Travel woes: Travelers waiting in line for hours to get a rental car in Arizona

Arizona has been a top travel destination during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but as the travelers arrive, they are also seeing very long wait times, some up to several hours, for a rental car.

On April 5, FOX 10 spoke with several people as they were waiting in line, and they couldn’t believe how long the process was taking.

"This is going to have to be an hour I think," said one traveler.

"We have been in line for an hour and a half, and I just left my husband, and he has another 1.5 hours before we get our rental," said another traveler.

Many rental car companies are fully booked up. In a statement obtained by FOX 10, officials with Hertz say "due to a surge in travel demand, particularly around peak events like Spring Break, there can be longer than anticipated wait times at some locations."

On top of the increase in travelers, it doesn’t help that suppliers are starting out 2021 with smaller fleets due to the cost-cutting measures that were taken in 2020.

Officials with Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport are encouraging travelers to give themselves plenty of time when flying in and to reserve their rental cars in advance.