Denver Air Connection flyers line up here for on-airport wheels
The Hertz counter sits inside Terminal T at San Luis Valley Regional (ALS), a short walk from arrivals and baggage claim, so there’s no shuttle and no waiting for a bus that never shows. Cars are parked on-airport, which pairs neatly with Denver Air Connection’s daytime flights for anyone who wants a national-brand rental without leaving the field.
Hours are tight: the desk opens Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:30–12:30 and again from 14:30–18:30, and it stays completely closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. If your flight lands outside those two daily windows, you either move flights, book another company, or use an in-town location instead.
Figure your total “airport to driver’s seat” time at around 15–25 minutes during those open blocks: 5 minutes to walk from the single ALS gate to the counter in Terminal T, 5–10 minutes for paperwork if you booked ahead, and another 5–10 minutes to walk to the on-site lot and inspect the car before leaving Highway 160.
Pricing swings with dates and inventory, but recent searches through KAYAK and QEEQ show Hertz ALS often running in the same band as other small-market Colorado locations, with compact and midsize rates typically under big-city airport pricing but above what you’d pay at a larger Denver-area neighborhood branch. Check your specific Sunday/Monday/Thursday/Friday pickup times against those 10:30 and 14:30 openings to avoid paying a full day for a car you can’t collect.
What regulars actually do: locals in Alamosa Facebook groups point people to Quest Car Rental at Alamosa Airport and to in-town Enterprise and Hertz branches, since those neighborhood locations keep more standard hours and can be easier to work with if you roll in on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. Some visitors pre-book a city location and arrange their own 5–10 mile ride from ALS instead of betting on the limited airport desk.
Watch out for corporate-level issues: frequent renters on r/TravelHacks complain about post-rental billing disputes and aggressive damage claims from Hertz, plus long phone hold times when something goes sideways, which can sting when ALS only has a handful of daily Denver Air Connection flights. At this station, that means you want timestamped photos of all four sides of the car, the roof, and interior before you leave the on-airport lot.
Final tip: build some buffer on your return and aim to bring the car back at least 60 minutes before your Denver Air Connection departure within that 14:30–18:30 afternoon window, so you can close the contract at the Terminal T counter, grab your boarding pass, and still walk back through ALS security without rushing.