UA MileagePlus Club Card - Losing Avis Presidents Club in 2013
Looks like the UA Club Card is dropping the benefit from Avis Presidents Club down to Avis First. Not sure how this might impact Presidential Plus cardholders.
An important change in the Avis benefits available to you through your United MileagePlus® Club Card is on its way. Beginning January 28th, the benefit available to United Club cardholders will change from Avis President's Club to Avis First®. Existing Avis President's Club members will be changed to Avis First on April 1st, 2013.
Anyone have any other info or know who to complain to? Best I can think of is to have Hertz or National status-match and take business there.
Programs: UA 1K MM, HH Diamond, National Exec Elite, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 3,324
Welcome bcbrz!
As for the benefit loss, I give this a big fat stinking... meh. I just can't get worked up over it. I used to be an Avis guy but have grown to love National's pick-your-own-car system and the Executive Aisle choose-your-own-upgrade. As an Exec Elite I get to rent luxury cars with my free days. I thought of registering with Avis to try President's Club (I've been Avis First before and it was ok -but nothing special), but if they really don't want to woo me over to Avis I'm not going to loose any sleep over it. Obviously it didn't cost them anything to offer that benefit in my case because I never even bothered registering.
When you become a member of AVIS FIRST, you have access to high-end services and some of the finest vehicles in the rental car industry. Here are just a few exclusive benefits you can enjoy from this special program:
Two-day Weekend Rental Rewards with every fourth qualifying rental of two or more days
No black out restrictions on your Weekend Rental Rewards -- use them any place, any time
FREE one-car class upgrades when available - to get you to your destination in style
Continued Preferred Service - skip the lines and go directly to your vehicle
Dedicated 800 number available day and night - for service at your convenience
Members-only Web site that gives you easy access to special offers, your personal profile and online support 24/7
As an Avis President's Club member, you will enjoy such benefits as:
Guaranteed rental car availability, even without a reservation
Complimentary two car-class upgrade when available with every intermediate car class or higher rental
A free day of Avis where2® GPS navigation on rentals of 3 or more days
Access to a members-only reservation line
Up to 30% off standard rates at participating Avis locations in Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific regions (where permitted by law)
Seems to me that the biggest negative is the loss of the two car class upgrade and the guaranteed rental. But I like the rental rewards for Avis First. So, for me I actually think it's an upgrade.
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, Hyatt Diamond, Private Pilot, Virtuoso Travel Agent
Posts: 616
This is a pretty big downgrade ... Avis Presidents Club is one of the main reasons I keep my Presidential Plus card (as a lifetime UC member, it only costs me $100/year). I love Avis, and the two class upgrades are fantastic, but most importantly, the 30% off standard rates beat even some of the best corporate discounts I've seen; it often makes Avis cheaper than Enterprise and the other deeply discounted options.
I hope it doesn't apply to Presidential Plus, but it seems unlikely that PP would be spared.
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I used to be an Avis guy, but my company was migrating to National. I was going to try to stick with Avis for the Presidents Club, but with that gone, I have no reason to.
Big loss of benefits in my mind to the card, since I used it often. I'll status match to National, and keep the benefits for as long as they let me (I guess a year), but this is one more thing to make me wonder if I should renew the card when I have to pay $395.
Location: NYC: UA 1K, DL Platinum, AAirpass, Avis PC
Posts: 2,256
Really valued this benefit. This is a big downgrade. Back to Hertz..and continue having National as a fall back. No reason to rent with Avis after this. Went out of my way with corporate rentals their way because of this. Though need to check whether I ended up qualifying outright.
Also may be easier to just apply my Amex credit toward United Club membership with the 1k discount.
Programs: United Premier 1K; SPG Gold; Hilton Silver; Hyatt Platinum; Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,137
I have the Presidential Plus card and didn't get a similar notice. Think we're keeping the President's Club with Avis. I suspect that United is trying to differentiate between the PP card versus the Club card.
Location: Clinging to the edifices of a decadent past. (IAH, DEN)
Programs: UA 1MM, AA 1MM, 1K/EXP, FlyingBlue Plat, Avis CHM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum
Posts: 8,099
Quote:
Originally Posted by mh3265a
I suspect that United is trying to differentiate between the PP card versus the Club card.
I would disagree; UA has no real incentive to please legacy PP cardholders -- in fact, I'd argue UA's incentive is to transition them to the newly diminished (yet again) UA Club Card.
As to the issue with Avis, I'd guess there were just too many members out there and Avis came to the conclusion that it was time to cut the benefit. It will be interesting to see if PP cardholders will retain their Avis status as that is presumably not only a smaller group, but a shrinking one as well.
It is a shame what's been done to the old PP card as it once was a phenomenal deal: $375 for lounge access, 25% RDM flight bonus on CO metal, Avis status, Hyatt status, and so on but alas times change.
