Skurt is trying a new app-based model for car rentals. (Image: Skurt)

It’s not new for rental car companies to offer a car delivery or customer pick-up service, but it may involve a trip back to their office to handle the paperwork. Now a new entrant in the business is offering a no-paperwork, app-based service that lets renters go directly from the airport terminal into the driver’s seat with no intermediate stops.

It’s called Skurt (www.skurtapp.com), and the only airport where it’s currently available is Los Angeles International. The company recently secured $1.3 million in venture capital financing, and it is targeting San Francisco International as its next location.

Here’s how it works:  When a customer who has booked a car with the app arrives at his destination airport, a company rep will be waiting in the arrivals area holding up a sign with the renter’s name on it, and will take the customer right to the car nearby and hand him the keys. To return the car, the customer drives to Skurt’s LAX location near the airport entrance to pick up a rep who will ride back to the terminal with them and take the car from there.

The company said customers can use their phone to scan the barcode on the back of their driver’s license, verifying their eligibility to rent; the license information is stored, making it easier to book additional rentals in the future.  The minimum age requirement is 21, and Skurt promises roadside assistance if necessary. The Skurt app is currently available only for iPhones.

Skurt doesn’t own its own fleet. Instead, “We currently partner with independent rental car companies to help maximize overall fleet utilization. Our partners consider it another distribution platform for them which allows them to earn on units sitting without potentially affecting their brand,” said Skurt co-founder John Mangel on the website Producthunt.com, which highlights new and innovative companies.

Would you use an app like this to avoid that pain point of a business trip between your airplane seat and your car seat? Please leave your comments below. 

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