Five to ten minutes from Main Terminal exit to Avis keys
Avis Shuttle at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth (BHM) runs between the Main Terminal and the consolidated rental facility beside the parking decks, mainly serving business travelers and Avis Preferred regulars. In normal traffic, you’re looking at roughly 5–10 minutes from baggage claim doors to sitting in your rental car, including the short ride over.
The shuttle loops all day, timed loosely around flight banks, so you won’t see an exact “every 7 minutes” promise posted. When multiple flights hit at once in the afternoon bank, flyers on FlyerTalk report short waits as shuttles fill, but the actual drive is just a few minutes because the facility sits directly adjacent to the airport parking structures.
Avis uses the consolidated rental car facility next to the parking decks, so once you exit the Main Terminal at BHM, you either walk the signed path or board the Avis Shuttle/people-mover near baggage claim. Signage points you toward the rental car area, where all the majors, including Avis, line up their vehicles in clearly marked rows.
Regular Avis Preferred renters often skip the main counter completely and head straight to the signed Avis area at the rental facility. Their name and car space number are usually posted on the board, which cuts interaction down to scanning a license and rolling out. That’s one of the few ways to keep the total terminal-to-car time under the low end of that 5-minute estimate.
Step-by-step: using the Avis Shuttle at BHM
- 1. Deplane and reach baggage claim: Follow signs to baggage claim in the Main Terminal; most arrivals funnel down one level.
- 2. Follow “Rental Cars” signs: Look for overhead signs pointing to the consolidated rental car facility and parking decks directly outside the terminal.
- 3. Decide: walk or shuttle: From the terminal exit doors, either follow the marked walking route to the facility or wait at the shuttle stop for the Avis Shuttle/people-mover.
- 4. Ride the shuttle: Board with your bags; the ride to the rental facility typically takes only a few minutes because it’s on airport property next to the decks.
- 5. Head to Avis: Inside the facility, follow Avis signs to either the counter (for standard rentals) or straight to the lot (for Avis Preferred).
- 6. Pick up the car: Confirm your reservation, inspect the vehicle in the assigned stall, and photograph mileage and fuel level before driving out.
One tip: If you land during a heavy afternoon bank, skip dawdling in the terminal; head straight to the Avis Shuttle stop to beat the rush and grab the first departing bus.