2021 Upgrades
Feb 10, 2021, 9:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: ATL/TLV/SDF
Programs: AA EXP, UA LT Ag, Marriott LT Ti, Hyatt Glob, Avis PC, Busted-Knuckles Club Grand Poobah.
Posts: 2,590
2021 Upgrades
Status: PPlus
Location: DFW
Reserved: Intermediate
Assigned: not assigned as it seems they're not doing this anymore at big locations
Received: chose a new-ish VW Passat on the app, from a reasonably-long list of choices.
Location: DFW
Reserved: Intermediate
Assigned: not assigned as it seems they're not doing this anymore at big locations
Received: chose a new-ish VW Passat on the app, from a reasonably-long list of choices.
Feb 16, 2021, 8:41 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: Southwest A-List Preferred, Delta Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold Elite, Avis PP
Posts: 191
Status: Preferred Plus
Location: BGR
Reserved: Standard SUV
Assigned: 2020 Cadillac Escalade with around 12k miles
Received: Kept it - needed the 4WD going into some snowy terrain.
Location: BGR
Reserved: Standard SUV
Assigned: 2020 Cadillac Escalade with around 12k miles
Received: Kept it - needed the 4WD going into some snowy terrain.
Feb 21, 2021, 6:50 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: ATL/TLV/SDF
Programs: AA EXP, UA LT Ag, Marriott LT Ti, Hyatt Glob, Avis PC, Busted-Knuckles Club Grand Poobah.
Posts: 2,590
Status: PPlus
Location: CLT
Reserved: Intermediate
Assigned: 2021 Subaru Legacy (Limited trim level I think)
Received: Kept it as the other exchange options were also Subaru Legacies aside from a tired Malibu. Someone got a quantity discount... and Avis has the gall to want +$58 a day for that junky Mitsu SUV a an upgrade? Does anyone fall for that?
Pretty nice interior aside from the funereal all-black. I dislike the high-gloss touchscreen which when the sun hits it becomes unreadable and drills blinding glare right into your eyeholes.
Subaru still hasn't gotten over their CVT fetish and the engine moans like a dog trying to pass a burr when pressed. But the car rides and handles decently and does well on the highway. I'd probably take one again.
Location: CLT
Reserved: Intermediate
Assigned: 2021 Subaru Legacy (Limited trim level I think)
Received: Kept it as the other exchange options were also Subaru Legacies aside from a tired Malibu. Someone got a quantity discount... and Avis has the gall to want +$58 a day for that junky Mitsu SUV a an upgrade? Does anyone fall for that?
Pretty nice interior aside from the funereal all-black. I dislike the high-gloss touchscreen which when the sun hits it becomes unreadable and drills blinding glare right into your eyeholes.
Subaru still hasn't gotten over their CVT fetish and the engine moans like a dog trying to pass a burr when pressed. But the car rides and handles decently and does well on the highway. I'd probably take one again.
Feb 21, 2021, 7:44 pm
#5
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 164
What is a Legacy at Avis? I once reserved a Premium at National and they tried to give me a Subaru Legacy that they insisted was a Premium car- but guy could barely keep a straight face and ended up upgrading me to a very nice Infiniti Q50. I assume its a full size at Avis?
Feb 21, 2021, 8:36 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 335
What is a Legacy at Avis? I once reserved a Premium at National and they tried to give me a Subaru Legacy that they insisted was a Premium car- but guy could barely keep a straight face and ended up upgrading me to a very nice Infiniti Q50. I assume its a full size at Avis?
Feb 22, 2021, 11:07 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 164
Interesting. Strikes me plain silly to pretend its anything more than a fullsize, though I've never driven one.
Tried to rent at Avis in downtown Miami today. Had a good deal on a week rental for a regular SUV. There's a lot sitting there with Terrains, a brand new Edge, and a Mazda CX-5, plus an Outback and a nice Explorer. Forget my "upgrade," the guy at counter tells me I am getting the Mitsubishi. I ask for any of the other SUV options, the (old) Outback, no dice. All being saved for special customers. I walked over to Hertz.
Tried to rent at Avis in downtown Miami today. Had a good deal on a week rental for a regular SUV. There's a lot sitting there with Terrains, a brand new Edge, and a Mazda CX-5, plus an Outback and a nice Explorer. Forget my "upgrade," the guy at counter tells me I am getting the Mitsubishi. I ask for any of the other SUV options, the (old) Outback, no dice. All being saved for special customers. I walked over to Hertz.
Feb 23, 2021, 2:34 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Denver
Programs: AS, AA, UA, Hilton, Marriott, Caesars DE
Posts: 2,070
Status: PC
Location: MIA
Reserved: Full Size
Assigned: Toyota Highlander, but didn't confirm the car and when I tried 45 minutes later I had no options to select from.
Received: Dodge Charger
Location: MIA
Reserved: Full Size
Assigned: Toyota Highlander, but didn't confirm the car and when I tried 45 minutes later I had no options to select from.
Received: Dodge Charger
Feb 24, 2021, 12:28 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 164
Status: PP
Location: MIA
Reserved: Full Size
Assigned: 2021 Altima
Took it- only other options was a Malibu and a Camry. For plain ole Full Size, I'm impressed- 2400 miles, lotsa bells and whistles.
Lot was pretty full, mostly minivans and SUVs. Looks like they just got a slew of new Kia Sorrentos in.
Location: MIA
Reserved: Full Size
Assigned: 2021 Altima
Took it- only other options was a Malibu and a Camry. For plain ole Full Size, I'm impressed- 2400 miles, lotsa bells and whistles.
Lot was pretty full, mostly minivans and SUVs. Looks like they just got a slew of new Kia Sorrentos in.
