Car Rentals [master thread]
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
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!!!
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, 2011 at 5:02 pm Reason: updated thread title
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
Car rental agency crediting/posting practices
(For information on applicable discount codes, see post 296 by HikerT.)
Alamo
Avis - only airport location rentals count
Budget - only airport location rentals count
Dollar
Hertz
National
Sixt
Thrifty
To help fill gaps, please post
[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.]
(For information on applicable discount codes, see post 296 by HikerT.)
Alamo
- Activity date is pickup date
- Miles post 2-5 days after car returned
Avis - only airport location rentals count
- Activity date is pickup date
- 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)
[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, 2011 at 1:57 pm Reason: Dollar posting schedule
#3
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 173
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 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?
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: Migros Cumulus Platinum Hero
Posts: 1,628
#5
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Purgatory
Programs: Too many to list. Status is a half dozen.
Posts: 9,235
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.
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.
#6
Join Date: Feb 2009
Programs: US CP, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,007
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.
#7
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K/MM, AA GLD
Posts: 1,707
Multiple car rentals that occur on the same day
#8
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 441
#9
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: AA Plat Pto, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,536
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 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?
Last edited by Exiled in Express; Sep 1, 2011 at 7:20 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
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.
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.
#11
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
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.
#12
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
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.
#14
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: GVA, ZRH, KEF
Posts: 183
#15
Join Date: May 2011
Location: North Carolina
Programs: AA exp(6mm), United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 152
I'm renting on sept 13 and returning on sept 15th. Will I get a hit for this rental? Or am I out of luck? Anyone have experience from last year?