Originally Posted by bocastephen

Ah, no status, no free upgrade....

You don't need to feel like a tool when mentioning your status - just be subtle and nice about it...I just go to the elite booth or a roving manager and say "Hi, would you have any extra hybrids available for an executive elite? I tried to reserve one, but they never show up on the booking page" - which is the truth, as I always try and reserve one and they never show up.

A 'tool' would say "I'm an executive elite (verbally emphasizing this fact) and I WANT that xxxx car over there".

100% of the time, I am offered a Prius or Kia if they have an extra - the only time I'm denied is when there are active reservations matching the hybrids they have on hand, which is perfectly understandable. My backup choice is usually a low-mileage 4 cyl Sonata which I'm usually able to get some decent gas mileage out of, or a base 300 if most of my driving is non-stop'n'go freeway distance.