National/ Alamo FAQs and Questions
#842
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: uk
Posts: 20
So today we hit 41,000 which is when the service is due & still another 8 day's left on the rental. As we were stopping the night in Charlotte, we decided to call at the airport rentals.
We arrived at about 7.30, spoke to a clerk in the parking lot, he asked what car we had & straight away said to swap. It only took a couple of minutes before another guy came & said that he would bring a impala round. As I know the still run old shapes, I asked if it is the new shape & he said it would be.
So a few minutes later and a new impala arrives, there was no rushing us to empty the 300. They did struggle doing the swap over paperwork. But that's just technology for you.
The impala is better speced than the 300, reversing camera, lane detection & looks like working sat nav but have not tried yet
We pulled in next to national & there lot seemed pretty well full with a good mix.
All in another good experience with alamo.
We arrived at about 7.30, spoke to a clerk in the parking lot, he asked what car we had & straight away said to swap. It only took a couple of minutes before another guy came & said that he would bring a impala round. As I know the still run old shapes, I asked if it is the new shape & he said it would be.
So a few minutes later and a new impala arrives, there was no rushing us to empty the 300. They did struggle doing the swap over paperwork. But that's just technology for you.
The impala is better speced than the 300, reversing camera, lane detection & looks like working sat nav but have not tried yet
We pulled in next to national & there lot seemed pretty well full with a good mix.
All in another good experience with alamo.
#843
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: IAH/HOU
Programs: Priceline Blood Diamond Elite. Peon on DL, AA, UA, US, and WN.
Posts: 7,236
Anyone have any National 2016 coupon codes they could please PM me? I know there are a few out there. I can't seem to find them on teh googles.
#844
Moderator: National Car
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SE MI
Programs: Delta PM, National EE, Hertz PC, Hilton DM
Posts: 2,168
The Entertainment Book is like $10. If you use the coupon for a free weekend day once you've already paid for the entire book.
#845
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: IAH/HOU
Programs: Priceline Blood Diamond Elite. Peon on DL, AA, UA, US, and WN.
Posts: 7,236
#847
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 3
Booking through 3rd parties
I have executive status through my amex plat card. I'm wanting to book with national and wondering if I book through a third party site (such as Chase's Ultimate Rewards site), will I be able to take advantage of the executive benefits--either the "free" upgrade or Executive Aisle?
In other words, say I book a full-size rental through the Chase site, can I get a premium car or use the executive aisle? Or do I have to book directly through National?
In other words, say I book a full-size rental through the Chase site, can I get a premium car or use the executive aisle? Or do I have to book directly through National?
#848
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,666
If Chase offers a place to enter in your Emerald number then the answer is yes. If they do not, then you'll have to call National after booking to get your number applied (if they are even able to do it). Failing that, you could stop at the rental counter and have them apply your Emerald number at that time. In any case, you should still be able to take advantage of your status. It's just a matter of when you are able to get your Emerald number attached to the reservation.
#849
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 3
If Chase offers a place to enter in your Emerald number then the answer is yes. If they do not, then you'll have to call National after booking to get your number applied (if they are even able to do it). Failing that, you could stop at the rental counter and have them apply your Emerald number at that time. In any case, you should still be able to take advantage of your status. It's just a matter of when you are able to get your Emerald number attached to the reservation.
#850
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 31
Completely new to National (and renting cars in the US, period). How much room is there to negotiate rates for upgrades at the counter?
I'm renting at TUS, which is a non-aisle location. I'd be happy with a compact, but obviously I would like to get an upgrade to something nicer (within reason). Everywhere I've read it says "book the cheapest rate and negotiate at the counter if you want an upgrade", but I don't know if the same applies to National.
So, should I book the compact category and try an upgrade to negotiate at rental time: is there any benefit to booking a midsize (or nicer) at a counter location? Would be picking it up fairly early on a Friday morning.
For what it's worth, I did sign up for Emerald Club and use a contract code (which the legacy site would add to my booking anyway) for renters who live in Asia renting a car in the US. That contract includes the CDW, which I would need to get anyway.
I'm renting at TUS, which is a non-aisle location. I'd be happy with a compact, but obviously I would like to get an upgrade to something nicer (within reason). Everywhere I've read it says "book the cheapest rate and negotiate at the counter if you want an upgrade", but I don't know if the same applies to National.
So, should I book the compact category and try an upgrade to negotiate at rental time: is there any benefit to booking a midsize (or nicer) at a counter location? Would be picking it up fairly early on a Friday morning.
For what it's worth, I did sign up for Emerald Club and use a contract code (which the legacy site would add to my booking anyway) for renters who live in Asia renting a car in the US. That contract includes the CDW, which I would need to get anyway.
#851
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
Completely new to National (and renting cars in the US, period). How much room is there to negotiate rates for upgrades at the counter?