Feb 28, 2021, 9:56 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: ATL/TLV/SDF
Programs: AA EXP, UA LT Ag, Marriott LT Ti, Hyatt Glob, Avis PC, Busted-Knuckles Club Grand Poobah.
Posts: 2,590
Status: PPlus
Location: CID (Cedar Rapids IA)
Reserved: Intermediate
Assigned: Chevy Trax in the app
Received: Kia Forte
Pretty angry as it was late and there were plenty of nicer cars in the lot, but Lot Lady Doris was NOT having it and I just wanted to get the hell to my hotel an hour away after a 5-hour flight delay. The Kia is a noisy cheap piece of crap and I will never take one again. The Trax is also a cheap piece of crap but Doris claimed it was a $40 upgrade even though the app said "free upgrade" (snort). Whatever, Doris, you may have won this time...
Location: CID (Cedar Rapids IA)
Reserved: Intermediate
Assigned: Chevy Trax in the app
Received: Kia Forte
Pretty angry as it was late and there were plenty of nicer cars in the lot, but Lot Lady Doris was NOT having it and I just wanted to get the hell to my hotel an hour away after a 5-hour flight delay. The Kia is a noisy cheap piece of crap and I will never take one again. The Trax is also a cheap piece of crap but Doris claimed it was a $40 upgrade even though the app said "free upgrade" (snort). Whatever, Doris, you may have won this time...
Mar 7, 2021, 7:36 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: ATL/TLV/SDF
Programs: AA EXP, UA LT Ag, Marriott LT Ti, Hyatt Glob, Avis PC, Busted-Knuckles Club Grand Poobah.
Posts: 2,590
Status: PPlus
Location: DCA
Reserved: Intermediate
Assigned: Nissan Sentra. Are you joking that this pile of junk is an "intermediate"? These categories have lost all meaning.
Received: Went to the counter and a very nice lady there at first offered me a Kia Forte (oh no you don't, not again) or a Corolla. Not really better! These are all buzzy cheap appliances. She eventually got me into a new Jetta after some comical keyboard clackety-clack. But warning! New Jettas only have USB-C ports. Surprise! None of my cables work so I had to buy some adapters off Amazon for delivery to the hotel.
My co-workers are always yapping about how they got a Camaro or a BMW or a Jeep or something well above the "intermediate" category we're limited to. They might as well call it "indeterminate". Lately all I've gotten are the cheapest base cars. At DCA the app didn't even give me an option besides that garbage Sentra.
Unfortunately we are forced to use Avis for work travel. It's not possible to use another rental company, unless I want to pay for it out of pocket (that would be a big NOPE).
Location: DCA
Reserved: Intermediate
Assigned: Nissan Sentra. Are you joking that this pile of junk is an "intermediate"? These categories have lost all meaning.
Received: Went to the counter and a very nice lady there at first offered me a Kia Forte (oh no you don't, not again) or a Corolla. Not really better! These are all buzzy cheap appliances. She eventually got me into a new Jetta after some comical keyboard clackety-clack. But warning! New Jettas only have USB-C ports. Surprise! None of my cables work so I had to buy some adapters off Amazon for delivery to the hotel.
My co-workers are always yapping about how they got a Camaro or a BMW or a Jeep or something well above the "intermediate" category we're limited to. They might as well call it "indeterminate". Lately all I've gotten are the cheapest base cars. At DCA the app didn't even give me an option besides that garbage Sentra.
Unfortunately we are forced to use Avis for work travel. It's not possible to use another rental company, unless I want to pay for it out of pocket (that would be a big NOPE).
Last edited by IAHtraveler; Mar 12, 2021 at 7:41 pm
Mar 10, 2021, 4:18 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BER
Posts: 512
Status: PC
Location: Berlin, Germany (city location)
Reserved: Intermediate SUV (E)
Assigned: initially M-B E class (premium, F), on-site revised to M-B C class (full-size, G)
Received: Volvo V90 4x4 (premium, F) - single digit upcharge per day, due to potential snow at destination I preferred a 4x4
Location: Berlin, Germany (city location)
Reserved: Intermediate SUV (E)
Assigned: initially M-B E class (premium, F), on-site revised to M-B C class (full-size, G)
Received: Volvo V90 4x4 (premium, F) - single digit upcharge per day, due to potential snow at destination I preferred a 4x4
Mar 11, 2021, 1:49 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SFO/DTW
Programs: DL PM 0.5MM, Hyatt Globalist, HHonors Gold, SPG Plat, Marriott Gold, Avis PC, National EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,988
Status: PC
Location: MCI
Reserved: Full Size
Assigned: Nissan Pathfinder - 15k miles
Received: 2021 Ford Explorer Limited with 3 miles (new car)
MCI has literally no luxury class vehicles and a random smattering of other normal junk like Equinox and Sonatas. Saw several Tacoma’s, Explorers, and Suburbans though.
Location: MCI
Reserved: Full Size
Assigned: Nissan Pathfinder - 15k miles
Received: 2021 Ford Explorer Limited with 3 miles (new car)
MCI has literally no luxury class vehicles and a random smattering of other normal junk like Equinox and Sonatas. Saw several Tacoma’s, Explorers, and Suburbans though.
Mar 14, 2021, 9:10 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: ATL/TLV/SDF
Programs: AA EXP, UA LT Ag, Marriott LT Ti, Hyatt Glob, Avis PC, Busted-Knuckles Club Grand Poobah.
Posts: 2,590
Status: PPlus
Location: DCA
Reserved: Intermediate
Assigned: VW Jetta ("standard" category)
Received: took the assigned car as no other options available according to app, and the entire Avis deck at DCA was oddly empty.
Location: DCA
Reserved: Intermediate
Assigned: VW Jetta ("standard" category)
Received: took the assigned car as no other options available according to app, and the entire Avis deck at DCA was oddly empty.