What's the value in car rental elite status?

[SYD]

President's Circle - Golden Circle is pineapple juice

Yes. I almost wrote Hertz Pineapple as a joke. They’ve not been showing any love to me trying to get back to 5* let alone El Presendente.

Any joy receiving comp Hertz 5*?

Twice now I’ve tried to register without success complimentary Hertz 5 Star upgrade from the standard Gold Star Rewards. About a year or so ago, I noticed that my NAB Signature VISA card had a 5* offer and discount codes that could be used. I loaded them up and heard nothing. The offer mentioned...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Totally concur with the corp advantage with the big companies.

Edit: and yes, fully insured can be a God send. Motorbike ran into me in Costa Rica. Filled in a form and that was the last I needed to do…

 

[Rich]

Tasmania

No, it was Adelaide airport.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Tasmania seems to get more than it's fair share of questionable damage, claimed well after return. Maybe they're just agencies there.

I have rented 70 cars in Tasmania and received good service every time. (AVIS and HERTZ).

Agencies usually provide a higher level of care - i.e. it's someone's business, despite the flagship name.

I recall using Hertz in Wagga and getting the cleanest car, whereas using the companies at Sydney and Melbourne Airports has been very poorly presented at various times.

 

[dajop]

Is Avis Preferred even a status or just something you can get by filling out the appropriate paperwork? I have Avis preferred from filling out the agreements online years ago and updating credit card and other details from time to time.

It is useful for speed of pickup. Most recent couple of work trips to the US I’ve used Avis I’m conjunction with Amtrak on some day trips and when I get off the train, drop by the counter to pick up the car keys and in my car a few mins later.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Is Avis Preferred even a status or just something you can get by filling out the appropriate paperwork? I have Avis preferred from filling out the agreements online years ago and updating credit card and other details from time to time.

It is useful for speed of pickup. Most recent couple of work trips to the US I’ve used Avis I’m conjunction with Amtrak on some day trips and when I get off the train, drop by the counter to pick up the car keys and in my car a few mins later.

Vanilla preferred isn’t a status as such.
Doesn’t need to be earned or comped.

 

[dajop]

Vanilla preferred isn’t a status as such.
Doesn’t need to be earned or comped.

That's exactly what I thought. So @Mattg is that what you are talking about that or are you talking about the tiers that some car rental co's have based on volume of business? If the latter, then no, never have bothered. In the past I think I had status with Hertz, but it was purely a function of lots of work travel and being required to rent from a particular car hire firm.

 

[SYD]

That's exactly what I thought. So @Mattg is that what you are talking about that or are you talking about the tiers that some car rental co's have based on volume of business? If the latter, then no, never have bothered. In the past I think I had status with Hertz, but it was purely a function of lots of work travel and being required to rent from a particular car hire firm.

Pretty sure that my Avis Preferred “Wizard Number” was setup linked to a corporate ID (and Hertz before that) which seemed to bestow some additional benefits in between Joe Blogs signing up for online account and a higher tier based on rental history/spend.

As mentioned earlier, the AWDs, CDPs etc can also bestow some benefits as well. I have a collection of codes across Avis, Hertz and Europcar that I check when booking for leisure travel. It’s remarkable the range in prices for more or less the same car in different regions. Especially oneway hires.

Bottom line, it’s a bit like Hotel programs. You can have zip status but because you‘re a “member“ and you’re in the system, you might still get a special welcome and bonus treatment.

 

[drron]

My Avis preferred wizard number + CPD was through the RACP. Pre covid even if renting Avis in Australia I nearly always booked through the UK site and occasionally the US site as they were cheaper than using the Australian site. Indeed not putting your wizard number in on the Australian site often got a cheaper rate.

 

[Princess Fiona]

My Avis preferred wizard number + CPD was through the RACP. Pre covid even if renting Avis in Australia I nearly always booked through the UK site and occasionally the US site as they were cheaper than using the Australian site. Indeed not putting your wizard number in on the Australian site often got a cheaper rate.

I don’t know about the RACP code but my code booked through the Aussie site on my PC log in is always far cheaper than anything I can get elsewhere.

Back a few years ago the Avis BA site was pretty decent but no longer.

 

[Sprucegoose]

They’ve not been showing any love to me trying to get back to 5* let alone El Presendente.

There are ways and means, not necessarily through the published path.

 

[andye]

I used to use Europcar enough to get status (following VA comp). The upgrades were pretty good then but they revamped the upgrade rules several years back to only ok. The main advantage was free extra driver

 

[Sprucegoose]

That's exactly what I thought. So @Mattg is that what you are talking about that or are you talking about the tiers that some car rental co's have based on volume of business? If the latter, then no, never have bothered. In the past I think I had status with Hertz, but it was purely a function of lots of work travel and being required to rent from a particular car hire firm.

