What should you do if your flight is delayed?
A flight delay is one of the most frustrating situations during a trip. It is especially stressful when you have a rental car waiting after arrival, along with hotel plans, luggage, family members and the very basic human desire to finally get where you are going. The airline shows “delayed”, the airport screens offer very little comfort, passengers get nervous, and suddenly your car rental pick-up becomes a real concern.
If you have booked car rental in Malaga, a rental car at Malaga Airport, car hire in Marbella or a rental car in Alicante, a delayed flight does not always mean that there will be a problem with your booking. However, it is important to inform the rental company as early as possible and understand how late arrivals are handled.
The main rule is simple: if you know you are going to be late, contact the rental office as soon as you can. The earlier the company knows about the delay, the easier it is to check the situation and explain the available options.
Why should you inform the rental company in advance?
When you book a rental car, the pick-up time matters. The rental company uses this time to plan vehicle availability, office work, shuttle service, contract preparation and staff schedules.
If a customer does not arrive at the agreed time and does not contact the office, the company cannot automatically know what happened. The flight may be delayed, the customer may be waiting for luggage, the travel plans may have changed, the customer may be lost at the airport or simply testing the emotional durability of the rental team. Humanity does enjoy its little experiments.
When you inform the office in advance, the team can check your booking, note your new estimated arrival time and explain what can be done next.
What information should you send if your flight is delayed?
If your flight is delayed, it is best to contact the rental office as soon as you receive updated information from the airline.
Please include:
- your booking number;
- the name of the main driver;
- your flight number;
- arrival airport;
- new estimated arrival time;
- information about delayed luggage, if already known;
- a valid phone number for contact.
This information helps the team find your booking quickly and check whether the car can still be collected on the same day.
Will the car rental booking be kept if the flight is delayed?
In many cases, if the customer informs the rental company about the delay and remains reachable, the company will try to keep the booking and help with the car pick-up.
However, this depends on the actual arrival time, the office opening hours, the booking conditions and vehicle availability. If the flight is delayed by a few hours but you still arrive during office hours, the situation is usually easier to manage.
If the plane lands after the office has closed, it may not be possible to collect the car on the same day. In that case, the customer may need to collect the vehicle the next day during the office opening hours.
Can you pick up a rental car at night?
This is one of the most common questions when a flight is delayed. The answer depends on the office, the arrival time and the rental company’s conditions.
It is important to understand that car rental at an airport does not always mean 24-hour car pick-up. Even if the airport itself is open at night, the rental office may have its own working hours.
If your flight arrives after the office has closed, the company may not be able to provide the car until the next day. This is why, when booking a late flight, it is always better to check the office opening hours and pick-up conditions in advance.
SOLO rent a car recommends that customers provide their flight number in advance and report any changes as soon as possible. This helps the team understand the real arrival time and explain the available options before the situation becomes stressful.
What if your luggage is delayed?
Sometimes the plane lands on time, but the luggage appears an hour later, two hours later or not at all. Suitcases, apparently, have their own travel plans and very little respect for car rental schedules.
If you are already at the airport but cannot leave the arrivals area because you are waiting for your luggage, you should inform the rental office. For the company, this is an important difference: you have arrived at the airport, but you cannot yet reach the meeting point or shuttle.
Send a message explaining that you are waiting for luggage and provide an estimated time when you expect to leave the arrivals area. If the timing changes, update the office again.
What if you miss the shuttle?
If your car rental pick-up includes a shuttle from the airport to the rental office, a flight delay or luggage delay can affect the meeting time.
In this situation, contact the office and ask where the meeting point is, how the shuttle works and whether a later pick-up can be arranged.
It is not a good idea to wait in a random place at the airport and hope that the shuttle driver will find you through telepathy. Sadly, telepathy is not included in the standard car rental package yet.
What happens if the customer does not report the delay?
If the customer does not arrive at the agreed time and does not inform the rental company, the booking may be handled according to the company’s conditions and the selected rate.
A rental company cannot always keep a vehicle reserved indefinitely without any contact from the customer. This is especially important during high season, when demand for car rental in Malaga, Marbella and Alicante is very high.
That is why it is better not to wait until the last minute. Even a short message can help avoid confusion.
How can you prepare if your flight arrives late?
If you already know that your flight arrives late in the evening, it is worth checking the car pick-up conditions before booking.
Before your trip, check:
- the office opening hours;
- whether late car pick-up is possible;
- whether you need to provide your flight number in advance;
- where the meeting point or shuttle stop is located;
- what happens if the flight arrives after office hours;
- whether the car can be collected the next morning.
This is especially important when booking a rental car at Malaga Airport, where many flights arrive late in the evening and customers often want to continue directly to the coast, their hotel or another city.
Useful tip: provide your flight number when booking
If you already know your flight number, it is a good idea to include it in your booking or send it to the rental company before arrival.
The flight number helps the team check delays and understand why the customer has not arrived at the scheduled time. It does not replace a direct message from the customer, but it makes communication much easier.
If your flight changes, is rescheduled or you arrive on a different flight, you should also inform the rental company as soon as possible.
Planning to rent a car in Malaga, Marbella or Alicante?
SOLO rent a car offers car rental in Malaga, Marbella and Alicante. If your flight is delayed, it is important to contact the office as early as possible and provide your updated arrival time.
Our team will explain whether same-day car pick-up is still possible, what to do in case of late arrival and which options are available if you cannot arrive at the scheduled pick-up time.
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