National - Anyone read the new T&C?

Haven't had a chance to check the differences with the old version.

They make it almost impossible to easily compare by providing two PDFs.

If someone can manage to diff them I would be grateful.

Haven't had a chance to check the differences with the old version.

I attempted to compare. The only differences I could find were that they removed the change tracking then had in the previous version. The actual content of everything seemed identical. It just looks like they cleaned it up a little bit. I very easily could have missed something though.

The redlined copy makes the changes pretty clear.

As an aside, who knew that miles earning rentals don't qualify towards status? I'm glad I've been selecting rental credits as my rewards.

The free days for exec elites are now only up to luxury class.

The free days for exec elites are now only up to luxury class. that is the big change I got out of it:

Membership Level / Credits Needed for One Rental Day

Emerald Club / 7 (Valid for up to a mid-sized rental vehicle)
Emerald Club Executive / 6 (Valid for up to a full-size rental vehicle)
Emerald Club Executive Elite / 5 (Valid for up to a luxury car rental)

I believe this means that as an Exec Elite that I no longer can reserve a convertible or SUV, if so, I'm pissed at these changes.:mad:

I believe this means that as an Exec Elite that I no longer can reserve a convertible or SUV, if so, I'm pissed at these changes.:mad:WHS. I saw the E-mail today and came here to see what they've taken away from us :rolleyes:

that is the big change I got out of it:

Membership Level / Credits Needed for One Rental Day

Emerald Club / 7 (Valid for up to a mid-sized rental vehicle)
Emerald Club Executive / 6 (Valid for up to a full-size rental vehicle)
Emerald Club Executive Elite / 5 (Valid for up to a luxury car rental)

I believe this means that as an Exec Elite that I no longer can reserve a convertible or SUV, if so, I'm pissed at these changes.:mad:

Well crap. I had planned to use free days for a one-way SUV rental next month when I move into a new house.

That is really disappointing. :(

Basically what national is doing is reducing benefits to their BEST customers. Are these customers really costing them that much money? I would think they make up for the ability to redeem for any vehicle by giving National the most business.

This is unfortunate. Been saving up my free rental days for a convertible on my honeymoon. Booooooooooooooo.

This new restriction on redeeming up to luxury is not new. It was mentioned last year, when the change was made. Previously, a lot of Executive Elites were bragging how they got a free one-way minivan.

Basically what national is doing is reducing benefits to their BEST customers. Are these customers really costing them that much money? I would think they make up for the ability to redeem for any vehicle by giving National the most business.

Yes, they might be. Look at National's typical retail long distance one-way rates. $195/day for a compact, before Emerald Club discount and airport taxes. Midsize is $211/day, fullsize is $243/day, premium $260/day, minivan or large SUV $325/day. Those prices are frequently not competitive, so one might wonder why.

Each city often has just one airport location, unlike Hertz and Avis/Budget, which also have neighborhood stores. This means that National will likely have a small fleet, with higher utilization. This can result in competitive prices for roundtrip, when cars remain available. But they sell out faster in many markets, and probably have little one-way flexibility.

Sure, redeeming a free day one-way means the location loses a car, and National gets nothing. But, it also means it won't happen very often, at least for most renters.

Elites earn free days relatively quickly, might be on lowball corporate flat rate contract plans, and know the best deal is to redeem the free day for the most expensive vehicle for the most expensive one-way rental. So it is possible they get way more value than their business pays for.

here's another excerpt:

Members who choose to earn vehicle rental credits will receive one credit for each vehicle rental (for the first seven (7) days) plus an additional credit on such rental for every four (4) consecutive days of vehicle rentals in the US or Canada.

Each city often has just one airport location, unlike Hertz and Avis/Budget, which also have neighborhood stores.
There's little Enterprise stores everywhere, too, though.

This new restriction on redeeming up to luxury is not new. It was mentioned last year, when the change was made. Previously, a lot of Executive Elites were bragging how they got a free one-way minivan.

It may not be new, but I was able to use free days to rent SUVs one-way last July and last November with no issue.

