Adding airport pickups to your rental business

Airport pickups pay 40-80% more per day than walk-in rentals and book two weeks in advance. Here's what it takes to start one.

What customers actually pay for:

1. On-time arrival. A late driver at an international arrival hall is a lost customer and a refund. Aim for 15 minutes before the stated flight time, every time. Delay? Proactive call.
2. Car cleanliness. Business travellers coming off a 10-hour flight notice lint on the floor mat. Detail between every airport rental.
3. A known, named driver. Not "a guy from our pool". The same driver, who knows the customer's name, and a photo sent in advance.
4. A clear handover. Receipt, photo of odometer + fuel gauge, WhatsApp of each.

The pricing. Don't bundle driver + car at a flat rate. Break it out: car rate + driver rate + airport surcharge. That way you stay competitive on the car and keep the margin on the labour.

Where it gets real:

• Flight tracking. Customers give you a flight number. If you don't have a flight-status integration (or at least a staff member who runs the PIA flight tracker every hour), your on-time rate cratures to 60%.
• Car availability. Never commit to an airport pickup without a confirmed car for the return window. A customer stranded at the airport is a ruined reputation.
• Cash at the airport. Some international customers don't have local cash. Accept JazzCash, Easypaisa, and a card machine. Stripe if they're on a foreign card. Never turn a pickup away because of a payment method.

The first month's mistake. Most operators take ten airport bookings with no extra resources and run their staff into the ground. Dedicate one car + one driver to airport pickups only. Prove the unit economics. Scale from there.