National Car Rental

Keys hit the counter at National around 8:00 a.m.

National Car Rental at Meadows Field (BFL) sits in the Main terminal complex, serving passengers who want control over their own schedule once they land in Bakersfield. The location is marked as “Other” in airport transport listings, since it’s not a shuttle or taxi stand but an on-site rental counter tied directly to arriving and departing flights.

The National counter operates alongside other rental brands at BFL’s Main terminal, so you handle paperwork right in the airport instead of riding off-site. Returns feed back into the same Main terminal area, which keeps the handoff to airline check-in short and predictable. This setup suits early-morning and late-afternoon flights that cluster in typical business travel bank times at Meadows Field.

Because National is an “Other” ground option at BFL, it’s different from the taxi queue or app-based pickup zones outside the Main terminal doors. You walk from baggage claim to the counter in a few minutes, sign the agreement, and then head to the adjacent rental lot. That short walk inside the Main terminal often beats waiting in a ride-hail zone when multiple flights arrive together.

At a small airport like Meadows Field, National’s on-airport presence in the Main terminal usually means a quick turnaround on both pickup and drop-off, especially when only 1 or 2 flights are on the arrivals board. The rental desks are sized to handle BFL’s traffic, not a huge hub’s, so lines tend to move faster than at big-city facilities that feed 20 or more gates per concourse.

Step-by-step from plane to National Car Rental at BFL

• 1. Deplane at the Main terminal and follow signs to baggage claim.
• 2. Collect checked bags from the single baggage area serving Main terminal flights.
• 3. Walk to the National Car Rental counter in the Main terminal rental zone.
• 4. Present your driver’s license, payment card, and reservation number to the National agent.
• 5. Confirm fuel, mileage, and return-hour terms before leaving the counter.
• 6. Follow airport signs to the National section of the rental car lot just outside the Main terminal.
• 7. Inspect the car for damage, note mileage, and only then exit the lot.
• 8. On return, follow “Rental Car Return” signs back to the Main terminal lot and park in the National row.
• 9. Drop the keys with the National agent or in the designated after-hours box, then walk a few minutes back into the Main terminal for check-in or security.

Build a 15–20 minute buffer at BFL for National returns before a Main terminal departure, especially on Monday mornings or Sunday nights.