Thrifty Review

We have used Thrifty almost exclusively for the past few years and have never been disappointed. I am not usually brand-loyal. I always go for the best service for the best price. But 9 times out of 10, Thrifty has the lowest price. And they practically stumble over themselves to give you the best deal possible. We have gotten to the rental counter several times and been offered a free upgrade - once from an economy car to a mini-van. That was our trip through Yellowstone and with all the driving, we were so thankful for the extra room.

Last year I got a better deal through another company (who shall remain nameless) and I took it, prepaying online. We arrived to pick up our car 45 minutes late because of the plane being late. We called as soon as we landed, but the agent still chewed us out for being late and gave us a ratty little car which wasn't what we'd paid for. He'd rented out the one we'd paid for. We probably could've put up a stink, but it was late and we just wanted to get to our motel and to bed. Learned my lesson big-time! Back to Thrifty!

If you're going to use Thrifty, go online and join Thrifty's Blue Chip Club. It's free, but they really take good care of their members, including a check-in line just for Blue Chip members and preferential treatment. If Thrifty is located off-site, they will have a shuttle pick you up. Tell the driver that you are a Blue Chip member and most times he will call ahead and they will have your paperwork pulled and ready for you when you arrive at the desk.

Last month the car they gave us had been cleaned, but retained the faintest odor of cigarettes. Not wanting to complain, I tried to "live" with it, but it started giving me a headache. So we went back in, explained the problem and drove away in a different car a few minutes later. No bad attitude, no trouble, just "that's no problem, let's see what else we have ready." Which is what we've found to be the typical attitude among Thrifty's agents. Kudos to them. They've earned our loyalty!