FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Free gas promo is not so free!
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Old Apr 3, 2008, 5:00 am
  #5  
sbagdon
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: DTW
Programs: DL 0.22 MM, AA 0.34 MM, PC Plat Amb, Hertz #1 GC 5*
Posts: 7,511
Interesting. My research went another way. I quoted a 4-day weekend with and without the free-tank PC. With the PC added $30. So my take on this is that the gas isn't free, as the PC adds $30 to the total rental. I didn't check to see if it changed for each car size, such as did it add X-amount for a compact, and 2x for a full-sized SUV ("free" increases with vehicle tank size?). All it does is make it easier to pre-pay for the tank.

I figure they're going to make a fortune on this one. It's real easy to return a car with a totally full tank... just hit the closest gas station to the rental return, and fill to F. It's real difficult to figure out how to return the car with a totally emtpy tank, or at least the tank on E. So people are going to return the car with a half-tank, and loose half their value. Then again, some might like removing the stress of having to return the car with a full-tank (especially as the moment of return can be stressful enough, especially if late to a flight), so that might be worth $30 to some, even if they bring it back with a 1/4 tank.

Steve B.
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