Peter Greenberg: Renting a Non-Smoking Car

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-08-04

Q: Hi, Peter.
I have never used Priceline or Orbitz, but I've been told I can save money using them to book rental cars. My concern is, can I be assured that I get a non-smoking car when using these sites?
–Bruce
Honolulu, Hawaii
 
A: There is a small but significant difference between sites like Orbitz and Expedia, versus sites like Hotwire and Priceline. The former give you a wide range of rates, as well as full transparency regarding the company providing your service—whether it be a flight, rental car, or hotel reservation. The latter have an "opaque" option, in which you can score rock-bottom rates, but they withhold the name of the rental company until after you've booked and paid. (The good news is that Hotwire and Priceline only deal with reputable companies, so you don't have to worry about getting a car from Rent-a-Lemon).
 
So to save the most money, I recommend the non-transparent sites (Hotwire and Priceline), unless you need to use a particular company because you're part of its loyalty or corporate-discount program. I have always found that Priceline delivers the goods when it comes to low-cost (or lower-cost) car rentals.
 
However, to be guaranteed a non-smoking car, you'll want to use a transparent site, because policies vary by company, and you'll want to be able to pick a specific one. For example, Alamo and Enterprise do not permit smoking in any of their vehicles, while Avis, Budget, Hertz, and National offer non-smoking cars upon request. (Of course, bear in mind that smokers often break the rules and light up in rental cars, even though they're not supposed to.) If you do get a car that smells of smoke, go back to the counter and insist that the company swap it out for an odorless one.