Cars
Is there a booking fee with rental cars?
No!
How many airlines are included?
251 airlines will be available to book. All the US major airlines are included such as: American, Delta, United, Alaska, Spirit, Frontier, Jetblue, Southwest & Hawaiian.
At time of release, will direct bill available for rental cars?
No.
Which competitor is Southwest Airlines not available through? (Engine has Southwest)
CLC
How many car rentals can be booked at once?
1
Can customers earn and redeem Engine Rewards and travel credits with rental car bookings?
Will there be a booking fee?
Yes, there will be a booking fee for each flight purchase which will vary by account. The booking fee is non-refundable. The small booking fee for each flight will help offset costs and pay our suppliers.
What are the requirements for drivers when they pick up their rental car?
Rental companies will require the driver to put a deposit or hold on their personal card at pick-up. This is standard practice across all car rental brands.
Do travel confirmations go to the booker and traveler for flights?
Yes, as of today, it will go to both the booker and traveler.
Do we cover incidentals for car rentals?
Not at this time. Whoever is picking up the car has to have a credit card in their name at pickup.
Can modifications be made directly in the platform?
No they cannot. Users will have to reach out to member support for modifications.
What kinds of travel policies are available at launch for flights?
Total price - Admins configure the max total price for roundtrip. The amount set will be automatically halved for one-way flights.
Cabin class - Admins configure which cabin classes that their users can book.
An in-policy filter is available to use when shopping for flights. It is enabled by default.
Flights and fares which are out-of-policy will not be available to book.
Is the price for car rentals the same for a 20 year old as a 30 year old?
It depends. Sometimes the rates we get from Priceline will be higher for drivers aged between 19 - 24, which comes from the car rental companies. This is standard practice across all car rental brands.
How does our booking fee compare to public flight booking sights?
Our price pre booking fee is competitive with competitors. Some competitors like Navan and CLC don’t charge booking fees, so we will be a little more expense. Some competitors (like Navan) do not have a booking fee but will charge every time the businesses calls in for support.
What is the policy for cancelation for rental cars?
Depending on the policy and the number of days before pick-up, you might be charged a cancelation fee, or a refund might not be available. Before canceling a trip, we will show the refund amount and the method of the refund.
Can I apply corporate discount codes from individual brands to Hotel Engine?
We won't have that capability at the start, but we will be building that functionality as a fast follow.
Customer question: Can my business accrue miles at the same time as a traveler (i.e., United Perks Plus)?
Our supplier only supports this use case for one airline today (American). They are working on supporting this functionality for more major US airlines this year. Once more airlines are supported we will likely want to invest in supporting this feature.
Is there a minimum age to rent a car through Engine?
Yes, you must be 19 or older to rent a car through our platform
What features aren't available for flights at launch?
Flex, Flexpro, Trends, Groups, trip modifications in platform, adding additional bags, multi city trips, and admin approvals.
If a customer cancels their flight, will all flights within a booking get cancelled?
If a customer cancels on the app or website it will cancel all flights within a booking.
How does Engine make money on rental cars?
There are two different ways we make money. For retail rates, we will get a commission from the car rental company. For net rates, we will add a markup so that we can make margin. In the future, we plan to off additional options like insurance coverage.
How many flights can be booked at once?
You can book for 9 passengers at one time.
What features aren’t available for car rentals at launch?
Flex, FlexPro, Trends, Groups, trip modifications in the platform, and Direct Bill will not be in the platform at launch.
Do customers get a notification when the flight is changed by the airline?
We will email the user on behalf of the airline letting them know of the change, and they will have the option sometimes to reject or accept
Why doesn't a customer get airline credit card perks when they book through Engine?
Airlines reserve credit card benefits, like two free bags, for flights booked directly with them. When booking flights on Engine, you’ll still have access to earn points and miles through airline loyalty programs, plus any of the perks you’d get with status on the airline.