Airport desk, self-service fuel station cut wait times

Alphard, RAV4 Hybrid added to lineup

Hotel industry veteran hired to raise service standards

Key vehicles operated at SK Rent-a-Car's Jeju branch. [SK Rent-a-Car]
Key vehicles operated at SK Rent-a-Car's Jeju branch. [SK Rent-a-Car]

SK Rent-a-Car said Friday it will shift vehicle pickup at its Jeju branch to a contactless process by the end of this month, while expanding its premium vehicle lineup and raising customer service standards to improve the experience for Jeju travelers. The company plans to cut wait times after vehicle handover and broaden both vehicle choices and local partnership benefits.

SK Rent-a-Car opened a new branch desk inside Jeju International Airport in September. The desk allows arriving customers to receive vehicle guidance and make on-site reservations immediately upon landing. Staff walk customers through the process from shuttle boarding to vehicle pickup at the branch, and walk-in customers without prior reservations can also book on the spot. A self-service fuel station has been installed at the branch to reduce turnaround time between vehicle return and the subsequent maintenance, refueling and washing cycle.

The vehicle lineup is also expanding. On top of the existing Volvo XC60 and the Hyundai Motor Ioniq 9 added in August, the company will deploy the Toyota Alphard Hybrid and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid this month. Since Sept. 1, the branch has operated about 60 vehicles equipped with Tesla's driver-supervised assisted-driving feature FSD Lite. The company said sales in September, after the feature's introduction, rose 41.2 percent compared with June, before it was introduced.

Customer service standards are also being raised. SK Rent-a-Car has brought in Son Jang-ho, a hotel and resort operations specialist, as the new head of its Jeju business division, with the aim of applying hospitality expertise to the car rental setting. Son previously led the opening and operations of global hotel groups and large integrated resorts, and served as general manager of a resort on Jeju Island. He will oversee all service and operations at the Jeju branch, with a particular focus on strengthening on-site guidance and assistance so that foreign customers can navigate the rental process with ease and confidence.

Local partnerships are expanding as well. The Jeju Drive Pass, launched Sept. 30, bundles benefits from more than 50 affiliated venues on the island — including Aqua Planet Jeju, Snoopy Garden and Ecoland Theme Park — into a single service. Customers can travel around Jeju by rental car while enjoying a range of local attractions.

The initiative extends a series of activities the Jeju branch has pursued since announcing its transformation into a mobility marketing platform in February 2025. SK Rent-a-Car has so far partnered with more than 20 brands, including Kundal, Orion, Paldo, Hollys and O'sulloc, and plans to deepen collaboration with local brands, drawing on the branch's base of more than 1 million customers a year.

"The Jeju branch is the first impression of a Jeju trip and a mobility marketing platform that connects customers with a wide range of brands," Son said. "We will combine a convenient rental process and differentiated vehicles with the attentive service know-how built on hotel and resort floors to create an experience that satisfies both domestic and international tourists." He added that the branch would continue to expand its regional and brand partnerships and aims to give foreign visitors to Korea a warm, memorable first impression of their trip.

Meanwhile, SK Rent-a-Car recently ran its 2026 Summer Internship Program to provide young talent with hands-on work experience and professional development opportunities. Nine interns participated, spending three months working in various operational departments and completing a range of field-based training programs.


eyre@heraldcorp.com