McCarran Rent-A-Car Center lets visiting drivers hit the roads in a hurry
Source: Clark County- McCarran International Airport
Apr 16, 2007 - 2:23:57 PM
|
|
With 11 car rental companies and convenient off-airport baggage check, it’s easier than ever to rent or drop off a vehicle; local travelers can also enjoy the center’s easy airport access
Travelers at McCarran International Airport can now enjoy a one-stop shopping experience when picking up rental vehicles to drive during their time in Southern Nevada. This month’s debut of the McCarran Rent-A-Car Center has made it easier than ever for visitors to grab their keys and get on their way.
“We’re pleased to bring a new level of convenience to the many guests who rent a car after arriving in Las Vegas,” said Randall H. Walker, director of the Clark County Department of Aviation. “McCarran Rent-A-Car Center has also made traveling easier for many Clark County residents by becoming the first site outside of the resort corridor to offer Airport SpeedCheck Advance, our off-airport baggage check-in services.”
Travelers flying on participating airlines can leave their bags at the Rent-A-Car Center up to 12 hour prior to their flight, eliminating the need to wait at their airline’s ticketing counter. Bags To Go, a Transportation Security Administration-authorized vendor, then delivers checked items to the airport for screening, freeing travelers from handling their bags until they’ve reached their destination.
Existing Airport SpeedCheck Advance kiosks at The Venetian, Las Vegas Convention Center and Luxor have catered primarily to tourists and conventioneers. A small fee applies.
In addition, locals who do not check luggage can avoid busy airport roadways and parking garages by asking a friend or family member to drop them off at the Rent-A-Car Center. There they can print their boarding passes from one of several kiosks before riding to the terminal on one of 40 airport shuttle buses.
The $166.8 million McCarran Rent-A-Car Center opened to the public on April 4. It occupies 68 acres at the southwest corner of Warm Springs Road and Gilespie Street, just a short 3-mile drive from McCarran’s main terminal. The site is near the Strip, Interstate 15 and the Las Vegas Beltway, providing easy access for drivers on their way into town as well as those returning cars at the end of their Las Vegas getaway.
When arriving at McCarran Rent-A-Car Center, travelers enter an 111,000-square-foot customer service building that includes check-in counters for 11 car rental companies. After a vehicle is rented, it’s a short walk to the surrounding three-story, 1.8 million-square-foot parking garage where up to 5,000 vehicles await their next drivers.
McCarran Rent-A-Car Center’s consolidated location eliminates the need for each rental car company to operate its own fleet of shuttles. Instead, travelers are now carried to and from McCarran’s terminals using a fleet of dedicated shuttle buses purchased by the Department of Aviation at total a cost of $12 million.
“We’re telling these customers, ‘The next bus is yours,’ regardless of which company they choose to rent from,” Walker said. “The consolidated system gets people on their way faster, and it eliminates the congestion that came when a dozen companies were each operating their own vans and buses.”
A 2,000-space public parking lot will soon open directly east of the Rent-A-Car Center. Local residents will be able to park in this new Economy Lot at a discounted rate while taking advantage of the free shuttle service to and from McCarran. In addition, the approximately 40 acres north of Terminal 2 that formerly housed most airport car rental agencies will be converted into public parking in time for the 2007 holiday season.
|
