Avis Car Rental Introduce
Avis Car Rental at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) area is a major provider of vehicle and van rental services, perfectly positioned for California travelers embarking on a road trip, a business journey, or a local move. Operating from the centralized rental facility near the airport, this location ensures a consistent and recognizable service experience for customers flying into Southern California. The agency's inventory caters to nearly every need, ranging from fuel-efficient compact cars ideal for city parking to large passenger vans and SUVs, which are essential for group travel or exploring California's vast national parks and scenic routes. For those who value the convenience of a major, global brand, Avis provides a dependable option for securing transportation right upon arrival in the Golden State.
As a prominent car rental and van rental agency, Avis offers an on-site service model from a dedicated facility, allowing customers to complete the necessary paperwork and pick up their vehicle at a convenient location away from the immediate airport terminal congestion.
The Avis Car Rental location is situated at the consolidated rental car facility near LAX, which is easily accessible from the terminals.
Contact Information:
Address: 5251 W 98th St, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
Phone: (310) 342-9200
Accessibility to the 5251 W 98th St location for air travelers is highly streamlined via a free, dedicated shuttle bus service. Upon arrival at any LAX terminal, travelers should proceed outside of the baggage claim area and look for the prominently marked, purple "Rental Car Shuttles" sign. Avis courtesy buses operate frequently to transport customers directly to the rental lot for vehicle pick-up. This centralized, off-terminal approach is designed to keep airport traffic flowing while still offering a high level of service convenience. Furthermore, the facility itself is designed with accessibility in mind, featuring a wheelchair-accessible entrance and wheelchair-accessible parking lot, ensuring a smoother experience for all customers. The location also facilitates 24-hour return, a significant convenience for travelers with late or early flights. However, prospective renters should be mindful that despite the convenient location and shuttle service, recent customer feedback sometimes points to extended wait times, both at the registration counter and for the final car pickup, which could potentially take up to two hours during peak travel periods. Planning with extra time in mind is a wise approach.
Avis offers a comprehensive array of services and rental features designed to accommodate diverse travel requirements:
- Extensive Fleet Options: The selection includes a variety of categories such as Economy, Compact, Intermediate, Full-Size Sedans, SUVs (including Premium and Luxury SUVs), Minivans, 12-Passenger Vans, Pickup Trucks, Convertibles, and even models from the Avis Signature Series for a premium driving experience.
- Flexible Rental Terms: Daily, weekly, weekend, and long-term rental options are available, accommodating everything from short city breaks to extended stays in California.
- Value-Added Equipment: Renters can customize their vehicle with optional add-ons, including GPS navigation systems, child safety seats (covering infant to booster ages), and in some cases, Wi-Fi access.
- Diverse Payment Methods: The agency accepts major credit cards and debit cards for rental transactions and deposits, along with modern NFC mobile payments for streamlined transactions.
- Preferred Customer Programs: Enrollment in the free Avis Preferred service is promoted, allowing members to skip the counter line and often proceed directly to their designated vehicle, significantly improving the pickup speed and efficiency.
- Fuel Service Options: Customers have choices regarding fuel payment, including a pre-paid option, returning with a full tank, or having the agency refill the tank post-return for a service charge.
- One-Way Rentals: For travelers planning extended, linear California road trips, flexible one-way rental services are typically available, allowing drop-off at an alternative Avis destination within or outside the state (cross-border travel to Mexico is generally not permitted).
Highlights and unique features of the Avis offering for California users include:
- Active Military Discounts: A significant highlight is the availability of discounts for U.S. military veterans, active-duty military, National Guard, and Reservists. By enrolling in partnership programs, service members can often receive up to 35% off the base rate, providing substantial savings for those who serve or have served.
- 24/7 Operation: The LAX facility operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it highly convenient for customers with non-standard flight times.
- Debit Card Acceptance: The acceptance of debit cards for payment and security deposit—though often with stricter requirements and a potentially larger hold amount—offers flexibility beyond credit card-only providers.
- Renowned for Return Convenience: Customer reviews specifically highlight the convenience of the return process at this location, citing clean facilities and an easy, well-directed shuttle bus ride directly back to the LAX terminals.
- Premium and Specialty Vehicles: The wide availability of luxury cars, convertibles, and specialty vehicles allows for a more exciting and memorable California driving experience, whether cruising the coast or arriving at a high-profile event.