Programs: UA 1K & UC, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond, Avis PC, AS, US, AA
Posts: 691
Quote:
Originally Posted by mh3265a
I have the Presidential Plus card and didn't get a similar notice. Think we're keeping the President's Club with Avis. I suspect that United is trying to differentiate between the PP card versus the Club card.
There's no indication that the OP got a notice (e.g. an email) -- it's just a link to the website. I have the Club card, and haven't gotten any notification of this.
This is a real disappointment to me. I haven't rented a lot in the 6 months that I've had the Club card, but the benefits when I have rented have been very nice -- and Avis is my corporate provider, so status matching isn't an option.
I'd more or less decided to keep the Club card, after my first year is up, because of the Avis benefit. Now I'll probably cancel. There are cheaper ways get have UC access, and Hyatt Platinum isn't compelling by itself.
This is reason for me to cancel the card too. I have only kept it open due to the combination of UA Club and Avis Presidential access. Without both, just buying a US Air membership during one of their many promotions is a better deal.
I'm already Hyatt Diamond, so the Hyatt Platinum status doesn't help either.
Programs: United Premier 1K; SPG Gold; Hilton Silver; Hyatt Platinum; Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,137
Quote:
Originally Posted by J.Edward
I would disagree; UA has no real incentive to please legacy PP cardholders -- in fact, I'd argue UA's incentive is to transition them to the newly diminished (yet again) UA Club Card.
As to the issue with Avis, I'd guess there were just too many members out there and Avis came to the conclusion that it was time to cut the benefit. It will be interesting to see if PP cardholders will retain their Avis status as that is presumably not only a smaller group, but a shrinking one as well.
It is a shame what's been done to the old PP card as it once was a phenomenal deal: $375 for lounge access, 25% RDM flight bonus on CO metal, Avis status, Hyatt status, and so on but alas times change.
Quote:
Originally Posted by QBK
There's no indication that the OP got a notice (e.g. an email) -- it's just a link to the website. I have the Club card, and haven't gotten any notification of this.
This is a real disappointment to me. I haven't rented a lot in the 6 months that I've had the Club card, but the benefits when I have rented have been very nice -- and Avis is my corporate provider, so status matching isn't an option.
I'd more or less decided to keep the Club card, after my first year is up, because of the Avis benefit. Now I'll probably cancel. There are cheaper ways get have UC access, and Hyatt Platinum isn't compelling by itself.
J.Edward - I would disagree with your assessment. You are basing your disagreement off on a downgrade from the initial card. Now that they have they Presidential Plus and the Club Card they are looking for points of differentiation. Presidential Plus is BETTER than the Club card and they want to make it that way to get us to pay more per year....guessing the annual fee will increase soon enough.
Programs: UA 1K MM, HH Diamond, National Exec Elite, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 3,324
Quote:
Originally Posted by mh3265a
Now that they have they Presidential Plus and the Club Card they are looking for points of differentiation. Presidential Plus is BETTER than the Club card and they want to make it that way to get us to pay more per year....guessing the annual fee will increase soon enough.
I think that's wishful thinking. I don't see any new marketing for the PP card. I think it is in the twilight of its years and going to be merged with the current offering.
J.Edward - I would disagree with your assessment. You are basing your disagreement off on a downgrade from the initial card. Now that they have they Presidential Plus and the Club Card they are looking for points of differentiation. Presidential Plus is BETTER than the Club card and they want to make it that way to get us to pay more per year....guessing the annual fee will increase soon enough.
That is interesting given the link. Possibly an oversight by Avis on the web side. But would be nice if it were grandfathered for the smaller community.
Location: EWR-land -- You are in a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike...
Programs: CO & NW forum moderator
Posts: 23,959
Quote:
Originally Posted by mh3265a
Presidential Plus is BETTER than the Club card and they want to make it that way to get us to pay more per year....guessing the annual fee will increase soon enough.
How is it better? The restriced "flex" PQM are worthless to me as a MMer. I'd much rather have 1.5miles/$ spent. That's about the only difference I see.
As a lifetime Red Presidents Club member I get the PP card for $100/year. There is no such discount for the Club card. For that card I'm expected to fork out the standard $395 or so/year. (I'm not sure how I'm supposed to use a second club membershuip) Apparently there aren't enough peple in my situation (or we are not important enough) to make any sort of special offering or consideration worthwhile.
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How is it better? The restriced "flex" PQM are worthless to me as a MMer. I'd much rather have 1.5miles/$ spent. That's about the only difference I see.
I agree with you 100%. At the same time...Continental took a relational approach to customers, while United is a more transactional focused institution. I'm also a LT UC member who chose CO. Now that we are all United it is our prerogative to pivot to the new culture. As customers our alternatives are DL/AA.
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ple in my situation (or we are not important enough) to make any sort of special offering or consideration worthwhile. 
