How to skip long rental car pick-up lines for free

The last thing you want after your flight is to see a long car rental pick-up line — or worse, to be told there's no car for you left at all.

A while ago, I booked a car with Hertz from the Orlando International Airport (MCO) for a weekend at Disney World. When we went to the airport's rental car pick-up area, I was immediately grateful I did not have to wait in a shockingly long line, thanks to our free membership with Hertz's Gold Plus Rewards program. I spoke with folks near the front of some lines, who said they had spent nearly two hours waiting to (hopefully) pick up a car.

Related: Save money on your next trip: Use these tips to never pay full price for a rental car

Car rental woes

The longest lines, lasting one to two hours, were for budget car rental companies such as Dollar Rent A Car and Sixt. Still, most of the car rental companies at the airport had significant lines, including my company of choice, Hertz.

We often rent with Hertz because of the four-hour grace period we receive with The Platinum Card® from American Express (enrollment required). However, skipping the car rental pick-up line is another major plus, and one you don't need any particular credit card to be eligible for.

Related: Can't find a car rental? Here are 7 secrets that may help

How to skip the line

To skip the counter, join Hertz's free Gold Plus Rewards program and pick up your car at one of the many locations with a Gold Choice aisle. In major pick-up locations, a board will direct you to a certain parking stall or aisle (Gold, President's Circle or Five Star). You can also use the Hertz app to check in and skip the line.

Related: How you can redeem points and miles for car rentals

I've occasionally received the dreaded "see desk" message when a credit card on the account has expired or similar. Luckily, though, the desk in the garage often has a much shorter wait than the primary line inside.

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The keys should be waiting inside the car, so you only need to show your ID to the gate attendant on the way out of the garage. They will typically print your rental car agreement for you there, and you'll be on your way.

You may be able to choose your own car

An added perk of picking the car from an aisle is looking at the cars and selecting one of the nicer, newer options in the row.

On the previously mentioned Orlando trip, the first car we considered smelled awful and had more than 30,000 miles on it. However, just two cars over, we saw a newer option with only a couple thousand miles logged.

Even if the Hertz location you are using isn't one with a dedicated aisle, you can still use a shorter check-in line simply by being a member of its Gold Plus Rewards program. That's how I saved an hour picking up a car rental in Honolulu a few years ago, even though that location didn't have dedicated aisles in the car rental garage.

Joining a rental car rewards program

Most car rental companies, like Enterprise and Avis, have similar programs. To increase your odds of skipping the line, be sure to join the membership programs for the car companies you rent from and enter all necessary information in advance.

Related: How to use AutoSlash to save on rental cars

TPG has a full guide to rental car rewards programs, including information on how to sign up and the perks you'll enjoy as a member.

Credit cards that offer elite status for car rentals

There are a handful of credit cards that can help you skip the long line at the car rental counter with automatic elite status. You do have to enroll for this benefit, so if you have one of these cards, be sure to complete enrollment before your next car rental.

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Complimentary, optional enrollment with Avis Preferred, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, and/or National Car Rental Emerald Club
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Special car rental privileges with National Car Rental, Avis and Silvercar
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Complimentary Hertz President's Circle* or Five Star status
• United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees): Avis President's Club enrollment

*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply

Car rental skip-the-line tips

Be careful if you rent via a third-party site. You may not always be able to add your car rental membership number, which could result in a long pick-up line. Sure, you may save a few dollars, but you need to weigh the savings against the time you might spend waiting in line to pick up your car.

For these reasons, it usually makes more sense to rent directly, even if it costs you a little more. Ensure you sign up for a relevant car rental program, fully complete your profile and double-check to see if your car rental member number is attached to your reservation.

Related: The complete guide to car rental elite status matches

If you need something special, like child safety seats, you may end up in some line with a rental car company regardless of your status. For that and other reasons, it might be a good idea to travel with your child's car seat.

Bottom line

Joining a rental car rewards program can save you time, help you make progress toward a free rental and increase the odds that a car will be available when you're ready to start your trip.

Related stories:

• The Critical Points: Five Steps to a Perfect Car Rental
  
• Save money on your next trip: Use these tips to never pay full price for a rental car
  
• Credit cards that offer elite status for car rentals