While I am disappointed that the Avis First program has degraded to the point of what is the program good for, I have had better luck renting from Avis than anyone else. I live very close to an off-airport site Avis and they are always very accomodating for my local rentals. Probably because I have developed a good relationship with the manager. The Avis preferred at Airport locations is always great because I almost always have the car I sign up for or an upgrade that I am happy with and I get dropped off at my car or it is waiting in a reserved spot for me. I generally find better prices with Avis than Hertz and I've had too many waits in long lines or bad experiences with other rental companies to consider anyone else.

Only one time (in Puerto Rico) did I have a problem with Avis and that was more to do with the branch location at SJU than anything else.

The Avis First program is what it is. Not much anymore. I thought it had a chance to provide some nice perks for those of us who rent frequently but are not in the Chairmans/Presidents club. While disappointing I will stick with Avis as long as they deliver on their promise and services for my rentals.