Has anyone tried hiring a car via QF.com ?

[FL360]

Please share your experience.

Recently I booked a car for 2 days to be picked
up from LHR on 25/Dec/2009.
Only QF.com allows me to reserve a car this far ahead.
(given the lack of transport options during Xmas day there)

Thanks

 

[JDS]

Did it over Easter pick up in Adelaide. Was smooth as. Just did it again to pick up in Brisbane in a couple of weeks time. Really like this service as it's instant and you don't have to go onto another site.

 

[straitman]

I used it in Queenstown NZ earlier this year and all went smoothly.

 

[Mal]

Ditto.

Used it to get a special rate on a car in a location where special rates normally aren't available.

 

[straitman]

Ditto.

Used it to get a special rate on a car in a location where special rates normally aren't available.

.... and I forgot to mention that there was no airport fees attached even though all the other booking options showed then as add ons.

 

[jehane]

No problems in Canberra earlier this year, was the cheapest rate I found, even compared with booking directly with the company and I got an upgrade when I picked it up.

 

[Paddy55]

Have booked through QF for this Oct - picking up in LAX and dropping off at SFO. Very surprised to find they hand the cheapest rate I could find, and with Hertz. Will report later, but hopefully all will be well

Paddy

 

[qf unfort]

No problems in Canberra earlier this year, was the cheapest rate I found, even compared with booking directly with the company and I got an upgrade when I picked it up.

That's good news. Unfortunately I've never been so lucky - quotes on qantas.com have always been beaten (by Thrifty directly) for pickups in Tassie, Canberra and Brisbane. Last time I flew to Hobart qantas.com said no cars available with anyone but Hertz, yet got one on Thrifty.com.au for much less.

Still, no different from comparing flights I guess - almost always best to shop around.

 

[JohnK]

I am confused. Even though Qantas may provide a list of cars available and rates isn't the actual booking with the car rental company? When I was looking to hire a car in Melbourne in March Qantas would list all the options and when I clicked on one of the options it would load the website of the car rental provider and automatically fill in the Qantas CDP.

Anyway I prefer to use the car rental website direct as I do not want the QFF number anywhere near the booking as I now credit all car rentals to Virgin Atlantic. Hertz made a mistake recently and credited one of my rentals to Qantas and I got 30 QFF points. I complained to Hertz and Qantas to date has not returned the points so I can credit the car rental to Virgin Atlantic and receive 1,000 Flying Club miles....

 

[Warks]

Sorry to wake up the zombie...

I just booked a flight to Perth (2 weeks' time) and thought I'd go on and use the car hire option thinking it would be easier than having to put all my details in again. I'm already Avis Preferred so I chose an Avis car. I was surprised how low the rate was and I was clicking through to the end when I suddenly noticed the dates and times selected were something the website had made up. I had assumed (erroneously) that the website bot might grab my QF arrival and departure times and use them for my pick up and drop off times and dates (makes sense doesn't it? If you want to vary it then change it.) However it had me dropping the car back a whole day and a half early! No wonder it was cheap.

The problem then was navigating back to change the dates. I could only do it with the 'back' arrow on the browser - I hadn't gone as far ahead as 'confirm' yet and there were no back arrows on the page. I did go back a couple of pages refreshing the page, inserted my new dates and then got back to the confirm page to find the original dates were back in! As a result I dropped out and will go direct with Avis I think. Less chance of a stuff up.

Somethin' ain't quite right.

 

[UP4014]

As said by others, it works well and 75% of the time they appear to be the cheapest.

Just booked another car for Auckland in two weeks via the QF site.

 

[Bundy Bear]

I have used it a few times for work. Book the flights then book the car; it would cost me extra in time to do it any other way.

Virgin Blue website has a direct link to Europecar which I have used in the past and it has worked well, and it seems that Qantas thought they were missing out on a spotter commission.

 

[Warks]

So do you find it ignores your flight information when putting in the dates? Is the one day hire by default a trap for beginners?

 

[MALMCK]

I have used the QF site to book in the UK and was disapointed that the total cost estimate was some 120% out :shock: due to the omission of the compulsory insurance which was greater than the car hire cost. The cheapest quote was in fact the most expensive total cost when compared with the others on their web page. Check the total costs by using the hire car UK web sites. Also make sure that you check the car for scratches, windscreen chips ect before accepting otherwise you may get hit with a damage bill if they are not on the hire sheet (this can border on a scam). Take your own TOM TOM GPS with UK maps rather than hire, they can pay for themselves in about 6 days. QF say they are going to change the web page next month on hire cars but do not hold your breath that they will get it right.

 

[Warks]

I've got a booking next week in BNE which I made using the Qantas site after I'd booked my flight. Used Avis as I've got a card with them. Stupid system still defaulted my car hire to 9am on the day I arrive (I arrive at 8PM) to 9am the next day (I depart the day after, late). If you don't notice that and keep clicking through it's impossible to go back without cancelling the whole booking.

I fixed it up and we'll see how it goes when I get there!