Picture this: Your plane lands. You collect your baggage and walk bleary-eyed to the car rental counter, groaning as you see the line that snakes around the corner. When you finally make it to the front, you make dreaded small talk with the counter agent while they tap away on a keyboard until, finally, you have keys in hand, and trudge out to your vehicle.

Or how about this.

Avis Now Travel App Review

 

Your plane lands, and you turn your iPhone on. You open up the Avis Now app while the plane taxis, and with a few swipes you have a car reserved before the pilot turns off the fasten seat belt sign. You walk directly to the lot, locate your vehicle, and unlock it using your phone. You cackle as you pull out of the lot, leaving dozens of less savvy travelers in your dust.

This is Avis Now.

Avis’s new mobile app puts customers in the driver’s seat – literally and figuratively—to control every detail of their rental through their smart phones using cutting-edge technology. Book, pickup, and return, all without ever waiting in a line.

Avis Now Travel App Review

Avis Now Travel App Review

Features 

In short, you book, confirm, cancel, and even extend a rental all with a few swipes of the iPhone screen. But that’s just the beginning.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that some of the features in the Avis Now app are going to shake up the car rental industry: they beat everyone to the punch in synching with connected vehicles so that they can be locked and unlocked via the Avis Now app, which is my personal favorite feature. You can even flash the headlights to help find the car if you’re lost.

Avis Now Travel App Review

Once the car is located, you can take it or leave it. If you’ve spontaneously decided to upgrade to an SUV or feel passionately about matching your ride to your snazzy outfit (it happens), swipe and choose a replacement in real time from a view of all vehicles available in the lot at that moment.

Curious to see how it all works? Check out this quick YouTube video highlighting the app’s key features.

Avis Now Travel App Review

Avis Now Travel App Review

Price

The Avis Now app is free — you just need to sign up for an Avis Preferred account to use it, which is also free. Avis Preferred is the Company’s express rental/loyalty program, so you’ll also earn points with each booking which can be redeemed for rental upgrades and optional add-ons.

Avis Now Travel App Review

Room for Improvement

My only complaint? I want to use it even more!

Avis Now was just released in July, and with over 5,000 Avis rental locations in more than 165 countries, it isn’t yet available at all Avis locations – but it is becoming more widely available all the time. Avis Now can currently be used at more than 60 locations across the United States, and gradually will become available in other countries as well. When you’re searching locations in the app, just look for those designated “Avis Preferred,” and you’re good to go.

Avis Now Travel App Review

Avis Now Travel App Review

Conclusion 

I just booked my first road trip using Avis Now, which you’ll hear more about later this month. It was insanely easy and intuitive, and I can’t wait to geek out over unlocking my car with my iPhone! I’m confident I’ll be on the road faster and easier than I ever have been before.

Avis claims this app was “co-created with customers,” and it shows. I feel like while I was sleeping an app developer snuck into my room, scanned my brain, took every frustration I’ve had with a car rental since I first got my license, and found some way to solve it.

Avis Now Travel App Review

In the last year I’ve had a lot of car rental issues that were such hassles and are now made obsolete by the development of this app. Want your rental a few more days? No phone call necessary – just swipe to extend. Don’t like the car you were assigned? No need to wait in line – just swipe for another one.

In the past I have always hesitated to really be loyal to a single car rental agencies and really just gone wherever the best price pointed me. Because frankly? There wasn’t a point of differentiation great enough not to. Now? I kinda think there is.

Pin It!

Avis Now Travel App Review

Avis Now Travel App Review

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Download Avis Now on your Android here and on your iPhone here. I was compensated for my time in reviewing this app.

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16 Comments...
  • Danie
    February 9 2017

    This looks pretty cool. I wish I could have the hours back that I spent in car rental offices…. or waiting outside of them… or the surprise charges… or the guys trying to sell me extra insurance… Will definitely try this.

    • Alex
      February 9 2017

      Oh man, that’s a struggle for me. I’m so bad at resisting sales pitches, I just squirm when they try to push all the add-ons on me! I so look forward to just swiping just yes or no instead!

  • Stephen Schreck
    February 9 2017

    Looks very cool. I love that you gets you out of waiting in lines and into the drivers seat asap! Going to download now.

    • Alex
      February 9 2017

      These days I am clapping my hands for anything that gets me from Point A to Point B faster!

  • Erin
    February 9 2017

    I once rented a car for a week to go to Ottawa. It broke down on the side of the Trans-canada hwy and i had to wait an hour for them to bring me a replacement. I was hoping they would offer a discount seeing as they gave me a car that BROKE DOWN but when I returned it, they actually had the nerve to try to charge me an extra $100 – for the gas!!! LOL I absolutely refused to pay a penny more than I was quoted (at this point didnt bother to ask for a discount) and have not rented a car since LOL

    • Alex
      February 9 2017

      That sounds like a serious hassle — I’ve had my share of disaster stories as well. One or two of them is coming up on the blog soon, actually, so stay tuned for commiseration — ha!

  • Ijana Loss
    February 10 2017

    This sounds fantastic! How do you turn the car on though? I’ve never been brave enough to rent a car and always just suck it up and use all the public transport, but I would totally be willing to try this out.

    • Alex
      February 10 2017

      I believe they are electric start cars with the keys inside! I will clarify with Avis, though 🙂

  • Sarah
    February 12 2017

    Avis are by far my preferred rental car provider worldwide as they’re friendly, reliable (you know what you’re getting) and it’s fab they have airmiles with my preferred airline.I love the idea of extending your booking on their app so will have to download it! Awesome when companies co-create their apps with their customers who will use it too.

    • Alex
      February 15 2017

      Oh awesome! The air miles is a definitely bonus — which airline is that?

      • Sarah
        February 15 2017

        Air New Zealand! I believe they are aligned with Qantas too in my part of the world.

  • Hans
    February 21 2017

    Wow, that does seem handy … will have to download this app and try it out soon!

    • Alex
      February 27 2017

      Let me know what you think of it when you do!

  • Sasha
    February 27 2017

    I love that you said ‘snazzy outfit’. You are my spirit animal!

    • Alex
      February 28 2017

      Ha ha! I’m honored Sasha 😉 Here’s to all the snazzy dressers out there!

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