You can achieve those tiers in conjunction with other promotions, I have a few cards that entitle me to PC/5*, and my QF qualification provides PC something with Avis without doing a certain number of rentals. The OP noted the minimal car rentals per year hence the title of the post.

But you know life can change quickly!

 

[drron]

I don’t know about the RACP code but my code booked through the Aussie site on my PC log in is always far cheaper than anything I can get elsewhere.

Back a few years ago the Avis BA site was pretty decent but no longer.

I did say pre covid but it was often cheaper until ~ 2018. though also having my VPN set as Manchester might help to. I seem to get quicker responses from BA after I did this ` 5 years ago.

 

[Brissy1]

Pretty sure that my Avis Preferred “Wizard Number” was setup linked to a corporate ID (and Hertz before that) which seemed to bestow some additional benefits in between Joe Blogs signing up for online account and a higher tier based on rental history/spend.

As mentioned earlier, the AWDs, CDPs etc can also bestow some benefits as well. I have a collection of codes across Avis, Hertz and Europcar that I check when booking for leisure travel. It’s remarkable the range in prices for more or less the same car in different regions. Especially oneway hires.

Bottom line, it’s a bit like Hotel programs. You can have zip status but because you‘re a “member“ and you’re in the system, you might still get a special welcome and bonus treatment.

Yes, additional benefits. My standard excess is very low booking via Avis Preferred and Wizard Number (less than my own private car). Although I think probably associated with the wizard number not avis Preferred.

 

[Quickstatus]

Indeed not putting your wizard number in on the Australian site often got a cheaper rate.

Thats what I often found when I have 2 windows opened - one with the (medical college/association) Wizard or the Hertz equivalent CDP on one window and a 2nd window without any CDP equivalent code.

The best benefit is "direct to car" bypassing the rental car office checkin. But thats not a benefit of any special status or CDP/AWD but just having an account with the rental company - CC, DL, optional insurance preferences.

I would rather get the vehicle of my choice rather than an upgrade because I choose my vehicles carefully and an upgrade is not necessarily better
Once when in the US I rented a 4WD Chevy Suburban, but was "upgraded" to a GMC Yukon with what i called "luxury pack" - the Denali or something. Both are massive vehicles. However the Yukon was slightly smaller in terms of cargo space - which i knew of beforehand. So I went back to the office to request the lower grade Suburban. The attendant said but the Yukon is a much better vehicle. I said its no good because it won't hold all the gear that I got.

A Yukon is not big enough for a Family of 5 with 500kg luggage including skis and carry on

 

[drron]

Agree totally @Quickstatus . I book the car I am happy with. I remember at Avis MIA instead of my car space it had go to office - at least it was a preferred driver office. Told they had given me a great upgrade instead of a full size booked. It was a red Corvette. Great when I was young but neither I nor our luggage would fit in it. So back to the office it was.

 

[Quickstatus]

red Corvette

It's a tighter fit than a LCC Y seat and no headroom

 

[VPS]

I’ve got Hertz President’s Circle and am pretty happy with them. Nearly always get an upgrade in Australia and often a double upgrade and like others have said I love just bypassing the counters and walking out to the car park and going. I have found that since Covid they often have no cars at some destinations so I do sometimes use Avis but Europcar are on my banned list. I recently just joined Sixt and got an instant SM to their highest tier but haven’t yet had the chance to book anything with them to see what they are like. Hertz has looked after us in NZ a few times so I’ve booked again with them in a few weeks

I got a SM with Sixt and recently rented from them in BHX and they wanted me to insure the whole cost of the car not the excess so my cheaper rental ended up costing me more. I had a bit of an issue because I didn't have my passport so didn't want to complain and haven't had a chance to follow this up.

 

[gilldo]

Some of the loyalty programs have benefits we don't always take into account.

Many overseas outlets like to charge for a second driver (one of the most unsafe things to do to a renter), and in the US this often amounts to US$13-14 p/d for EVERY day of your rental.

Thrify will often allow a spouse to drive the car if you are a Thrifty Blue Chip member - no actual status required

 

[Chalkie]

Agree totally @Quickstatus . I book the car I am happy with. I remember at Avis MIA instead of my car space it had go to office - at least it was a preferred driver office. Told they had given me a great upgrade instead of a full size booked. It was a red Corvette. Great when I was young but neither I nor our luggage would fit in it. So back to the office it was.

I've lost count of the number of the times I've rejected an upgrade to a convertible in the US with Hertz and Avis, for the reason that they wouldn't fit our luggage.

Like you, I choose my rental cars carefully for the circumstances of travel. I can't think of a time where an "upgrade" has been welcome.