Consolidated rental car facility
Airport facility hosting rental car companies
These facilities are located away from the terminal buildings, and are often accessed using shuttle buses like this one seen at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , Texas.
A consolidated rental car facility (CRCF) or consolidated rental car center (CONRAC) is a complex that hosts numerous car rental agencies, typically found at airports in the United States.
The most important incentives for building consolidated facilities are greatly reduced traffic congestion in airport pick up and drop off areas and increased convenience for travelers. A single unified fleet of shuttle buses can serve all car rental agencies, instead of each company operating their own individual shuttle buses which may come less frequently. Congestion can be further reduced by connecting the consolidated facility to the airport terminal with a people mover .
Consolidated facilities are typically built around two areas: a customer service building where each company operates retail counters to serve renters, and a "ready/return" lot or garage where cars are temporarily parked while ready and awaiting a renter, or when recently returned and in need of servicing before the next rental.
Facilities usually also feature a Quick Turn Around (QTA) area either on-site or at a nearby location, where light maintenance of vehicles can be conducted including cleaning, fueling, and inspection of engine fluids. There can be several QTA areas operated by the different companies, or the services can be shared.[ 1]
The first known consolidated facility was built at Sacramento International Airport in 1994.[ 2] [ 3] However, as early as 1974, four companies were already sharing facilities and shuttle buses at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, and in 1988 companies at Minneapolis–Saint Paul airport introduced common shuttle buses.[ 4] These differed from modern CONRACs in that the majority of rental car companies at Dallas/Fort Worth continued to operate their own off-site facilities and shuttle buses, while at Minneapolis, only the shuttle buses and not the facilities themselves were shared (in other words, a single shuttle bus line served multiple off-site rental car companies).[ 4]
Furthermore, the rental car industry has seen major mergers, creating three major holding companies that now represent ten brands commonly seen at airports, the Avis Budget Group (which operates Avis Car Rental , Budget Rent a Car , Payless Car Rental and Zipcar ), Enterprise Holdings (which operates Enterprise Rent-A-Car , Alamo Rent a Car and National Car Rental ) and The Hertz Corporation (which operates Hertz Rent A Car , Dollar Rent A Car and Thrifty Car Rental ).[ 5] Because of these mergers, even in cities without a consolidated facility, many of these companies have consolidated all their brands into one location.
Locations
Locale
Airport
Year
Notes
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento International Airport
1994
First facility in the U.S.[ 1] [ 2]
Cedar Rapids , IA
Eastern Iowa Airport
1996
Opened New Joint Use Rental Car Facility in 1996
Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport
1998
Had been operating common shuttle buses since 1988.[ 4]
Cleveland , OH
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
1998
[ 6]
San Francisco , CA
San Francisco International Airport
1998
Connected to AirTrain APM (automated people mover) system. Expanded in June 2008[ 7]
Dallas–Ft. Worth , TX
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
2000
In 1990, DFW had two rental car sites on the north and south sides of the airport. Both hosted Avis, Budget, Hertz and National.[ 4] A new facility that consolidated more brands opened south of the airport in March 2000[ 8]
Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque International Sunport
2001
[ 9]
Baltimore, MD–Washington, DC
Baltimore/Washington International Airport
2003
[ 10]
Houston , TX
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
2003
[ 11]
Oakland, CA
Oakland International Airport
2003
[ 12]
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport
2005
At its opening, this was the largest facility in the US.[ 13]
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
2006
Connected to PHX Sky Train APM.[ 14]
Las Vegas , NV
Harry Reid International Airport
2007
[ 15]
Kansas City, MO
Kansas City International Airport
2007
[ 16]
Anchorage, AK
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
2007
[ 17]
Spokane, WA
Spokane International Airport
2008
[ 18]
