Orlando International Airport is raising rental car fees to fund an off-site rental facility

Orlando is best known as the theme park capital of the world, but it also holds the title of the largest rental car market in the world. Most of the city’s rental cars depart from Orlando International Airport (MCO). Unfortunately, all those rental cars take up too much space in airport parking lots and parking garages.

Last year, more than 57 million travelers passed through the MCO, increasing from 50 million in 2022. With the increasing number of passengers traveling through MCO each year, it is common to find airport parking garages full to capacity, in part due to areas dominated by rental car companies. The Greater Orlando Airport Authority has a solution, but it may make your Orlando car rental more expensive.

Currently, most car rental companies operate out of garages across the street from the terminals, but MCO is on the dwindling list of major airports with on-airport rental car locations. Several other major airports, including Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), have already switched to off-site car rental centers. Known as integrated car rental facilities, this eases congestion and frees up space at the airport.

On August 21, the GOAA presented a proposed consolidated rental car facility as part of its first budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

“Due to the significant increase in traffic and part of the evaluation of improved and expanded rental car operation areas and improvements in the rental car customer experience, GOAA is pursuing the design and construction of a consolidated rental car center (ConRAC),” it said.

Related: How I saved hundreds on a car rental when I bundled it with theme park tickets

Click Orlando recently spoke with Angela Starke, the GOAA’s senior vice president of public affairs and public relations.

“This facility will immediately open up approximately 5,000 parking spaces in the existing A, B and C garages, where rental cars currently reside,” said Starke. He also revealed that the new facility is planned for the end of the airport, near Terminal C.

MCO’s integrated rental car center is expected to open in 2032, but rental car customers in Orlando will be affected by the project sooner rather than later. From Nov. 1, The Customer Location Fee paid by most airport rental car customers will increase from $6 to $9 per day to fund the project. When the price increase goes into effect, only one airport in the country — San Francisco International Airport (SFO) — will charge a $10 higher CFC, according to Click Orlando.

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CFC has a maximum collection time of seven days, so the maximum increase a customer would see is $21.

Although Orlando airport rental car costs are on the rise, there are still ways to save money on your next car rental. As with other airports, when you rent a car at MCO, you are charged a Daily Convenience Fee. This can add up if you’re staying for a few days, but you can bypass this fee entirely with Orlando’s free Visitor Toll Pass. You’ll still be responsible for the tolls themselves, but you won’t have to pay the extra convenience fee that rental car companies automatically add to your fare.

Regardless of which airport you rent from, you can also save on your car rental by booking through a site like AutoSlash. AutoSlash compares prices from multiple rental companies and includes potential coupons, discount codes and membership-related savings.

The CFC increase goes into effect on Nov. 1. If you have a rental car reservation on or after that date, you will see a $3 CFC increase on your final bill. In the coming years, you’ll likely see some construction as MCO builds its new rental car facility, giving you plenty of time to accept that you’ll no longer be able to make the easy journey straight from the airport to your rental car.

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