Alamo Rent A Car is now the preferred car rental supplier to Virgin Holidays, one of the United Kingdom’s leading worldwide holiday company and the world’s largest transatlantic tour operator and market leader for inbound travel to the U.S. and the Caribbean.
The exclusive agreement between Alamo and Virgin Holidays began Jan. 1. Virgin Holidays customers will primarily rent in Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Orlando, where Alamo also serves as the official rental car company of Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.
All Virgin Holidays customers can use Virgin Check-In (VCI), a customized version of Alamo’s online check-in system. VCI transactions are completed with an e-voucher method of payment. Customers who use VCI can then retrieve their rental agreements and bypass the counter completely — thus cutting valuable minutes off their travel time. In addition, Virgin Holidays’ customers can take advantage of the Alamo Choice product whereby they can choose any vehicle on the lot within the category booked.
Another time-saving option for Virgin Holidays customers is the Alamo self-service kiosk, which quickly facilitates last-minute changes or requests for vehicle upgrades, child safety seats, additional drivers and portable navigation (GPS) units. In Orlando, customers also can take advantage of the Virgin Lounge, where special dual-branded custom kiosks will provide them with even more service and convenience.
Alamo Rent A Car is one of three major car rental brands operated by Enterprise Holdings, which owns more than 1 million cars and trucks, the largest fleet of passenger vehicles in the world today. “We’re thrilled to be a part of this innovative partnership,” said Greg Stubblefield, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, who leads the strategic efforts for Enterprise Holdings' global rental business development. “As leaders in our respective industries, Alamo and Virgin Holidays can now work together to offer leisure travelers even more value, service and convenience than ever before.”
Alamo’s online check-in option, friendly service and leading-edge environmental stewardship were additional key factors in Virgin Holidays’ criteria when choosing an exclusive vehicle rental provider. “As a customer champion celebrating 25 years of consistently delivering magic touches to our customers, we are delighted to be the only U.K. partner with Alamo,” Mark Anderson, customer director at Virgin Holidays, noted. “This will make our fly-drive adventures even better for our customers.”
A known leader in travel technology innovation, Alamo currently operates 165 kiosks at 65 U.S. locations in 28 states and the District of Columbia, which earned it the “Extra Mile Award” from Budget Travel magazine in 2007. Recent advancements in Alamo’s kiosk technology include the opportunity for customers who do not have a reservation to simply walk up and use the kiosk.
“We share a powerful customer service ethic with Virgin Holidays and, by working together, we are able to jointly offer a unique travel product in North America,” Stubblefield stated. “In that way, Alamo will continue to exceed expectations and deliver the kind of service that keeps customers coming back.”