In deciding what is worth choosing Avis for, the brand's main strengths are its robust infrastructure, comprehensive fleet, and customer-centric benefits like the Avis Preferred service and military discounts. The 24/7 operation and centralized location near LAX make it a logistically sound choice for any flight schedule. However, potential renters must be prepared for the realities of renting from a high-volume airport location. While many customers experience excellent service, reports of chaotic service, prolonged wait times, and issues with receiving the reserved or prepaid vehicle are serious concerns that warrant careful consideration. Customers have cited instances of staff rudeness, vehicle allocation problems (receiving a dirty or damaged car, or a model different from the one booked), and having to deal with multiple vehicle changes, even when a reservation was fully paid. To mitigate these risks, it is highly recommended to join the Avis Preferred program to expedite pickup, meticulously inspect the assigned vehicle for damages before leaving the lot, and confirm that the final paperwork accurately matches the vehicle received, as well as the terms of the booking, to avoid any disputes.
Avis Car Rental Details
Service options
- Onsite services
Highlights
- Active military discounts
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Payments
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- NFC mobile payments
Avis Car Rental Photos










Avis Car Rental Location
Avis Car Rental
5251 W 98th St, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
Avis Car Rental Reviews
LAXcounterprepaidshuttle busqueuebus drivermustanghrpre checklax-it
★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1Be prepared for a long wait at Avis. There was a long line for registration and another for car pickup — it took nearly 2 hours altogether. But when car returnVery convenient location for returning the car — clean toilets and an easy shuttle bus ride to the terminal. Excellent service, especially from this staff member who was very mindful, helpful, and assisted with my luggage while giving clear directions for first-time visitors.
October 11 · JACK SOOO (Jack Soo)Avis completely ruined our rental experience. First, we were given the wrong address to pick up our car. Customer service couldn’t even confirm the correct location. When we finally arrived, the agent was shockingly rude, disrespectful, and unprofessional.Despite having booked, reserved, and fully paid for our car online, she refused to give us the reserved vehicle and initially didn’t want to give us any car at all. We were forced to accept a completely different car that was dirty and had multiple visible damages. To make matters worse, we were then given a third car that didn’t even match the pick-up slip.This is beyond unacceptable. The service was chaotic, disrespectful, and outright hostile. We have never experienced anything this bad with a rental company. Avis has lost our trust completely, and we will never, under any circumstances, book with them again.
September 09 · A DIf you enjoy wasting your time and getting your steps in, Avis is the perfect choice!Love standing in long, slow-moving lines? Avis has you covered! You’ll be treated to a thrilling two-hour experience of waiting — first to see the agent, then to get your car. You’ll be amazed at how they manage to make the simplest process feel like an airport security line during the holidays.Prefer a confusing treasure hunt with your luggage? Great news! After you finally escape the shuttle bus, you’ll get to navigate a maze of elevators and hallways with zero helpful signage, just to end up… back downstairs! Bonus cardio included as you walk in circles trying to figure out where to go next.This magical experience took place on a calm Friday afternoon at LAX. Can’t wait to see how spectacularly bad it gets on a busy day. Five stars — for comedy value only.
July 19 · Coral GuanAwful experience at this location. Over an hour wait in line to retrieve the car. The car was all banged up with damage all around the vehicle. The windows were rolled down when I picked it up and I quickly found out why. Once I got to where I was going with the car, I parked it with the windows up and once we came back out, the car reeked of cigarette smoke. Do not rent from this location, absolutely not worth it.
August 11 · Dustin Goodwin**updated after Avis asked me to email them (see below). Basically I signed it which I did after I told them I don’t need liability, etc so nothing can be done. I get it. But upon reading all the reviews after our trip I saw this happened to so many people and it’s not right.Worst car rental experience ever. We landed in the evening and went straight to get our rental. We rented through Costco an intermediate suv which we always do but ended up with a Buick encore (googled in and it said it was a compact crossover)which was way too small for us for the amount of luggage and passengers we had. We always rent an intermediate suv and as soon as saw the car we knew it couldn’t be what we rented but it was too late to go back upstairs which in itself is a hike. I took a tour of the car and it was all banged up. Had damages in the front, damages all along the doors but what was worst (which we didn’t know until the next day when the sun was out) was the dried snot or whatever green thing that was all over the steering wheel. The car had trash and some dried crusty stuff where the door handles were etc.Also at the counter the guy was talking so fast and asked something along the lines of if we wanted extra liability insurance and I remember clearly saying we have USAA and don’t need anything. He went on to say sign here and there and we were so tired from traveling we thought that was the end of it. Of course we get charged almost 200 more and then on top of it they charge me 9.00 when I returned the car for a missing gallon of gas when they said to fill it to the top which I did. I didn’t know how many gallons were in there but I filled it to the top prior to driving to the airport which is about 20 min away. Never had such a bad experience before and Will never use Avis again.
July 13 · Ellen
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