Turo Car-Sharing Now Allowed at Vegas Airport, But Arrangement Frustrates Users

Turo, the car-sharing rental platform that’s like Airbnb for vehicles, finally has an official drop-off location at Harry Reid International Airport. On July 16, the Clark County Board of Commissioners approved a two-year permit for Turo to operate in the remote lot across from the Airport Rent-A-Car Center.

Though Clark County approved business licenses two years ago for the San Francisco-based app to do business in Las Vegas,  most of its users, who fly into town, have had no designated airport location to pick up their vehicles.

Most hosts parked their vehicles in one of two economy parking structures and texted their renters where to find them. However, parking at Harry Reid is strictly for people entering and leaving the airport. So some renters found parking tickets waiting on their dashboards.

Users Taken For a Ride?

The new arrangement solves one problem but creates two new ones.

The first is the airport fee added to the experience, which most users value for being cheaper than rental-car companies. That fee is passed on because the Clark County Department of Aviation demanded 10% of the company’s monthly gross Las Vegas revenue in order to be allowed to conduct business at the airport.

In addition, the remote lot is a schlep from the rental shuttle bus stop. Customers must walk to a crosswalk, cross a street, and then double back a few blocks to the remote lot. According to KVVU-TV/Las Vegas, those saddled with heavy bags and/or children in extreme heat routinely jaywalk across dangerous traffic to shorten the walk.

In other cities, Turo hosts are permitted to park their cars in park-and-ride lots and economy structures with no added airport fees.

Vehicle hosts told KVVU that some customers, used to the convenience and low cost of using Turo elsewhere, have canceled their bookings when informed of the situation in Las Vegas.

A spokesperson for the company told the TV station that they have researched host and customers’ concerns and reached out to airport officials with suggestions for improving the experience for all involved.