5 years

I get Hertz #1 Club Gold status by having frequent flyer status on one airline, but after calling Hertz and trying to rent a car with it, not knowing the code for it, and having the agent not being particularly helpful (and thus wasn't allowed to use it), I was irked and signed up for Emerald Club through an ad on Flyertalk. Glad I did- I would go crazy if I had to wait in a line at the car rental agency.