Changes to Avis First Program
 

"Later this year Avis First will change its name to Avis Preferred Plus, and introduce new Avis Preferred Rewards – Avis Preferred Points."

https://www.avis.com/car-rental/cont...Q-US_en-047207

email details

Get ready. The benefits you've always enjoyed from Avis First are about to get even better. We will be introducing exciting changes to Avis First and the entire Avis Preferred program that will deliver a whole new level of benefits and rewards.

Later this year Avis First will change its name to Avis Preferred Plus, and introduce new Avis Preferred Rewards – Avis Preferred Points.

As part of this change, the Avis First Weekend Rental Reward coupons will be discontinued in November and will be replaced with Preferred Points. For every rental you complete, you’ll automatically earn flexible Preferred Points. You decide how to redeem them – on complimentary rentals, upgrades and select optional products. Once the program launches, you’ll be automatically opted in so continue to rent and start earning.

Avisfirst.com will be available through the transition to view any unused, unexpired Weekend Rental Rewards.

Stay tuned for more information about your Avis Preferred Plus membership and the new Avis Preferred program.

Learn More

Here to help you get there. The way you want to go.

what happens to unused weekend coupons?
 

A little confused here as I have a currently unused weekend rental coupon. So when the clock strikes November, does that coupon get automatically converted to the new preferred points, or is that only for new rentals after that date? If the latte, how long will I have to use that coupon?

I want to know, too. I have a trip planned for December 3-5 and would like to have the rental work over the weekday, rather than the free weekend. If the coupon is converted to points, that would be better so I could use it for a weekday instead of weekend.

Neither the posted email or linked webpage explains anything whether qualification for Avis Preferred Plus will be any different than for Avis First. I'm currently on track to qualify for Avis First after a Christmas week rental, but Avis First won't exist by then, so I'd like to know whether I'll still qualify for the new program (or if I'd qualify earlier for the new program).

my read is that the weekend coupon will still be used in the same way (i.e. not converted to points), but no new coupons issued...

Same thought here.

Been waiting for this
 

I was Hertz PC for 10 years and the point system there is the best in the industry. I am hoping for something similar with Avis. I used to use my points for free weeks when I went back home to visit family and it was a great benefit.Much more flexible.

Hoping the President's club benefits don't change (for the worse) - I love my double upgrades!

I liked the free weekend rental coupons, I've done very well over the last year, as all my rentals have been 2 day rentals this year.

This is great news. The coupons were always useless to me. But I see no details on Chairman's though. I see that for President's you can opt in.

I don't like the term in November does that November 1st or 30?

Same here!

hopefully this link helps answer some questions
https://www.avis.com/car-rental/cont...Q-US_en-047207

That's the exact same link as in post 1 above! Are you saying the content at that page have been updated somehow? :confused:

OP here...I don't have a screen shot from when I first saw the info at Avis but skimming through it now, it looks the same.

I actually saved tons of money over the years and will miss the coupons. This is like Southwest going from Rapid Rewards 1.0 (16 oneways get you 2 oneways anywhere) to RR 2.0 ($ based). Some will like it and some won't. At the end, Avis wins.

What I really dislike is how Avis is rolling this out. The program terms were changed without any notification, advance or not, in July. Suddenly, the coupons are expiring 1/15/2015 instead of the 6 months advertised when we earned the status. There is still no tangible information 3 months later.

I know Avis fully has the right to do so. However, it is just another way to show the customers they don't care, they are sleezy (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/avis-...practices.html) and they take the customers for granted.

Important update: Avis Rewards are changing.
 

Received today via e-mail:

The highway is more inviting when it comes with a few extras like Avis Preferred. With a complimentary Avis Preferred membership, at many locations, you can skip the lines go straight to your car and drive off. With the introduction of our new program, there are a couple of changes we want you to be aware of because you have elected to receive Frequent Traveler Credits.

Avis First will become Avis Preferred Plus:
Travel is important to you, and so are its rewards. That’s why we want to inform you that on or around November 20, 2014, Avis First will become Avis Preferred Plus. Though members will no longer have the option to receive Weekend Rental Rewards, you will continue to earn your choice of Frequent Traveler credits (airline, hotel, etc.).

If you are an Avis First member, please continue to use the avisfirst.com website throughout the transition process to monitor your activity and view any unused or expired Weekend Rental Rewards.

Free Day Rewards:
On or around November 20, 2014 Ali’i Club, Avis RentSavers California, Avis RentSavers Arizona, NY RentControl, and Avis Weekender Club programs will end. As a result members can continue to earn rewards on qualifying rentals until this time and any newly issued coupons can be used until January 15, 2015. Though you will no longer have the option to receive these rewards, you will continue to earn your choice of Frequent Traveler credits (airline, hotel, etc.).

Learn more about these changes and additional details of our new program.

Here to get you there, the way you want to go.

avis first - preferred plus.....k I dont care

no weekend rentals:k...seems like a demotion

everything else remains the same

okay so whats the point of all this bs? name change and less rewards is supposed to make us feel good?

Until I saw this latest from Avis in the post above, I might have thought so, but the wording in there is curious:
Previously, you couldn't earn those and qualify for free weekend rentals at the same time. (That's why I never got any weekend rental coupons except each time I reach First after dropping out of First; because I value the best airline/hotel bonuses more than an occasional free weekend rental with lots of restrictions.) But the fact that you couldn't was buried in the Avis First T&Cs.

