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Originally Posted by GW McLintock
(Post 37097962)
I would not expect any of those on an IFAR reservation as a PC. I got lucky one time with an Escalade, but you will more than likely get something like an Equinox or maybe even a Highlander.
-J. |
Originally Posted by AmericanAirlinesSF
(Post 37098141)
haha is equinox even considered an upgrade?
-J. |
Status: PC
Location: CVG Booked: Full Size Offered: VW Atlas or Ford Explorer Received: Ford Explorer Very delayed flight, arriving CVG after 2am. Avis CVG called me while I was still at ORD asking if I was still planning on renting the car that night. They assigned me a car and parking stall over the phone and told me that nobody will be there when I arrive, so you might have to wait a little while until someone can let you out. :confused: After I pushed back, she said she would "let them know" that I was coming. Indeed there was someone there when I arrived and he let me know that he was expecting me. |
Status: PC
Location: CLT Booked: Premium Offered: Chevrolet Trax, Buick Encore GX (App), Nissan Rogue (App), Mazda CX-5 (App), Mitsubishi Outlander non-Hybrid, Ford Mustang Coupe (on the 50th refresh on the app) Received: Dodge Challenger R/T (V8) after asking the lady assigning people cars at the aisle. PGA weekend, lot was pretty empty. |
Status: PC (recently upped from PPlus via American status)
Location: MCI Booked: Intermediate Offered: I forget, some generic blob Received: Chose a Volvo XC60 via app Nice ride for the 90-mile daily R/T. Could do without so much reliance on a touchscreen for everything though... This one was "complimentary upgrade" but other offerings e.g. a Genesis GV80 just said "upgrade" and I didn't know if that was a freebie or paid, so I never pick those. After a week in this car I generally like it. Comfy long-distance cruiser and Volvo seats are legendary. The mild-hybrid drivetrain is not very powerful, 247hp in a heavy station wagon (dammit, that's what it is!) is a bit on the low side, and I dislike farty little 4-banger engines. Few of them sound good, like it's always complaining about something. I did not like Volvo's radar-cruise and lane-assist behavior. The former is inconsistent in how it slows and accelerates, sometimes very smoothly and others very abrupt, like it'll downshift 3 gears to speed up. The lane-assist mode with the cruise on seemed OK at first — this is one where it it will steer for you but you must leave a hand on the wheel — but when a left-turn lane opened next to me at about 75mph on a highway (not interstate), the car swerved into it very suddenly and I had to wrench the wheel back. I turned it off after that, once I found the setting buried in the touchscreen. Ford did a much better job with their BlueCruise. Incidents like this do nothing to lessen my distrust of these so-called driver assists. IMO they make people less attentive and discourage good driving habits. I'll go back to yelling at clouds now... |
Status: PC
Location: RSW Booked: Intermediate SUV Offered: Chevy Traverse Received: Yukon Denali The Traverse was assigned to me all day. The app glitched out and let me know before I even had taken off. After landing looked at options as I was happy getting the Traverse and my only option was a Kia Niro EV (lol). As I was walking to the Traverse I checked the app again and the Yukon was an option and something else (don’t even remember). Lot was jammed pack and I was the only customer in sight. Apparently Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is ideal. |
Status: PC
Location: IAD Booked: Mid size Assigned: 2025 Volvo V60 w/ 2.5k miles Offered: 2025 GMC Yukon Denali Received: Volvo Didn’t want to take the Yukon since it’s a connected car and be hassled with the fuel level in return. IAD had tons of Volvos on the lot at the day of pickup |
Status: PC
Location: EDI (x2 in a month) Booked: Compact Manual and a Mini Manual Assigned: 2023 Peugeot 208 and a 2022 Fiat 500 Offered: 2023 MB A-Class and a 2021Audi A3 Received: 2024 MG HS and the A3 The A-Class turned out to have a knackered interior screen and damaged bumper, and thus was declined…so they put me in the HS (The HS was literally just off the delivery truck, and the entertainment/navigation system needed initialized). Luckily one of the employees on a smoke break was able to do it so I didn’t have to go back inside a third time. The HS was nice, but as with the A3, the electronic nannies on/off buttons are buried deep in the menus. The A3 was a mistake, as it was a bit tired and lacked even a reverse camera, while having a couple of nasty blind spots. Having driven a 500 for a year, would have been miles better. |
Status: PC
Location: SRQ Booked: intermediate sedan Assigned: nothing Received: 2025 Toyota Corolla LE (8,700 miles) No offense to the two very elderly counter agents but it took over 15 minutes from when I got to the desk to when I walked out the door to the lot with a non-upgrade. The Corolla was fine. The first car my agent tried to assign me was apparently only for Uber drivers and it took a few minutes for him to figure that out. Overall an adequate but below-average experience. -J. |
Status: PC
Location: BZN Booked: Intermediate SUV Offered: “A three row ford, a three row Subaru, or a three row Hyundai” Received: Ford Explorer platinum Ended up choosing the ford since I like how they drive, and banked on it having more options than the Subaru and the Hyundai. Seemed to be correct since it was a platinum. The massage seats were a nice touch |
Status: PC (via Mrs Ginge)
Location: Ljubljana Airport Booked: Group C, Seat Leon or equiv Recieved: Group D, Toyota Yaris Cross, nothing else available.That was the only car in the AVIS spaces. One of those ones where the upgrade car wasn't as good as the one booked if they'd had that. One we have learnt in other countries but didn't do here, if there is a car you don't want, eg a Fiat Group D in Italy, then don't book lower than group E! |
Status: PC
Location: DFW Booked: intermediate Offered: mazda CX-50 Received: Subaru Outback "Onyx Edition" The Maz drives nicely but the seat from a past National rental is awful. I was achy within an hour. Kept hitting the "Change" button and this Scoobie popped up. Kinda wish I'd chosen something else. All of the nags and nannies were turned on. Took awhile to turn them off, and some come back on the next restart. I KNOW HOW TO DRIVE. The central touchcreen does not like polarized sunglasses either, which, hello, are a pretty common thing. It's also very glossy and VERY reflective of direct sunlight, so once that lasered into my skull and left me slightly blinded I realized I will never take one of these things again despite how well it drives, and I will tell everyone to never buy one. |
Status: PC
Location: MCI Booked: Premium Offered: Genesis G70 Received: Genesis G70 |
Status: PC
Location: HOU Booked: Full Size Offered: Mazda CX- 90 Received: Genesis GV80 Props to the agent for giving me the Genesis when I asked, but I regret asking for it. It has 53k miles, a variety of dings, and the vague smell of covered up smoke. Not bad for a 24 hour rental though |
Status: PC
Location: MCI Booked: standard sedan Assigned: 2025 Jeep Compass Received: 2025 Jeep Compass Limited (5,000ish miles) I probably should have asked for a sedan or something that would do better on gas, but it's comfortable and gets the job done. ETA: apparently this is classified as D :confused: so my second non-upgrade in a row. -J. |
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