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    Thrifty Rent A Car

    1.5 (132 reviews)
    Closed • 7:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    Manager's Special reservation

    I made a one-day reservation at Thrifty BWI for their "Manager's Special" rate. The entire point of that reservation category is that I get a slightly lower price and Thrifty gets the flexibility to assign whatever car they want. I did not care what car I received. I only needed to drive a limited amount, so I was perfectly happy to take whatever vehicle they had available. Given the terrible reviews for this location, I actually thought choosing the Manager's Special might help avoid the usual problem people report here: waiting hours for a car despite having a reservation. I figured that if Thrifty could assign me anything on the lot, there should be no issue. Instead, I arrived at BWI tired, around 9 PM, and Thrifty had sent me a text asking me to "pick" my car. To my surprise, every car I could select involved an additional charge of at least $20 per day. So the deal was apparently this: I reserved a car where the "manager" was supposed to assign me whatever car they wanted, but when I arrived late in the evening, the only practical way to leave with a car was to pay more money. The alternative appeared to be the same ridiculous multi-hour wait that other reviewers have described. At that point, tired and just trying to get on my way, I paid the extra money. That is exactly the kind of situation companies count on: the customer is at the airport, late, tired, and has somewhere to be. This did not feel like a misunderstanding or a normal upsell. It felt like a bait-and-switch. And honestly, it was not even a clever one. It felt less like a polished corporate ripoff and more like a street hustle: advertise the cheaper rate, get the customer to the counter, then squeeze them for more money when they have no good practical option. A reservation should mean something. A "Manager's Special" should not mean "pay extra when you arrive or wait around indefinitely." Based on my experience, I would strongly recommend avoiding Thrifty at BWI. Whatever small amount you think you are saving upfront is not worth the aggravation, the uncertainty, or the feeling that you were set up to pay more once you were already trapped at the airport.

    Dollar & Thrifty Rental car at BWI. No staff for Dollar.
    Anthony B.

    Made a reservation for a midsize SUV arrived on time for my reservation and they don't have any vehicles to provide. I'm being told an hour wait at minimum. To top it off the m being force into an EV which I didn't request nor do I have the ability to charge it. Why is this not a concern for their staff that they don't have vehicles and it doesn't matter what you reserved your taking what you get or paying more. They offered to put me in a gas vehicle for an additional $85. Not happy at all.

    The line to get to the counter to wait 3 HOURS!
    Tracy W.

    Where is the 0 star rating? I see I am not alone in wanting this. Wish I had read all these reviews earlier. Apparently it's the policy here to rent cars they don't have. Reservation as for 11. 2 hours to get to counter to be told right before getting to counter that there is a 3+ hour wait for cars. I'm here for the weekend. I am literally spending 1/3 of my daytime hours at a rental car place. Shame on you Thrifty. I am permanent putting your company on my do not rent list. Your better prices come at a cost of time. TOO much time

    Keys
    Mauricio R.

    I made reservations with Dollar for a 9:30 am pick up. Arrived at 10 am and Dollar was closed. Had to meet with Thrifty because do partnership. No cars were available. Was told it was a 2 hour wait. 3 hours later, I was given a old dirty 2018 Isuzu Forester. Wife had white pants that were stained from dirty seats. I will never use Dollar or Thrifty.

    No Rental Cars Available at Thrifty Car Rental!

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    I have a reservation and they told me to wait for 3 hours to get a car. I waited for 90 mins and got a car!

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Thrifty Rent A Car

    Review Highlights - Thrifty Rent A Car

    “joyce was fantastic and made us feel at ease and was just the best customer service.”

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    Hertz Rent A Car

    Hertz Rent A Car

    2.1(252 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    Meh..have had much better experiences with Hertz at other airports!…read more We flew into Baltimore, and arrived around 9pm. I had already done the pre-check in and my name was on the board when we arrived. Problem was, there were literally 2 cars to choose from. The whole Presidents Aisle was missing in action! While standing there trying to get into one car, a rep came over and tried to check it in to my name. Unfortunately, someone at the counter already reserved it. Thankfully, this Hertz rep was awesome and he saw a car that just had been returned, and he went to get it across the parking lot and brought it to me and checked it out for me. It was a Kia Sportage (2nd time I have received this type of car from Hertz. I like it...small SUV, very comfy, fun to drive, good gas etc). Return was a breeze. They have a shuttle that takes you to the rental car facility. It took about 10 minutes..one of the longer shuttles from airport to rental lot that I have taken. Rating would be higher if they had more cars.

    If you're renting from this Hertz location, block out extra time -- service here is painfully slow…read more I just needed to switch the credit card on file, and even in the "Gold" line that took 15 minutes. The regular line was worse. Meanwhile, staff wandered in and out from the back with zero urgency, like they weren't aware people were waiting. To top it off, the airport shuttle situation is its own headache. I watched one shuttle pull away while in line and then waited another 15 minutes for the next. This isn't a one-off -- I've rented here multiple times and it's consistently the same story. In the past I've just given up and Ubered instead of waiting on the shuttle, and nearly missed my flight even with a three-hour arrival buffer. Hertz needs to staff the counter properly on weekends -- one person for two lines doesn't work. Would not recommend this location unless you have no other option.

