Programs: Hilton Gold; Starwood Gold; Priority Club; Club Carlson; US Airways
Posts: 24
Car Rentals [master thread]
Hi all....have a question about people's experience with car rentals last year.
Did you actually have to go pick up the car? Or could you just make the reservation, no show and be charged for it and grab the hit that way?? Thrifty has some great deals at the Philly airport for a weekend day (roughly $16 all in...)...however not sure if it's worth driving an hour down and an hour back on six separate occasions.
If anyone had success last year without having to actually go get the car could you let us know. Thanks!!!
Last edited by aztimm; Sep 17, 11 at 5:02 pm..
Reason: updated thread title
Miles post on the 4th/11th/18th/25th of each month
Budget - only airport location rentals count
Activity date is pickup date
Miles post ~10 days after car returned
Dollar
Activity date is pickup date
Miles post 8-11 days after car returned
Hertz
Activity date is pickup date
Miles post each Thursday; depending on timing, credit may not appear until second Thursday after vehicle return
National
Activity date is pickup date
Miles post ~10 days after car returned
Sixt
Activity date is pickup date
Miles post each Wednesday; depending on timing, credit may not appear until second week after vehicle return
Thrifty
Activity date is pickup date
Miles post 13-16 days (on Fridays? TBD) after car return
To help fill gaps, please post
the complete activity line item from your US DM account
pickup and dropoff date(s)
Thanks to reggae, skitch23, Zurich Flyer, alanh, TorontoSingh, Exiled in Express, DCdeacon, bigdeebee, shock78, rob_flies_ua and ellinj for data points.
[Original version of this post:
A lot of participants got hits last year without ever driving (or even seeing) the car, but IIRC they did have to show up at the counter.]
Last edited by beltway; Nov 9, 11 at 1:57 pm..
Reason: Dollar posting schedule
I very rarely rent from Alamo, but did once earlier this summer. To "thank me" they sent a coupon by email for one free day rental, expires in 6 weeks, no minimum rental length. I tried a sample 1-day rental at the local airport, and it comes out to $4 total (the airport facility charge). Since this is a coupon, not an award rental (like Hertz #1 Club), what are the chances I can get US miles for it? According to usairways.com, you earn 250 miles per Alamo rental. Anybody had a similar situation?
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And so we continue to publicly discuss this?
I suspect the tightening of rules has as much to do with a lot of public dissemination of loopholes as it does with US and partner dissatisfaction with no revenue from the cheap / free hits.
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If other rental car agencies at the PHL airport have low rates you could rent from each of them on the same day. At least cuts down on the number of times you have to drive to PHL.
If other rental car agencies at the PHL airport have low rates you could rent from each of them on the same day. At least cuts down on the number of times you have to drive to PHL.
Not if you're crediting them to the same US account. Terms and conditions state that non-qualifying activity includes:
If other rental car agencies at the PHL airport have low rates you could rent from each of them on the same day. At least cuts down on the number of times you have to drive to PHL.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by treznor
If other rental car agencies at the PHL airport have low rates you could rent from each of them on the same day. At least cuts down on the number of times you have to drive to PHL.
This year's T&Cs state that only one rental per day counts as a hit so this will not work. Hotel stays have the same restriction.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CEUflyer
Here's another car rental question.
I very rarely rent from Alamo, but did once earlier this summer. To "thank me" they sent a coupon by email for one free day rental, expires in 6 weeks, no minimum rental length. I tried a sample 1-day rental at the local airport, and it comes out to $4 total (the airport facility charge). Since this is a coupon, not an award rental (like Hertz #1 Club), what are the chances I can get US miles for it? According to usairways.com, you earn 250 miles per Alamo rental. Anybody had a similar situation?
I think the chance of getting miles is greater than zero. Alamo is owned by National and I believe uses the same systems. Redeeming a free day coupon on National will generate another rental credit as long as you pay something, in this and my case the airport fees. If you have nothing else to use the coupon towards give it a go.
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Last edited by Exiled in Express; Sep 1, 11 at 7:20 am..
Dang, I did five rentals in less than one hour last year.
Oh well, I'll have to make separate trips this time.
But I don't understand why US closed this "loophole." As long as we pay for six rentals, why does it matter if we do them on one day or on six different days? The rental agency is still getting the same revenue. It's not like signing up for Netflix and then cancelling after just one month.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tommyleo
But I don't understand why US closed this "loophole." As long as we pay for six rentals, why does it matter if we do them on one day or on six different days?
My guess: because GS isn't just about ginning up revenue, but also about building brand awareness & promoting lasting customer relationships with the partners. (Also, a "real" rental is likely to generate additional revenue for CDW, GPS rental, fuel charges, and the like.) If US could realistically distinguish between "real" rentals and a GS'er doing the entire deal at the counter, I'm sure they would, but they don't because it would be complicated. By contrast, weeding out multiple rentals in a single day is easy.
My guess: because GS isn't just about ginning up revenue, but also about building brand awareness & promoting lasting customer relationships with the partners. (Also, a "real" rental is likely to generate additional revenue for CDW, GPS rental, fuel charges, and the like.) If US could realistically distinguish between "real" rentals and a GS'er doing the entire deal at the counter, I'm sure they would, but they don't because it would be complicated. By contrast, weeding out multiple rentals in a single day is easy.
Please stop making perfect sense.
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