FB Platinum & Hertz
May 2, 2019, 6:15 am
#16
Join Date: May 2005
Location: EUR
Programs: FB Plat./BA Gold (thanks BD)/A3 *Gold/HH Diamond/A Club Gold
Posts: 918
I recieved the Hertz downgrade to 5* as well... but I also received the Avis downgrade from PC to nothing at all.
TBH I only had a few rentals with each last year, less than in the past, so felt it was not that unusual.
I find the FF benefits of both to be fairly similar, however the rental experience with Avis to be vastly superior (better cars, and Hertz can tend to be meticulous with findng damage that I did not cause). But no status at all with Red means I will be renting Yellow from now on...
TBH I only had a few rentals with each last year, less than in the past, so felt it was not that unusual.
I find the FF benefits of both to be fairly similar, however the rental experience with Avis to be vastly superior (better cars, and Hertz can tend to be meticulous with findng damage that I did not cause). But no status at all with Red means I will be renting Yellow from now on...
May 3, 2019, 12:29 am
#17
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: UK/FR
Programs: FlyingBlue Platinum, Hertz PC
Posts: 886
I did 2 rentals with Avis while I had their top status following the offer from FlyingBlue and I was vastly unimpressed overall. Their system is complicated, they still have discounts that requires you to print some paper and bring it over, a different website to book using the flyingblue discount, when you're between countries it gets confusing, honoured the strict minimum one class upgrade etc.
May 9, 2019, 2:59 am
#19
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: BRE
Programs: FB, SPG, AccorHotels, Hertz, Avis
Posts: 65
I've experienced the same downgrade to 5* with Hertz but didn't bother to call/email them yet. I don't know why I should as well. I've rented with both Avis and Hertz last year after gettings theirs top Tier Cards via FB and the experience was not impressive. I don't remember a single upgrade, most of the time the booking would already say "Standard Counter Service".
This is very different to the time when I had Sixt Platinum which at least resulted in an upgrade every time, often enough not just one class up but multiple...
This is very different to the time when I had Sixt Platinum which at least resulted in an upgrade every time, often enough not just one class up but multiple...
May 9, 2019, 3:23 am
#20
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: CPT,AMS
Posts: 4,412
I've experienced the same downgrade to 5* with Hertz but didn't bother to call/email them yet. I don't know why I should as well. I've rented with both Avis and Hertz last year after gettings theirs top Tier Cards via FB and the experience was not impressive. I don't remember a single upgrade, most of the time the booking would already say "Standard Counter Service".
This is very different to the time when I had Sixt Platinum which at least resulted in an upgrade every time, often enough not just one class up but multiple...
This is very different to the time when I had Sixt Platinum which at least resulted in an upgrade every time, often enough not just one class up but multiple...
Take for example Avis in AMS, I can go directly to the parking lot counter, all I have to do is show my DL and sign, meanwhile they will bring the car over for me and always there would be at least one class upgrade, often 2 or 3.
May 13, 2019, 4:59 am
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 13
Here's the update guys. Contacting Hertz - no reply so far, contacting Avis - no reply so far 
Will give it a second try because WTH?!
By the way booking with Hertz President's Circle in USA was an amazing experience. You pay for something like Ford Fiesta and when you're on the spot you get yourself a Chrysler 300C or Mercedes Cabrio because you're "eleet". That's something worth the hassle!.. However booking somewhere in Europe might be a completely different story.
Will give it a second try because WTH?!By the way booking with Hertz President's Circle in USA was an amazing experience. You pay for something like Ford Fiesta and when you're on the spot you get yourself a Chrysler 300C or Mercedes Cabrio because you're "eleet". That's something worth the hassle!.. However booking somewhere in Europe might be a completely different story.
May 13, 2019, 10:56 am
#22
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: TLS
Posts: 146
May 13, 2019, 2:04 pm
#23
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: London / Amsterdam
Programs: Flying Blue
Posts: 223
May 13, 2019, 2:43 pm
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
May 19, 2019, 12:03 am
#26
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: DUB/ORD/SIN/PVG
Programs: EI AerClub Concierge, EK Gold, BA Gold, BD Gold (Retired), HHonors Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Gold
Posts: 2,923
May 19, 2019, 7:30 am
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
It's not the only one.
To be fair, some of these one-man shows have on more than one occasion bent over backwards for me, even going as far as getting the vehicle I wanted from the competition (another one-man show, of course). Then, at the other end of the spectrum, you get those whose business plan focuses of defrauding the customer at every opportunity.
Johan
To be fair, some of these one-man shows have on more than one occasion bent over backwards for me, even going as far as getting the vehicle I wanted from the competition (another one-man show, of course). Then, at the other end of the spectrum, you get those whose business plan focuses of defrauding the customer at every opportunity.
Johan
May 20, 2019, 2:42 pm
#28
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum, JetBlue Mosaic, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska MVP Gold.
Posts: 1,962
FWIW I tried Sixt (and the FB match which gave me Platinum) and they've been delightful. If you have an Amex, perhaps also get the National match. Between those two you've got the best programs.
May 20, 2019, 6:46 pm
#29
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 🇸🇬 🇭🇰 🇫🇷
Programs: Many
Posts: 4,749
That is subject to interpretation, as I found out. It reads “Passage rapide au statut President Circle”. (Quick upgrade to President Circle Status). Now if it would read “Passage au statut President Circle” (Upgrade to President Circle Status) you could call it a perk. But with “Passage rapide au statut President Circle” it doesn’t necessarily imply that you will actually get President Circle instantly, or that you have a right to it.
Anyway. It can be worth the effort to call them and try, in the past it had been reported that this worked for many people.
Anyway. It can be worth the effort to call them and try, in the past it had been reported that this worked for many people.