Thrifty car rental at Los Angeles Airport (LAX)

Thrifty operates from the LAX car rental facility. See the getting-here section for exact directions from your terminal.

Hola Car Rentals is the only premium partner of the top car rental brands operating at Los Angeles Airport, giving you exclusive access to our All Inclusive+ rate. This rate includes benefits that no other company can match:

• Free liability coverage starting at US$ 300,000 in case of an accident (applies only to certain rates and itineraries)
• Toll cashback: recover up to 5% of the reservation's total value for toll charges incurred during your rental period
• Premium travel medical assistance providing up to US$ 150,000 in coverage for a maximum of 5 passengers in case of a medical emergency, excluding pre-existing conditions
• No Extra Charges© guarantee: if the counter charges you for something not listed on your confirmation and not an optional add-on you accepted, Hola Car Rentals will work to remove or reimburse the charge after verification

All of this comes at no extra cost, ensuring a fully protected rental experience and peace of mind throughout your trip at Los Angeles Airport.

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your booking at Los Angeles Airport are clearly shown at the time of reservation and in your confirmation email, so you know exactly what you are paying before you arrive at the counter.

On top of that, every Hola Car Rentals booking includes the No Extra Charges© guarantee. This is a pricing guarantee (not insurance) that protects you if the counter at Los Angeles Airport charges you for something that was not listed on your confirmation and was not an optional add-on you accepted. If that happens, Hola Car Rentals will work with the rental partner to remove or reimburse the charge after verification.

The only costs outside this guarantee are:

• Optional add-ons you choose at the counter (GPS, child seats, prepaid fuel)
• Usage-based charges (tolls, fuel shortfall, traffic fines)

At Los Angeles Airport, there are no rental car counters inside the terminals. All rental companies operate via shuttle service to off-airport facilities.

After landing and collecting your luggage, exit baggage claim to the lower arrivals level and follow the purple "Rental Car Shuttles" signs. Board your rental company's courtesy shuttle at the marked kerb stop, confirming it serves your specific brand.

Most major brands including Avis, Budget, Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, and others operate from the Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility at 5251 W 98th Street, approximately 1.5 miles from the main Los Angeles Airport loop. The ConRAC facility operates 24 hours daily.

Plan for the following time from touchdown to driving away:

• Immigration and customs: 45 to 120 minutes (the largest variable for arrivals from abroad)
• Shuttle transfer to the rental facility: 20 to 45 minutes depending on queue length
• Counter, documents, and vehicle inspection: 15 to 60 minutes depending on how busy it is

In total, allow 120 to 180 minutes from landing to picking up your vehicle at Los Angeles Airport, and add 30 minutes during peak periods such as Friday afternoons or school holidays.

To collect your rental car at Los Angeles Airport, you must present the following physical documents at the counter:

• Your original, unexpired driver's license (physical card, not a digital copy)
• A passport or valid government-issued photo ID
• A major credit card in the main driver's name, with the driver's name printed on the card, for the security deposit hold
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher
• Round-trip flight or cruise tickets (required for visitors from abroad)

If your driver's license uses a non-Latin alphabet such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is mandatory in addition to your original license. For licenses in other non-English scripts, an IDP is strongly recommended. The IDP is a translation document only and is not valid without your original license.

All documents presented at the Los Angeles Airport rental counter must be physical originals. Digital versions shown on a phone or tablet are not accepted. Obtain your IDP in your home country before traveling, as it cannot be issued abroad.

Yes, a major credit card in the main driver's name is required to rent a car at Los Angeles Airport. The card must be a physical card with the driver's name printed on it.

At pickup, the rental company places a temporary authorization hold on your card, typically between US$300 and US$400 for a standard vehicle at a US airport location. This hold reduces your available credit until your bank releases it after the rental ends, which can take up to 15 business days.

Debit cards, prepaid cards, and virtual or single-use card numbers are not accepted for the security deposit at Los Angeles Airport counters. Even if you prepaid your booking online, you must still present a physical credit card at the counter.

A few tips to avoid issues at the Los Angeles Airport counter:

• Notify your bank of your travel dates to prevent fraud blocks on in-person authorizations
• Bring a backup credit card in your own name in case your primary card is declined
• Confirm your card has enough available credit to cover the hold plus any expected charges