I was just a few hours away from picking up my rental car for a long weekend road trip. When I picked up my phone, I saw the voicemail.
“Right now we don’t have any vehicles,” the representative from my car rental agency said. “We’ll give you a call when we have something in.”
Hours later, the empty parking lot made it clear I had a bigger problem on my hands. No new cars were expected all weekend, I was told, with the same story extending to all locations within a 10-mile radius.
I was out of luck on that trip even with a confirmed car reservation, and it’s not an isolated problem.
According to Avis Budget Group’s Q4 2025 annual report, the company operated a fleet that’s 2 percent smaller than it was in 2024. Similarly, Hertz’s CEO reported in its Q4 report that it’s operating with a 3 percent smaller fleet, mostly pulling cars from off-airport locations.
This, combined with a popular business practice of overbooking reservations expecting cancellations, has resulted in diminished inventory and a higher chance that travelers could end up without any keys.
Here’s what you need to know and how to ensure you get a rental car when your travel itinerary depends on it.
In this article
Be Aware of Busy Rental Periods, and Show Up Early
Major sporting events, holidays, peak travel seasons, and even severe weather can affect the number of rental cars available.
If you’ll need to rent during any of these high-traffic times, don’t wing it, and always plan to arrive before the crowds, if possible. This could mean picking up your rental a few days early.
For example, if you’re renting during a busy weekend, plan to pick up the rental a day earlier than you really need it, such as on a Thursday instead of a Friday. Just know you have to physically appear at the pick-up time; you can’t simply book it for a Thursday start but not show up until Friday. In those cases, you’ll be marked as a no-show and lose your reservation.
You might also book a car for longer than you need.
“If they're getting low on inventory, sometimes rental agencies will only allow longer reservations,” says Mark Mannell, owner of the booking site Car Rental Savers. “Book a 6-day rental and just return it after the three days. Some rental agencies have a small penalty, but the bigger rental agencies will typically just charge you for the three days out.”
And whenever possible, schedule your rental pickup for as close to opening time as possible, before inventory runs out. That might mean waking up early to fly first thing, rather than waiting until a more convenient time later in the day.
If you’re not able to fly early in the morning, when you do land, send one person to collect the checked bags, and another to stand in line at the rental counter. At an airport, getting a car versus getting stranded can come down to who gets from the plane to the rental counter first. Every minute counts.
Know That Prepayments Don’t Guarantee a Car
If you reserve a car online through a third-party website, it’s important to make sure you get a confirmation number not only from the booking site, but from the rental car company you plan to use.
That second number lets you know your reservation is in their system. If you book directly with the rental car company, their confirmation number will be the only one you need.
But that doesn’t mean they’ll hold a car for you, even if you prepay. It’s possible that you will prepay for a booking, only to arrive and find no cars on the lot.
If that happens to you, understand your options. The agent may ask if you want to book a car at another location, start your reservation later, or offer you a refund. And if you do adjust your rental car dates, make sure the days you were without a car are refunded as well.
Make Backup Reservations and Prioritize Larger Companies
I always book multiple car rental reservations that are free to cancel. Then, at the last minute, I cancel the ones I don’t need. This ensures I’m never left empty-handed when it comes to keys.
Of course, this strategy only works if you can cancel the same day as pickup, which some companies don’t allow. In many cases, you’ll have to cancel your extra reservations a few days in advance—and don’t forget to do so, or you’ll pay far more than you intended. Still, it’s worth checking the fine print to see if this might be an option.
I also prefer to book with the big companies like Hertz, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and Avis Budget since each of these brands owns smaller chains that can help fulfill reservations. For example, Hertz owns Dollar Rent A Car and Thrifty Car Rental, while Enterprise owns National and Alamo.
When airport counters get overbooked, they’re more likely to share inventory or can point you to off-airport locations.
What to Do if No Cars Are Available
If you’ve exhausted all your other options and still don’t have a car, don’t panic.
When I missed out on my rental car, my road trip to the Gulf Shores was delayed, not denied. And now, thanks to many of the strategies listed here, I travel with confidence, knowing that a busy booking season won’t derail my trip.
But if it happens to you, first ask whether it’s worth waiting for a new car to become available, or if you should come back the next morning.
You should always ask the employees when they expect to get more cars, and also when the cleaning crew leaves for the day or starts their shift. No newly returned cars are getting back out the door without them.
Additionally, while many employees will tell you that prepaying doesn’t guarantee first dibs on the next car, you could use the moment as leverage to get an upgrade or add-on when one becomes available or to secure a discount on a future booking.
Finally, if you strike out with a traditional rental car, ask for a refund, and consider whether you’re in a destination where you might just skip the rental, save your money, and go car-free. If not, consider peer-to-peer rental platforms such as Turo. During a high-demand period, these companies may also have low inventory, but at least you know you’re booking a specific car rather than an unnamed one from a large fleet.
The Shortcut
A confirmation number from the rental car company means they’re expecting you to show up, not that they’re certain they’ll have a car ready for you.
Consider making backup reservations with other rental companies, and even at other locations, to ensure you get a car when you need it. Just don’t forget to cancel the ones you don’t need.
Reserve your car as early in the day as possible, but only if you can show up at that time. No-show reservations may be canceled.
If there’s no inventory when you arrive, assess if it’s worth the wait. If all else fails, consider peer-to-peer car rentals, such as Turo.
