Cancel, Change or Extend a Car Rental in Dubai

You can cancel an ALKA car rental in Dubai as long as your cancellation reaches us at least 24 hours before the agreed pickup time; where a refund applies, it is returned to your original payment method, normally within 7 to 10 business days. To extend a rental, contact the concierge before your return time: an extension depends on availability, a valid deposit hold and payment for the additional period, and is confirmed in writing.

Changes of date or vehicle before pickup are handled by the concierge, subject to availability. This guide explains how each of these works, and what to keep in mind so that a change of plan stays simple.

Cancelling a reservation: the 24-hour rule

Cancellation must reach us at least 24 hours before the agreed pickup time. The cutoff is measured from the pickup time in your booking rather than from your flight, so if the car is due at your hotel at ten in the morning, your cancellation needs to reach us by ten the morning before.

Beyond that rule, cancellation and no-show terms depend on the vehicle class and, where the car is supplied by a partner operator, on that operator's terms. Any further terms that apply to your rental are shown before you pay and repeated in your booking confirmation, so that confirmation is the first place to look. The complete conditions are set out in our rental terms.

We suggest sending a cancellation in writing, to reservations@alkarentacar.com or through the contact page, so that there is a clear record of when it reached us.

When a refund applies, and how long it takes

Eligible refunds are returned to the original payment method, normally within 7 to 10 business days. Which amounts are refundable follows the terms for your rental, as shown before you paid and repeated in your booking confirmation.

Occasionally a cancellation comes from our side. A booking may be cancelled where identity verification fails, where the deposit cannot be secured, where the documents presented do not match the booking, or where there is a reasonable suspicion of fraud or of a risk to the vehicle or to people. Where we cancel without fault on your part, we refund the amounts paid for that booking.

The security deposit is a separate matter. It is a pre-authorisation hold on your card rather than a payment, and its release is controlled by your bank. Our guide to the car rental security deposit in Dubai explains how the hold works.

Changing your dates or car before pickup

Not every change of plan calls for a cancellation. Date or vehicle changes are handled by the concierge, subject to availability, and a few conditions are worth checking when you ask:

• New dates still follow the minimum rental period of 2 days, and a rental day runs 24 hours from handover.
• The final quote is confirmed at reservation, so ask the concierge to confirm the quote for your new dates or car.
• The security deposit depends on the vehicle class, and some classes require a higher minimum driver age, so a move to a different class of car is worth checking against both.
• An additional driver must be added to the insurance policy at the start of the rental and cannot be added once it has begun. If someone else will now share the driving, arrange it before pickup; our guide to minimum age and additional drivers sets out the requirements.
• Delivery is complimentary anywhere in Dubai, while delivery to other emirates may carry a fee. A return to a different address in Dubai can be arranged, and airport returns carry a minimum drop-off fee confirmed before the rental starts.

Extending a rental that has already started

If you would like to keep the car longer, contact the concierge before your return time and wait for written confirmation. An extension depends on three things:

• Availability: the car has to be free for the additional days.
• A valid deposit hold: the rental terms allow a further hold, or an increase in the deposit, when a rental is extended.
• Payment for the additional period.

Because availability decides the matter, it is worth asking as soon as you know your plans have changed rather than on your final afternoon. An extension also cannot be used to add a new driver, since drivers cannot be added once the rental has begun.

Returning early, returning late or not collecting

If you return the car early, the rental period already booked remains payable unless your booking confirmation states otherwise, because the vehicle was withdrawn from availability for that period. It is therefore worth setting your dates with care at the outset.

If you do not collect the vehicle within the period stated in your booking confirmation and have not told us, the booking is treated as a no-show and the applicable charge is retained. If your plans change, let the concierge know rather than simply not appearing. For the end of the rental itself, see our guide to returning a rental car in Dubai.

How to ask for a change

A change is easiest to confirm when your message includes the name on the booking, your current dates, what you would like to change and, for new dates or an extension, the times you have in mind. The concierge replies in English, German, Turkish and Arabic.

If your plans have shifted, or you would simply like to understand the terms for your rental before you travel, our concierge will be glad to help. Write to reservations@alkarentacar.com or get in touch through our contact page.