Car rental prices at Chattanooga Airport

For October 2026, booked about a month ahead, a good price for a rental car at Chattanooga Airport is around $59 a day for an Intermediate (a Volkswagen Jetta-sized car). A Compact is $57 a day. In the last 2 weeks before pickup an Intermediate is nearer $58. If your quote is well over these, the price checker will tell you for your exact dates.

At Chattanooga Airport, booking late saves about 42%: an Intermediate averages $96 a day 9 months before your trip compared to $70 in the last 2 weeks. For October 2026 specifically, booking about a month ahead averages $59 a day, dropping to $58 within the final 2 weeks. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 16 days of pickup, so you have not missed out if you are booking close to departure. If your dates are set for November 2026, typical Economy rates reach a low of $67 a day, whereas July 2027 peaks at $109 for a larger executive car.

Budget is the cheapest company at Chattanooga Airport, averaging $58 a day for an Intermediate over the last 12 months from 1,872 prices. For that rate you get a desk inside the terminal, though Budget requires a credit card and holds a typical deposit of $200. National averages $89 a day from 4,618 prices and holds the highest review score at 92/100, while Budget scores 82/100 from 33 reviews. All 5 counters operate directly at the airport, so choosing the cheaper supplier does not involve a shuttle bus.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

National is the best-reviewed company at Chattanooga Airport, scoring 92/100 from 84 reviews, with desk waits averaging 24 minutes. National costs an average of $89 a day for an Intermediate car, such as a mid-size saloon, over the last 12 months. Budget is the lowest-priced supplier at $58 a day and scores 82/100 from 33 reviews, with an average desk wait of 15 minutes. Enterprise scores 90/100 and Avis scores 83/100, but neither company has reached the 30 reviews needed to qualify for a rating.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

At Chattanooga Airport, deposits held on your card range from $200 with Budget to $299 with Avis, and none of the 5 rental companies accept a debit card. Every supplier at the terminal is credit-card-only, so you must present a credit card in the main driver's name to collect a car. You can filter for specific counter rules in our price checker before comparing deals. Any optional extras charged directly at the desk are listed under each vehicle before you confirm.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

The main catch at Chattanooga Airport is the payment policy: all 5 rental desks refuse debit cards and require a credit card in the driver's name. Arriving with only a debit card means leaving without a vehicle, as no on-site supplier allows an exception. While every counter is inside the terminal, desk waiting times vary considerably, stretching from 12 minutes at Alamo up to 24 minutes at National. If you land with a tight meeting schedule along the interstate, that wait can eat into your first hour on the road.

Only 49% of prices at Chattanooga Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

For most trips from Chattanooga Airport, an Intermediate like the Volkswagen Jetta is the best pick, costing about $59 a day in October 2026. It seats 5 people and holds 4 bags, giving you a comfortable highway drive with room for luggage and laptops. If you need less space, a Compact like the Nissan Versa costs $57 a day but holds only 3 bags, while an Economy car like the Mitsubishi Mirage costs $54 for 2 bags. Every car offered across all desks is an automatic, while electric and hybrid models are not available.