Sally French is admittedly forgetful. On a flight to Washington, D.C., the travel expert with NerdWallet left her wallet in an airplane seat pocket. In Croatia, she drove off in a rental car without her passport. When she returned to the counter to retrieve it, the critical document had vanished.
In both predicaments, French knew exactly what not to do: freak out. Instead, she calmly figured out how to recover what she had lost or how to manage without it.
“It doesn’t have to be catastrophic,” she said. “Always be flexible and always have a backup plan.”
When we travel, some items are expendable or easily replaceable; others are more vital and difficult to recover. Without these essentials, we may find ourselves stuck — in a hotel parking lot (lost rental car key), at airport security (missing driver’s license) or in a foreign country (mislaid passport).
However, if you lose a travel essential, don’t despair. There are plenty of workarounds and solutions that will help you to recover your lost item or, at the very least, replace your panic with a sense of calm.
What to do if you lose a rental car key
Gregory Scott, a spokesman for the American Car Rental Association, said the industry does not have a standard lost key policy, but generally you will need to contact the rental car counter or roadside assistance. Depending on the circumstances, the company will hand over a spare key or provide you with a new vehicle if they don’t have an extra key.
Don’t expect an immediate resolution. Europcar Mobility Group, a French car rental company that operates in more than 130 countries, said it can take 24 to 48 hours to receive a replacement key. Scott warned that companies are still struggling with low stock, which could affect your wait time for a new set of wheels.
“They’ll do their best to get you the same or a similar car, but it’s become a big challenge because inventories are very tight,” he said.
In many cases, if you purchased insurance that covers lost keys and emergency assistance, you shouldn’t have any out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, if you are a AAA member, you can arrange a tow back to the rental car lot. Just be sure to inform the company that you are returning the keyless car.
If you opted out of insurance, you will have to pay for roadside help and the duplicate key. Hertz charges a flat fee of $250 for a key replacement.
“Whether they can bring you another key or order another, a fee is involved unless you purchased a protection plan,” Scott said.
Some rental places give customers both keys on a ring. If you have a travel companion, ask the agent to separate the pair, then hand one to your co-pilot for safekeeping.