I'm renting at TUS, which is a non-aisle location. I'd be happy with a compact, but obviously I would like to get an upgrade to something nicer (within reason). Everywhere I've read it says "book the cheapest rate and negotiate at the counter if you want an upgrade", but I don't know if the same applies to National.
So, should I book the compact category and try an upgrade to negotiate at rental time: is there any benefit to booking a midsize (or nicer) at a counter location? Would be picking it up fairly early on a Friday morning.
I'm renting at TUS, which is a non-aisle location. I'd be happy with a compact, but obviously I would like to get an upgrade to something nicer (within reason). Everywhere I've read it says "book the cheapest rate and negotiate at the counter if you want an upgrade", but I don't know if the same applies to National.
So, should I book the compact category and try an upgrade to negotiate at rental time: is there any benefit to booking a midsize (or nicer) at a counter location? Would be picking it up fairly early on a Friday morning.
OTOH, a counter upgrade of less than $5/day is not even worth the rental agent's time. Figure that the agent is on a 10% commission tier (could be more, could be less, depends on the company, location, and agent's performance)--at $14/wk, a one-class upgrade just earned the agent a whopping $1.40. That's a rounding error in the agent's commission check. $5/day is the bare minimum I've ever seen/negotiated with a rental agent at a rental company/location that doesn't really push sales; rental counter sales consulting firms recommend even higher numbers as minimums.
The sweet spot for counter upgrades is not in compact-to-midsize rates; it's in those places where an advance upgrade might be overpriced. For example, in my above MCO rental, upgrading from a compact car to a luxury car would cause the rate to jump from $232/wk to $420/wk--a jump of $188, or $27/day. If you can negotiate with the counter agent to get it for $15/day (not at all unlikely), then you're money ahead. Or, if you're in a fullsize for $274/wk and want a Premium SUV (Suburban) for $716/wk, there's a very good chance you can negotiate that to much less than the $63/day difference reserved in advance (you might be able to get it for $30-40/day).
When rental agents are used to and seeking big double-digit numbers for daily upgrades, you can see why a $2/day upgrade is not even worth it for them.
That all said, here's some general advice for upgrades: the biggest key to getting a good price on an upgrade is to look just interested enough in the bigger vehicle to let the agent know you're open but to give the impression that price is a major road-block. Phrases like, "I wouldn't mind driving something a little nicer, but I can't afford to pay any more than my current price," etc., work to give the agent that impression. When the agent names a (high) price, a look of surprise/panic, followed by a refusal based on price--"Yikes--I do like the Buick, but I can't spend nearly that much"--should make the rental agent adjust his/her pricing to something much more palatable. After that, you can even try something like, "That's still a bit too much--is there any way you can drop it down with a AAA[/Costco/airline/hotel/whatever] discount?" (the type of discount doesn't matter--it just gives the rental agent the further impression that you're very price sensitive and also gives them a convenient excuse to drop the price even more without looking like he/she is just setting the price arbitrarily, which he/she is). You can even maybe say something like, "I'm really looking for like a maximum of a couple dollars a day," and the rental agent might then counter with something between $5-10, which you might accept if the upgrade is worth it. Just some general advice from years of experience on both sides of the counter.
Last edited by jackal; Nov 24, 2015 at 8:04 pm
#852
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 31
jackal - thanks for the advice! For a compact my three-day rental costs $260. (Blame the CDW.) Going to a Premium would up the cost to $386. Since it's a $42 a day jump, I should try for something in the $15-20 a day range? (Would the fact that I'm on a relatively high per-day rate help or hurt, or is that something the agent would even see?
#853
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
jackal - thanks for the advice! For a compact my three-day rental costs $260. (Blame the CDW.) Going to a Premium would up the cost to $386. Since it's a $42 a day jump, I should try for something in the $15-20 a day range? (Would the fact that I'm on a relatively high per-day rate help or hurt, or is that something the agent would even see?
It's all very fluid and nothing is guaranteed, but everything is worth a try.
#854
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 61
Tried a Google search and also looked in the FAQs, but couldn't find any info on it. I am a National Exec member but have an Alamo rental coming up. Would my Exec privileges work with that contract (ie. Pick from the ES aisle, free upgrade, etc).
Second question was would my Alamo rental quality for the Rent-rent reward?
Thanks in advance!
Second question was would my Alamo rental quality for the Rent-rent reward?
Thanks in advance!
#855
Moderator: National Car
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SE MI
Programs: Delta PM, National EE, Hertz PC, Hilton DM
Posts: 2,168
Tried a Google search and also looked in the FAQs, but couldn't find any info on it. I am a National Exec member but have an Alamo rental coming up. Would my Exec privileges work with that contract (ie. Pick from the ES aisle, free upgrade, etc).
Nope.
Second question was would my Alamo rental quality for the Rent-rent reward?
Nope.
Thanks in advance!
Nope.
Second question was would my Alamo rental quality for the Rent-rent reward?
Nope.
Thanks in advance!