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    Hertz Rent A Car
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    Alamo Rent A Car

    Alamo Rent A Car

    3.6(74 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    Hey yall!…read more Logan at BWI Alamo, just told me he can honor the 20% off discount I got from Erica at KANSAS ENTERPRISE, after my complaint there, but can't honor the premium upgrade she gave me due to not having those cars right now at 10:30pm on 2/3. I told her on email. I just wanted to say that. That's not satisfying to hear. I just rented another car for $76 (24 hours) with my 20% discount making it $61... and it will be a suv or van. Well, it's a 2026 Nissan. I did see a luxury Mercedes but looks like it just got turned in and isn't ready. Just wanted to follow up on this. I showed Logan the email and he said he doesn't know who ERICA is and I said it's someone in ur company! Erica Beck at enterprise/alamo in Kansas City! She helped me with my last rental! Anyways let's see how this 24 hour rental is! So far car is clean and new.

    I usually book rental cars via Costco Travel with Alamo. No prepayment and cancel anytime deal…read moreworks for me with Costoco. Even though I don't have any tides to Alamo, it has been my go-to-place for rental car. Initially I booked with Budget for $700 for a week for a compact car. They were the cheapest few months back. I happened to check with Alamo few days prior to my trip to Baltimore and I was able to get $300. Sweet! I like their self service kiosk instead of having to deal with service agent who usually wants to up sale on stuff or that awkward silence. We did have to ask for printed receipt as the kiosk machine didn't work. The lady at the counter was very helpful and check thoroughly make sure we didn't get charged twice. The lesson here is always keep your eyes open for cheaper price because you might get lucky! But I also know that sometimes car rentals do not have the car you booked for too. I wouldn't want to work that algorithm.

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    Alamo Rent A Car
    Alamo Rent A Car
    Alamo Rent A Car

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    Avis - Only 2 employees trying to process everyone. Over an hour of waiting...

    Avis

    1.8(152 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    Our actual rental at BWI was overshadowed by a very poor return and post-rental customer-service…read moreexperience. I refueled the vehicle immediately before returning it, but Avis still charged me for fuel. I had to submit my receipt and contact Customer Service to have the charge reversed. This was the second consecutive Avis rental where I had been incorrectly charged for fuel after filling up before return. We also paid for curbside return service. It took about 10 minutes for Avis to locate a driver and another 10 minutes for the driver to get out of the rental-car facility. We likely would have reached the terminal faster by taking the regular shuttle. Avis later refunded the curbside fee. The biggest frustration came afterward. Avis offered a Reward Day coupon as a goodwill gesture, and I specifically asked whether it would cover the same type of vehicle I had rented, a luxury 7-passenger SUV. I was explicitly told yes. Avis later confirmed in writing that the coupon did not cover that vehicle class. The escalation process then involved repeated contacts, conflicting information, a callback at approximately 4:00 AM Pacific time, and multiple inconsistent resolution offers. Avis eventually acknowledged in writing that I had been misinformed, referred the matter for additional training, corrected the charges, and provided compensation. I appreciate the eventual resolution, but travelers should not have to work this hard to correct billing errors and inaccurate customer-service information. Keep your fuel receipt, review your final bill carefully, and get any promised compensation in writing.

    Don't expect anything from this location. Buy a pair of walking shoes -- you'll be where you need…read moreto go before you even reach the counter. Zero staff. ZERO urgency. It genuinely feels like they want the line to keep growing. Just terrible all around. Save your money, time, and sanity -- walk instead. I will NEVER book this location.

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    Avis - People waiting in line for Avis. #avissucks

    People waiting in line for Avis. #avissucks

    Avis - Only one person working at counter and 25 people waiting in line.

    Only one person working at counter and 25 people waiting in line.

    Avis - Avis saved the day but for an additional $150 more than our Dollar Car Rental.

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    Avis saved the day but for an additional $150 more than our Dollar Car Rental.

    Sixt Rent A Car - SIXT

    Sixt Rent A Car

    1.3(21 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    I really like using SIXT Rental car company whenever I have the opportunity. Nearly all of the…read moreemployees have been incredibly nice at all of their locations. I almost always use them when flying into BWI airport. They are usually similar in price or just a little bit higher than the other national brands but they offer much nicer vehicles for the money. Other than having to take a moderately long shuttle bus ride to and from the airport to get your car (which is the same for all rental car companies at BWI), it's fantastic. Once at the rental car building, the counters are nearby and the cars are a short walk from the counters. They often will offer me a choice of upscale vehicles to choose from and occasionally an upgrade. If it's important to you to drive a nice car / SUV / etc when away from home, then SIXT is a great choice for you. I will definitely be renting from them again.

    Booked online late one night after my flight was cancelled. Got to rental place 20 minutes later…read moreand was told car was not available. Handed me a tablet to initial and sign. Felt rushed. Never told I was receiving an upgrade, therefore an additional charge. Spent about 6 months sending emails until I finally got an email stating I should have read the paperwork before signing. Yep. My fault. I read it once I got to my destination the next morning. Good customer service would have informed me of the change rather than expecting me to catch it while scrolling through pages. Never again.

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    Sixt Rent A Car - SIXT

    SIXT

    Sixt Rent A Car - Customer service area

    Customer service area

    Sixt Rent A Car - SIXT Rent a Car Baltimore Int Airport

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    SIXT Rent a Car Baltimore Int Airport

    Thrifty Rent A Car - carrental - Updated September 2026

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