care of us. I mentioned we were going to New York, and she looked into their “toll” package and told me it would be cheaper for us just to pay tolls as we went, instead of pushing us to buy something we wouldn’t need. Our van was great. We had no issues with it at all, and had it 12 days. Upon return, the process was pretty much the same as any other company - nothing elaborate, but it was fine. We have rented from Hertz, Alamo, Enterprise, National, Sixt as well, and I would say Thrifty did as well, if not better, in terms of customer service and vehicle quality as the others.

The customer service is excellent. The agent helped me understand the payment process, and it was great. Yes, I would use this business again.

The employees were extremely helpful and pleasant. I mean everyone that I encountered. The vehicle was ready for me when I got there. This was a great rental experience. Well done Thrifty!!

We recently rented from the Washington DC Thrifty location. The car was conveniently located, a very fair competitive price, clean, easy to return and the service was OUTSTANDING! Thank you Thrifty!

I had wonderful customer service... I really don’t understand why all this people have bad experience and lives a bad comment. The customer agent was really professional and thoughtful on their recommend what I have to do with the toll road and ez pass I have
It was great experience... I really recommend this rental company, after all they have a great cars with cheap prices to compare with the other rental company’s.
Thanks guys and see you soon.

I was actually really happy with Thrifty. I rented with a bunch of companies at DCA and this was the easiest and the quickest company to deal with (and had the nicest/newest car). They also did not try to force a bunch of additional options. Very happy with the service. THanks!

The experience I had at thrifty's at the Ronald Reagan airport Was superior!!!! He took time out to explain everything between the credit in a debit apologize for the inconvenience and also recommend another rental dealer that we could go to.He definitely get 5 stars

Great experience here, showed up to pick up my online reservation and was given a complimentary upgrade. Cheaper rates than other competitors as well!

Very nice people. The gps system we rented was ok, but the last day when we wanted to return the car, it got us lost.