We know that flight delays or even early arrivals can happen. That’s why it’s important to understand how these situations may affect your car rental reservation and what to do in each case to ensure your vehicle is available at pickup.
In case of flight delay
If you know about the delay before the pickup time: you can change your reservation. Go to “My Reservations” and make the change directly there. If you need more detailed instructions, check out our article on modifying reservations to learn how to proceed.
If the delay happens close to the pickup time: contact Rentcars as soon as possible. Our team will check the options with the rental company. In these cases, you do not need to contact the rental company directly.
If you exceed the grace period: Be aware that arriving after the grace period may cause your reservation to be classified as a no-show. This can result in cancellation fees or penalties, with some rental companies applying charges that range from 20% to 100% of the reservation value.
Attention: Last-minute reservations or bookings for immediate pick-up are subject to the rental companies’ dynamic pricing. Due to lower vehicle availability at that time, prices tend to be significantly higher than rates booked in advance.
Understand the rental company's tolerance policy.
The tolerance policy can vary significantly between rental companies and locations. For domestic reservations, the tolerance is usually 59 minutes after the pickup time indicated in the reservation. For international reservations, the period is generally 29 minutes. Some companies may extend this period if the delay is communicated and there is availability, but this depends exclusively on each rental company's policy.
For example, for reservations in Brazil:
Unidas offers up to 2 hours of grace period.
Foco offers up to 2 hours of grace period for prepaid reservations and up to 1 hour of grace period for reservations with pay-at-the-counter.
In some cases, time changes may require direct support from the service center or even a new reservation, if the current one becomes invalid. Furthermore, when the pickup time exceeds the store's operating hours, the tolerance does not apply.
In case of early arrival
If your flight is early and you want to pick up the car before the reserved time, you must check directly with the rental company if early pickup is possible.
Early pickup is not guaranteed and is subject to the rental company’s availability at your time of arrival.
Tip for international bookings
When making your international reservation, include your flight details (airline, flight number). Many rental companies abroad monitor registered flights and can adjust service in some delay cases.
To avoid unforeseen circumstances, schedule the pick-up of your vehicle for approximately 2 hours after your flight's scheduled arrival time. This way, you will have plenty of time to go through immigration, customs, and calmly collect your luggage.
Important
Understand the grace periods according to the rental company’s rules by checking the rental time stated on your booking confirmation voucher.
If needed, our team is available via Online Chat or by phone using the numbers on your Booking confirmation.