To where will you be defecting?

If I can get the same discount I used to get at National, that will be where I am headed. I like the Emerald Aisle better than the Avis Preferred Exchange area anyway.

This thread might also help: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/avis-...es-2015-a.html

Avis points seem ok
 

Based on the math above I have five free rentals coming. I have about 6500 points and counting. By the end of the year it should be close to 8000. It seems similar to hotel points. It takes 4-5 stays to earn enough to points to get a free night. (Hilton Properties) my experience with most reward program, is they really reward heavy travelers. For me weekend rentals or two free days in a hotel in useless, I need more time away then that. Good conversation!

Here is something I found on the AVIS site that I don't like...

"Rewards are now based on Avis Preferred Points, and not on the quantity of transactions such as rentals. The redemption of Avis Preferred Points is dynamic, and the quantity of points required for benefits varies based upon such elements as duration of the rental, date, car class, time of year and location. A one-week rental at a major airport location during a peak travel period will require more points than a weekend rental taking place during off-peak seasons at a local market Avis location in a smaller city. All of these factors will determine how many points are required to obtain desired benefits."

Source site: https://www.avis.com/car-rental/cont...Q-US_en-048953

So, depending on where you want to rent and when you want to rent... the amount of points required will change. For example, I'm taking my wife to Hawaii for our anniversary, to rent a car from AVIS using points is costing me 2400 points a day. O_U_C_H!!!

I honestly don't have a problem with the points varying as they do. The problem is that the accumulation of points is not as variable. There should be some duplicity here. Yes, you get a lift in points based on status... but the accumulation is still static, no matter where you rent from or when.

So for some feedback... If the cost to rent is going to change based on the variables mentioned above... then the amount of points accumulated should also vary based upon the same variables... IE: Renting a car in NYC during New Years Eve should grant you more points than renting from Grand Forks, ND during a non-holiday.

With this, there is a clearer duplicitous correlation to cost vs reward. Does that make sense?

Oh come on, if they make it clear how much points are worth they can't dynamically change them to devalue the program without us noticing!

Is there a way to book using your points on their website, or can it only be done over the phone? I've been very loyal to Avis over the years, am Pref First etc, but when I tried using my points for two free days I was told I only have 3,200 and the cost was 1,800 per day in New Orleans. It reduced my overall cost by $50.

Kind of insulting. But then, I've never felt that any of the car rental loyalty programs were worth very much.

Yep. When you're going through the booking process (after picking the car type & hitting continue, the next page at the top will say how many points/day. There is a drop down to pick how many days you want to use points for (up to the # you have available). Was very easy when I did it.

Any chance you would be willing to post a screenshot?

When I arrive at the screen you mentioned, I do see a grey box that shows how many points I have (3,051), but I cannot find a drop-down box to pick from.

Has anyone redeemed Avis points for a one-way yet? How much would it have cost in $, how much did you pay in points, and do you think paying with points affected the customer service and/or car received?

I redeemed my points for a one way rental from JFK to PHL. Paid 1350 points instead of 40 bucks (still paid $16 in taxes though). Dont think paying with points affected customer service at all. Although I did book a specific car - Mustang - and skipped the counter. I didnt even have preferred plus status back then (2 months ago) so I dont think there should be any issues while paying with points.

Last week in San Francisco I rented a compact car one way from Fishermans wharf to SFO airport. Over the phone they told me it was a $25 surcharge, but I was only charged $98 with tax for the two day rental.

When I tried using points they wanted around 3K points...which only knocked $50 off (one day of the rental). It wasn't worth blowing 1/3 of the points that took me a year of heavy travel to earn.

I think I have used points twice this year - once a one-way and once a regular. Both worked but I am not liking the fact they are charging the % based taxes (based on some arbitrary amount that is not shown and we don't have control of) when the pre-tax rental amount is 0. Imagine if the airlines charged the Federal Passenger/Transportation Tax on frequent flyer awards.

Anyone have a link to their awards chart? Cant find it on their site on a quick look .

I think the point of this whole thread is that there is no award chart and it is random :D