Atlanta , GA
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
2009
Connected to ATL SkyTrain APM.[ 19]
Fresno, CA
Fresno Yosemite International Airport
2009
[ 20]
Miami , FL
Miami International Airport
2010
Connected to MIA Mover APM. Part of the Miami Intermodal Center [ 21]
San Jose, CA
San Jose International Airport
2010
[ 22]
Nashville, TN
Nashville International Airport
2011
[ 23] [ 24]
Memphis, TN
Memphis International Airport
2012
[ 25] [ 26]
Seattle , WA
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
2012
At opening, largest facility in the US to win LEED Silver certification.[ 27] [ 28] [ 29] [ 30]
New Orleans , LA
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
2012
[ 31] [ 32] [ 33]
Chicago , IL
Midway International Airport
2013
Boston , MA
Logan International Airport
2013
[ 34]
Newark, NJ /New York City
Newark Liberty International Airport
2013/2023
Original location closed, with a new one opened in 2023 as part of new Terminal A project.[ 35] Connected to AirTrain Newark monorail.[ 36]
Burbank, CA
Hollywood Burbank Airport
2014
Part of the Regional Intermodal Transportation Center.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
2014
Moline, IL
Quad Cities International Airport
2014
Austin, TX
Austin–Bergstrom International Airport
2015
[ 37]
Charlotte, NC
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
2015
[ 38]
San Diego , CA
San Diego International Airport
2016
[ 39]
Oklahoma City , OK
Will Rogers World Airport
2016
[ 40]
Salt Lake City , UT
Salt Lake City International Airport
2016
[ 41] [ 42]
San Antonio , TX
San Antonio International Airport
2018
[ 43]
Tampa, FL
Tampa International Airport
2018
Connected to SkyConnect APM.[ 44] [ 45] [ 46] [ 47] [ 48]
Chicago, IL
O'Hare International Airport
2018
Connected to Airport Transit System APM.[ 49] [ 50]
Kahului, HI
Kahului Airport
2019
Connected to CONRAC Tram.[ 51]
Honolulu , HI
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport
2020
Columbus, OH
John Glenn Columbus International Airport
2021
[ 52]
Cincinnati , OH
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
2021
[ 53]
Portland, OR
Portland International Airport
2021
Windsor Locks, CT
Bradley International Airport
2022
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
2024
The US$ 1.5 billion building is the largest CONRAC in the world at 6,300,000 square feet (590,000 m2 ) and hosts up to 21,000 rental vehicles. It connects to the airport's terminals by an under construction people mover .[ 54] [ 55]
Facilities under construction
The Reno–Tahoe International Airport is currently building a Rental Car and Ground Transportation Center, scheduled to open in 2028. [ 12] [ 56]
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, MI is currently construction a 4-story ConRAC, scheduled to open in 2026.[ 57]
References
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^ a b Gunn, Derek L.; George, Osborne R.; Holcomb, Scott D.; Bekele, Addisu M.; Ardeshiri, Anam; Zheng, Jianyang (2014). "Estimating Vehicle Trips for Consolidated Rental Car Facilities at Commercial Airports: An Emerging Need and Case Study" . ITE Journal . 84 (4): 41–47. ProQuest 1517636183 – via ProQuest.
^ Gonzales, Anne (October 23, 1994). "Sacramento with a capital S" . Tampa Bay Times . Retrieved February 6, 2022 .
^ a b c d Wade, Betsy (December 25, 1994). "PRACTICAL TRAVELER; Airports Merge Car-Rental Vans" . The New York Times . ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved February 4, 2022 .
^ "LAX Consolidated Rent-a-Car Facility Achieves Tenant Hand over Milestone, Moves One Step Closer to Completion" . Aviation Pros . June 6, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022 .
^ "Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Car Rental" . World Airport Guides. Retrieved August 28, 2019 .
^ "Travel Media Information" . June 28, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .[permanent dead link ]
^ "DFW International Airport Board Proposed FY 2010 Budget (p.77)" (PDF) . Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. 2000. Retrieved February 18, 2013 .
^ "Rental Car Facility Art – Albuquerque International Sunport – City of Albuquerque" . 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011 .
^ "Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport" . 2011. Archived from the original on March 28, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2011 .
^ "Consolidated" . 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011 .
^ a b "PGAL: Consolidated Rental Car Design by PGAL - Issuu" . issuu.com . Retrieved February 5, 2023 .
