A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,403
Thank you. Nice!
A couple picky points:
Are you sure that the Hertz upgrades are worldwide and not just in Greece (and nearby countries)? Similarly, to earn miles on Hertz rentals, I believe the area is restricted and the rental needs to be booked through Aegean. As a general rule, miles from rental cars in the USA, for instance, require a small fee or a special rate that may not be very good.
My understanding of upgrades on A3 is quite different. In particular, I believe that they can only be confirmed within 24 hours of the flight, so that you're paying miles for a standby upgrade, which I would not find to be very attractive.
OTOH, I think Aegean domestic business class has some value. You have more space, better food and beverages (including some decent Greek wines), and a special bus that isn't crowded when the plane is at a remote stand. If you're not *Gold, you get extra bags, lounge access, and dedicated elite check in lines; IIRC you can board when you want. I don't know if the offer is still valid, but I've gotten free days of a basic Hertz car from the airport (the automatic transmission requires an upgrade that can be confirmed with difficulty) with a domestic RT Aegean ticket in their business class. I've also been able to reserve my seats when the ticket was purchased, but there might be a one or three month window for this, not the longer period that many legacy carriers offer when seats traditionally are assigned in advance.