Five on-airport rental brands sit just past XNA’s baggage claim
The Rental Car Shuttle/Walkway at Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) connects you to on-airport counters in the Main terminal, so you don’t deal with off-site lots or long bus rides. After landing, walk from your gate to baggage claim, then follow rental car signs; total walk from most gates to the counters usually runs under 10 minutes, even with a rollaboard.
All rental car counters sit inside the Main terminal on the arrivals level, directly past the baggage claim carousels, so you can collect bags and head straight to the desk in one shot. Vehicle pickup is in the adjacent on-airport garage, reached either by a marked indoor walkway from the terminal or via a short outdoor path that takes just a few minutes on foot.
The shuttle piece comes in if weather turns bad or you have extra luggage: XNA runs a short on-airport shuttle loop between the Main terminal exit and the rental car parking area in the garage. The ride itself is only a few minutes each way, and vehicles load near the terminal curb used for private cars and hotel vans, right outside the arrivals doors.
Expect standard on-airport pricing, often higher than off-airport locations in Bentonville, Rogers, or Fayetteville, but you trade that for saved time on both arrival and departure. Since all rentals are on the field at XNA, you can usually go from plane door to driver’s seat in 20–30 minutes if you checked a bag, or closer to 15 minutes with carry-on only and a short line at the counter.
Step-by-step from plane to rental car:
- 1. Deplane into the Main terminal and follow “Baggage Claim” signs.
- 2. Pick up checked bags at the carousel directly below your gate level.
- 3. Walk to the rental car counters next to baggage claim and check in.
- 4. Exit the terminal at arrivals; follow signs to the rental car garage.
- 5. Either walk the marked path to the garage (a few minutes) or board the on-airport shuttle at the curb.
- 6. Find your assigned stall number in the rental section of the garage and complete the inspection before driving out.
Plan your return so you hit the garage at least 90 minutes before departure; that gives you time to drop the car, walk or shuttle back to the Main terminal, and clear security without rushing.