It sounds like now, if they create a points program, it'll be really clear (like it is at Hertz) that you're choosing on a per-rental basis whether to earn Avis points or to earn partner credits. Before you couldn't see that choice at all (and many people were simply mystified as to why they never earned free weekend rentals, because they didn't realize that choosing to earn partner credit disqualified that). So if they make this more clear, that's something else that's changing.

Also, free weekend rental earning started over every year. If earned points stay around from to year (they haven't explained that much yet, I don't think), then that would yet something else that's changing.

I don't see where you can earn Avis points under the new setup. Just partner points/miles.

Look at the Avis email quoted in post 2 of this thread, which says (in part):

Received this today also and assume it is a stealth dilution. My Avis rentals have declined a lot in the past year anyway owing to crazy out-of-line rate quotes no loyalty program can compensate for.

Even had an Avis rep ring my work line to ask why I wasn't using them more. I said they can stop charging twice as much as the competition for unkempt, grubby cars with 40,000+ miles on them.

Classic, what was the reply?

You know, I sort of miss Hertz but my current company uses Avis. Since UA announced a deal with Hertz, I looked into it more. A lot of people actually hate Hertz and think it has gone down the hill.

I guess they are all pretty bad nowadays...

I follow both this forum and the Hertz forum, and i always chuckle because both sides moan about how bad their rental company is and say how much better the other company is. On the surface, though, I would tend to agree more with the Hertz people (and you)--their fleet is very high mileage and their cars not well equipped (as a whole) compared to Avis's fleet. But with Avis, a lot of times you pay for what you get, aka pay more than Hertz.

+1. The grass is always greener on the other side. I'm Avis First (or whatever the new name will be) but have been giving all my business recently to National, as a back-up status. I have been getting a little spoiled on National, though. The new version of Avis First might not be enough to cause me to shift back to Avis come January.

I must say I love Avis's skip the line approach. I hated it when I go with another Rental and I had to wait in line with only one agent and each person needs at least 10-15 minutes just to rent a freaking car.

Avis all the way for me.

Seems like the dates have changed
 

Just took a look at the website for updates, and it seems that certs will now be issued through 12/31/15.

Also states any certs issued after 7/14 will be good through 2/28/15, yet mine are showing as expiring 1/15. :rolleyes:


Hopefully Avis will get 1/2 as good as Hertz is! (Since I MUST use them, not a choice I can make!! :td: )

https://www.ccrgservices.com/web/Avi...Rental_Rewards still says 1/15/2015.

It seems https://www.avis.com/car-rental/cont...Q-US_en-047207 now says 2/28/2015. I guess some people complained and they pushed back the date? Or, the new program is not ready? Hopefully they will go back and change the dates for those earned in Aug, Sep and Oct.

Where did you see the 12/31/2015 date?

Now, one site still says 1/15/2015 but another one (https://www.avis.com/car-rental/cont...Q-US_en-047207) says:
What a stupid way of doing business and jerking the frequent customers around? I guess this probably also implies the new program is somewhat delayed?

I would hope so. It never made sense to me why they would change it in November, when the Avis First year ends and restarts at the turn of the year. It would make a lot more sense to have a clean year end with Avis First and on Jan 1 start the new program, instead of switching programs so near the end of the year.

I am confused as to what status I will be, because they haven't explained if the status qualifications will change, and meanwhile I won't qualify for Avis First until the last days of December (after a week-long Christmastime rental). It seems much simpler therefore, since Avis First status qualification went Jan 1 - Dec 31, to keep Avis First going through Dec 31.

Of course, I don't know if they realized this, or just ran into problems they didn't anticipate and are delaying for some other reason.

Regardless, they drastically reduced the benefits of the existing program (by making change to the expiration date) half way into the year. It just shows how little Avis respects and cares about its customers and how stupid they are in earning trust and loyalty of its customers.

No more United MP point earning?
 

Got a card on November 17th that tells me "Beginning November 1, 2014, you will no longer be able to earn United Milage Plus award miles when renting with Avis."
Is this reported somewhere in this thread (I di not see it) or somewhere else?

Of course not. This is a thread specifically about Avis First changes. (In case you're not aware, Avis First is an "elite" program with Avis, which you have to rent a lot to qualify for.) What partners Avis has in general has nothing to do specifically with Avis First, since in fact earning with parnters disqualified you from earning free rental day certs from Avis First.

Yes. Halfway down the first page of this forum you'll find:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/avis-...ye-united.html

Thanks. I am an Avis First which is why I was actually already subscribed to this this thread. Somewhere in searching the forum I ended up back on this one which seemed to have posts closely related when I posted. Apologies. And thanks for replying!

Well, the year is almost finished. Still no news on the new program? This has got to be the most incompetent and customer-unfriendly loyalty program change in the travel industry for a long time.

Got email just now - it's been delayed.

A few days ago I redeemed a 2 day rental coupon with an expiration date of Jan 15...I was told that despite that date, the coupon would work until the end of Feb 2015. I guess that is due to the delay?

I think Avis should not have changed to the shortened expiration in the first place. It was not good to shortchange the most frequent customers on the benefits they already earned.

Then the whole some expire 1/15 , some expire 2/28 was just crazy.

Now, the good news. I just looked on my AvisFirst, it seems that they changed them to the original 6-month expiration dates! Finally they did the right thing ^

Got an exciting email from Avis that they are changing to their "new" program WITHOUT telling any of the details.... what a waste of email and my time reading it....