^ "Construction Contract Review of the Consolidated Rental Car Facility (RAC) at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport" (PDF) . Broward County. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ "References" (PDF) . City of Phoenix. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ "McCarran Rent-A-Car Center" (PDF) . Clark County Department of Aviation. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2010. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ Yu, Roger (April 29, 2007). "Airport Check-in: Kansas City rentals in one place" . USA Today . Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ Yu, Roger (July 22, 2007). "Airport Check-in: Seattle-Tacoma considers holiday decor" . USA Today . Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ Prager, Mike (November 12, 2008). "Car rental a short walk away" . The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved January 14, 2016 .
^ "CONRAC History" . Department of Aviation-City of Atlanta. 2009. Archived from the original on February 22, 2009. Retrieved August 18, 2015 .
^ "Rental Car Facility (ConRAC) at Fresno-Yosemite International Airport (FAT)" . PGAL . March 8, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2017 .
^ "MIA RCC" . Miami Dade County Aviation Department. Archived from the original on November 28, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ "Terminal Area Improvement Program" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2010. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
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^ "New Rental Car Facility To Open At Nashville Airport" . Airport Magazine . October 25, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ "Consolidated Parking and Rental Car Facility is the Most Complete Airport Ground Transportation Center in the Country" . Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority. January 6, 2011. Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ Yu, Roger (April 15, 2007). "Airport Check-in: Harrisburg mosaic restored" . USA Today . Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ "Rental car facility to open at Sea-Tac" . The News Tribune . Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2013 .
^ "Energy Efficiency" . Port of Seattle. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ "Positive Economic Sign: Rental Car Facility Construction Starts Back" . Port of Seattle. Archived from the original on November 4, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ Yu, Roger (October 6, 2009). "Airports spread out check-in kiosks to cut down on lines" . USA Today . Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ "Consolidated Rent-A-Car (CONRAC) Garage" . New Orleans: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. 2011. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ "Airport Expansion – A New Plan for the Future – 09/01/2011" . New Orleans: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. September 1, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ Yu, Roger (April 21, 2008). "Airport Check-in: Sculpture inspired by flight takes wing" . USA Today . Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ "Big Move For Rental Car Companies At Logan Airport" . CBSBoston.com. September 24, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2014 .
^ "Newark, NJ" . www.conracsolutions.com . Retrieved November 25, 2024 .
^ "Newark Liberty International Airport > Ground Transportation > Car Rental" . Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011 .
^ "Austin, TX" .
^ "Charlotte Douglas International Airport Rental Car Facility & Hourly Parking Deck" . Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2022 .
^ "Airport Plans Jan. 20 Opening for New Rental Car Center" .
^ "Airports Department Strategic Business Plan" .
^ "Salt Lake City Airport Opens New Rental Car Facility" .
^ "The New SLC booklet" (PDF) . p. 8.
^ "San Antonio International Airport Opens New Consolidated Rental Car Facility" .
^ "Tampa International dedicates SkyConnect, new Rental Car Center" .
^ "Video; Terminal to TPA ConRAC" .
^ "Video; Three years in three minutes" . YouTube . Archived from the original on December 15, 2021.
^ "SkyConnect Ribbon Cutting" . YouTube . Archived from the original on December 15, 2021.
^ "Tampa International Airport train and car rental center open Feb. 14, with big office project in the pipeline" .
^ "New O'Hare Airport parking, rental car facility opens Wednesday" . November 7, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2019 .
^ "Airport Transit System" . Chicago Department of Aviation . Retrieved February 8, 2023 .
^ "$340M rental car facility opens at Kahului Airport" .
^ "Rental Cars" .
^ "CVG opens new rental car and ground transportation center" . Retrieved November 3, 2021 .
^ "LAX Consolidated Rent-A-Car Center (CONRAC)" . Los Angeles World Airports. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017 .
^ "LAX" . Avis Rent a Car . Retrieved October 17, 2024 .
^ https://www.renoairport.com/newsroom/release-reno-tahoe-international-airports-ground-transportation-center-receives-official-greenlight-for-2028-delivery/
^ Channel 3, Anthony Sylvester | News (May 31, 2023). "Gerald R. Ford International Airport to add consolidated rental car facility" . WWMT . Retrieved April 11, 2024 . {{cite web }}
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