The website also still states that free days are available for any car type based on availability.

https://www.nationalcar.com/index.do?action=emcIndex.do&type=uszl-withnav-header

There's little Enterprise stores everywhere, too, though.

But their fleet is even tighter. Many times they've had to bring over an economy car from another location when a family member reserved one. Their lot was practically bare, with one or two cars at most, and one coming or going. I've only seen Avis/Budget and Hertz do things like that for larger, specialty vehicles, like SUVs and minivans.

Enterprise neighborhood stores do not offer one-way reservations online, again owing to their higher utilization. If you see out of state cars on Enterprise lots now, it's because National figured out that Enterprise customers with lower rates can tolerate old, high mileage stuff that was retired from the newer, more expensive, National airport fleet.

The redlined copy makes the changes pretty clear.

As an aside, who knew that miles earning rentals don't qualify towards status? I'm glad I've been selecting rental credits as my rewards.

I didn't see a redlined copy;
but, YIKES, thanks for mentioning that miles earnings rentals don't qualify towards status! ALL of my National rentals last year were miles earning rentals ... and I have had two already this year. Whoever came up with this idea must be getting something under the table from EHI's competitors; cause that's where it'll send my business.:(

I just checked, the ability for EE's to reserve any car using free days is still here.

None of the language regarding what free days can be used for changed from the previous version of the T&C to the current version. The old version said that EE's could redeem up to Luxury as well.

I don't know if anyone should expect any changes it practice from National.

I didn't see a redlined copy;
but, YIKES, thanks for mentioning that miles earnings rentals don't qualify towards status! ALL of my National rentals last year were miles earning rentals ... and I have had two already this year. Whoever came up with this idea must be getting something under the table from EHI's competitors; cause that's where it'll send my business.:(

Anyone have a link to the redlined copy?

I believe this means that as an Exec Elite that I no longer can reserve a convertible or SUV, if so, I'm pissed at these changes.:mad:
This will make me extremely cross as well, as that's the main thing I use them for. The difference between Full Size and Luxury is meh, especially when half the time the locations don't have luxury reservable, and want to give you a Regal or a Grand Marquis as a premium. But.... in the past, Luxury was considered >> Premium Crossover, so it things stay the same then I'm fine with it.

As an aside, who knew that miles earning rentals don't qualify towards status? Where do you see that? I couldn't find it in the rules & conditions document.

https://www.nationalcar.com/national/pdfs/nationalEC-ProgramRulesAndConditions-effective-010612_v3.pdf

Where do you see that? I couldn't find it in the rules & conditions document.

https://www.nationalcar.com/national/pdfs/nationalEC-ProgramRulesAndConditions-effective-010612_v3.pdf

Section B4 under qualifying rentals. It is the last line.

Section B4 under qualifying rentals. It is the last line.Thanks! ^ And thanks to dwbf11 for reading that section and alerting us to this policy. ^

National...:td::td::mad:

I just called.
What they told me was that rentals earning airline miles would still count toward status. Still, it wouldn't be the first time that the folks answering the phones were a little behind the curve.
So I sent an email to Emeraldclub at Nationalcar dot com.
If miles earning rentals really no longer count toward status, it will change the amount of business I do in the future with National, as well as how I do business in the future with EHI.

The removal of the ability to use free days for one-way (or even normal, same city) SUV/minivan rentals really takes away from any impetus I have to try to go for exec elite. No real benefit in EE vs. Exec aside from the 6 vs. 5 rentals per free day. Not like most people use the FBO benefit...

Just noticed, instead of giving the contract ID #, it now shows the name of the corp or discount.

Just noticed, instead of giving the contract ID #, it now shows the name of the corp or discount.

Already reported here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/national/1315825-national-car-rental-website.html) and here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/national/851283-new-discount-contract-ids-coupons-thread-56.html#post18044324).

The same is also true on the Alamo website as reported here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other-car-rental-programs-partners-ie-alamo-enterprise/1315974-alamo-now-listing-corp-id.html).