Hertz - #Club Points

Can someone explain what these are? I can't find any mention of them on the web site.

Is it better to get them, or FF miles. How many points are needed for an award. It says you can transfer them to FF accouts.... at what ratio?

Thanks!

http://www.hertz.com/clubs_06/no1gold/index.html

My personal preference is to take the #1 Club Points (a.k.a. ZE1 points in the Hertz system) on most rentals. Exception would be 1-2 day rentals, where I take 500 MR points instead.

Earning FF miles through Hertz (whether directly or through ZE1 conversions) is a rotten deal in most cases. (I'm sure there are exceptions, but I've never had a rental where taking FF miles made sense.)

$600 spent = 600 ZE1 points = 1 Free Day in a full-size. The 1 Free Day certificates can be used standalone (great deal if you need a car for 1 day and discount rates are unavailable). Or you can earn more points for longer rentals, specialty cars, etc. Loosely calling the 1 Free Day certificate to be $40, the ZE1 points come out to be worth about 6 or 7 cents each. Much better to earn 30 of these points each day than 50 FF miles.

Of course, this assumes that you have a need for Free Rental Car days in situations where you'd otherwise be stuck paying $40/day for a car. If you are a weekend renter or a weekly renter only, you won't get quite the bang for the point, but it's still a better deal than FF miles.

For a month long rental should I get Airline/Hotel FF points or points?

Personally, I use Amtrak as a partner. You get 50 Amtrak points/per day of Hertz rental.

Just used 3300 ZE1 points in Hawaii for a free week. If you only rent a day at a time it is better to take miles. For longer rentals take the points and watch for the specials. Last fall they had a triple point promotion, boy did they add up fast. :-)

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by westcoastman:
For a month long rental should I get Airline/Hotel FF points or points?</font>

Long rental: as long as you value free rentals, take the points. Unless there are really sweet FF mile bonuses, it's unlikely that you will beat the value of the ZE1 points.

Definitely take the points. You can also use them to top up FF accounts from airlines, hotels, etc.

Most air/hotel programs have very restrictive rental car awards and as we all know, the cost of a car can really add up when on vacation in certain areas. I used a free day last year in LA and still got upgraded to an SUV. Total cost of rental - $0.35 for some silly tax.

I've had a Grand Cherokee, an Explorer and a Millenia for a week using 3300 points, per week. I also used the double and triple mile promotions last year to build up points.

Budget has a similar program, with a point offered for each dollar spent. They will also double your points when you make the reservation on the web site. Any type of match or bonus through Hertz? I travel weekly, usually one rental per week, for 3-4 days each. With the current bankruptcy filing by Budget, I want to be ready in case that I get up one morning, and they have decided to close down and liquidate. I realize there is not a high liklihood of this occuring, but always like to have plans, just in case.

One thing I noticed when I switched to ZE1 points a few months ago, I started to get free rental coupons in the mail.

[This message has been edited by ds4217 (edited 09-24-2002).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by westcoastman:
For a month long rental should I get Airline/Hotel FF points or points?</font>

I would switch back and forth regularly between AVIS, Hertz and Budget, taking the 1,000 VF points offered per rental. If you never earn enough VF points for a free flights, you can always transfer these points to HHonors for free hotel nights.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ds4217:
One thing I noticed when I switched to ZE1 points a few months ago, I started to get free rental coupons in the mail.</font>

I switched back in March - actually called CS and had ZE1 put in my file as a permanent award choice. Well, being quite busy this year I never checked my account to see how my balance was coming along. Imagine my GASP! this morning when I checked and found out that I have accumulated exactly ZERO points so far this year! Not only is ZE1 in my personal record, but I have also checked the Hz rewards points in each rental I've made on-line.

Anyone have any ideas why this could have happened? I'll be contacting CS this week to request it be cleared up and points awarded for rentals made since I modified my account award choice.

GMF

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by goldmedallionflyer:
I switched back in March - actually called CS and had ZE1 put in my file as a permanent award choice. Well, being quite busy this year I never checked my account to see how my balance was coming along. Imagine my GASP! this morning when I checked and found out that I have accumulated exactly ZERO points so far this year! Not only is ZE1 in my personal record, but I have also checked the Hz rewards points in each rental I've made on-line.

Anyone have any ideas why this could have happened? I'll be contacting CS this week to request it be cleared up and points awarded for rentals made since I modified my account award choice.

GMF</font>

You have to be very vigilant. Even though ZE1 has been in my profile for 2 years, I still double check *every* recepit to ensure it says "FF ZE1" on it. Sometimes my travel agency puts my UA mileage # on it, thinking they are helping me out. I tell Hertz "Nay" and replace it with the ZE1.

Also, I've had to call Hertz every 3 months to ensure ZE1 is still in my profile. It seems like every few months or so it disappears from my profile as if it was abducted by a UFO in the middle of the night. I've had the (dis)pleasure of adding it back on when this is the case.

Yea, ZE1 could be more efficient...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by goldmedallionflyer:
Imagine my GASP! this morning when I checked and found out that I have accumulated exactly ZERO points so far this year! Not only is ZE1 in my personal record, but I have also checked the Hz rewards points in each rental I've made on-line.

Anyone have any ideas why this could have happened? I'll be contacting CS this week to request it be cleared up and points awarded for rentals made since I modified my account award choice.

GMF</font>


Do you rent through your company with a special corporate rate? I tried to collect some Hz points on rental earlier this year but they never showed up in my account. The receipt shows "FF ZE1" but nothing got deposited. Apparently it was corporate policy that company rental could not accrue Hz points. They don't seem to mind if I collect airline miles, but the Hz points are forbidden. Perhaps you are also in the same boat?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by yashan:

Do you rent through your company with a special corporate rate? I tried to collect some Hz points on rental earlier this year but they never showed up in my account. The receipt shows "FF ZE1" but nothing got deposited. Apparently it was corporate policy that company rental could not accrue Hz points. They don't seem to mind if I collect airline miles, but the Hz points are forbidden. Perhaps you are also in the same boat?

</font>

Heck, I rent w/ corporate rates all the time. Never stopped me from getting ZE1 points. Don't assume you can't get points. Read the fine print if you think so.