And just so its understood. seeing a cadillac in a stall three stalls from your assigned car doesn't mean that there is a Cadi Available. And if you get a Lincoln Town Car, or some other Luxury vehicle, sitting and pouting over the Cadi isnt a mature outcome. I had one guy throwing stuff around because he got a CTS instead of a DeVille.

Strange but true.

Nevermind that the CTS is about half the price of a DTS and considerably smaller. Some of my family members have large 'buckets' ;)

But he wanted the deville, not the DTS, Not the CTS

the Deville...the one no longer made.

Thanks for that informative post ezmonee. One question regarding the quoted information though: Is this grouping specific to the US, or does it apply to other countries as well? When booking in the UK for instance the D car is below the E in the dropdown (Ford Focus 1.6 vs. Renault Laguna 1.9), and it costs more as well.

My upgrade this weekend:
Booked: E (Ford Focus 1.6)
Received: P (Peugeot 307 2.0 HDI Conv.)
Car in slightly tattered shape, first convertible ever though.
Pref. Select

Location- IAD
Reserved- Class "C" mid size
Received- Dodge Durango ^
Level- Preferred Select

There is a little misunderstanding here. For me personally, even as a Preferred Select, what I feel I'm entitled to is the car I reserved. The T/C of PS says that I can get a 1 car upgrade within the same group (as you pointed out), which is a nice bonus if it is available, but I don't cry if it's not.

Also, regardless of class booked or upgraded, I am entitled to a vehicle that is clean and fully operable. I'll refuse a dud upgrade, even if it is a Cadillac under these circumstances (and I think you'll agree there).

In my case at IND, I had booked a full size (hoping for a premium) but I was "upgraded" to an intermediate SUV. I refused it, not only because it wasn't suitable for what I wanted, but the vehicle was filthy - the floormats were on the seats, leading me to think that they started to vacuum it but forgot. When I went to ask for another car (as several others were doing, hmmm...) they had only one sedan - a high mileage Hyundai, which the guy in line beside me ended up taking. The agent, who was pleasant about the whole thing, had to search, but could only offer SUVs, which I didn't particularly care for - regardless of any perceived "upgrade" it may have been.

All of this is going on while the signs at the rental counter and on the buses are flashing "Cars Available", so I doubt if the "700 car convention" was booked. I think it was just sloppy operations at that location.

By the way, I do want to say that I appreciate your contribution to this forum and your insight into the operations of the business. ^

Dirty cars is dirty cars. It is what it is. Mats on the seats is not acceptable and you would have gotten a Cadi from me and possibly been in earshot as I verbally thrashed the Lot Shuttlers for parking a car in such a condition.

But I have to disagree with you on one point. People who frequent this forum are most often not the problems. I have not one bit of contempt for anyone, sans the 2 post history member newbie who emails me direct wanting me to give them free day coupons or some !@#$@!). But because of Avis' policy of appeasement, 90% of the country will give you a different car if you ask for it whether its dirty, broken, old, ugly, or not. It is the rare circumstances where we will not accomodate a request. On those occasions, a persons true character comes out.

Theres the pleasant pacifist. "oh thank you sir. You have a wonderful evening. Be well"

The angry businessman. "If I ran my business like this I wouldn't have a business."

The "i have pull" non-realist. "do you know who I am, do you know how much business I bring to your company, How would your boss take it if I took my business to HERTZ because you wouldnt give me a @)#$)@$ SUV."

The baby. *slams counter* I want my CADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The former industry employee. "I know you are allowed to do it, I used to do it all the time. I think Ill call the corporate office and file a complaint against you. *writes name down*"

The lawyer. "You have a CONTRACTUAL obligation to fulfill the letter that stated a two class upgrade WHENEVER I booked a mid size or greater."

The snob. "I knew you guys were low class. Trying to give me a mere Taurus with 100 miles on it. I deserve a new car."

The quiet complainer. ---Letter received in mail stating his gas wasnt full, there were stains on the seat, the agent was rude, the check in agent charged him for gas when he has a receipt stating the gas is full, and they overcharged him for GPS when the agent said it would be free.

The flirt. "hey baby....I bet if I bought you dinner, id get that upgrade."

The ad nauseum. *still at the counter, just talked to 6 different leads 3 managers and now is on hold to talk to the district manager*

The thief. Gate Guard: "ummm sir... this car on this contract doesnt match the car your driving, please proceed to the counter to get this straightened out. Sir I understand that you feel that your entitled to this car, but I cannot let you pass unless the contract and the car match."

The mob. *stands on soapbox in the line and speaks to the line* "You see,these guys CHEAT you. Every time I come here they double charge me, give me an upgrade that I wanted, then havethe GALL to charge me for gas."

And finally...the optimist. "If I come back tomorrow, will you have an upgrade available for me then????" :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

- Location.= BTV
- Class Reserved =Full size
- car received =Volvo
- Your status.= Preferred Select

Location- BOS
Class Reserved= Fullsize
car received=Mustang
Your Status= Preferred Select

I sadly disagree. Have been Preferred for years but hardly ever get an upgrade, unless it's a weekend rental :(

I don't expect an upgrade just because. If I reserve a midsize or full size, then that's what I paid for.

CLG

Edited: Spelling

I've been Preferred Select for a while now and I only seem to get upgrades when I rent < full size. I usually rent at the same place for ~ 10 weeks and do so for 3 days per week so I'm a serial renter for a period of time. The best place was MSP as the guy there was on a first name basis with me and I rented the cheapest I could and always had a full size or SUV waiting for me. My last assignment was STL and they usually never had my car ready, tried to give me a sub compact when I rented an intermediate or gave me cars that were from rent-a-wreck.

Now i'm at BWI and I've had my car ready 1 time in 7 weeks of renting. I've received an upgrade 3 times in 7 weeks and had to ask for new cars due to smell or broken items in the car 2 times. If I rent an intermediate or below I get a full size as an upgrade. If I rent a full size I get a full size. When I wrote the manager about why my rentals were never ready and a couple other questions (and a praise believe it or not) he never really focused on my real issue of the cars not being ready. They always seem to have premiums and suv's on the lot but they are never available. They always seem to give my rental car away though so I have to wait. not sure why they can't do that to others and give me their car. I'd really like it if one time I could get the nice mustang that always is sitting there yet always "rented" yet no one can tell me how to rent it myself.

I personally would rather rent from Hertz as they seemed to treat me better when I was using them but it might just be foggy memory as it has been a while. But if Avis would give us the ability to request a certain car type that would be nice.

Lance

Location: SAN
Class Reserved: Premium Group G
Class Received: "Special" ... got a Volvo S60 with 12 miles on it! It was excellent.
My Status: Pref Select

Location: N3H (Calgary, AB off airport, local)
Class Reserved: Intermediate Group C
Class Received: SUV: a new Red Jeep grand cherokee w/ 2,000km on it. Again, excellent.
My status: Pref Select

I certainly don't walk up to Avis expecting any of these upgrades - it's nice to have them once in a while, but if I have to drive my Sebring or Malibu (which is what I'm paying for!!), that's OK with me - it's just a car. No big deal.

Last time I rented from PDX (worthless people in my book) I reserved a Standard and wanted a Monte Carlo or an Impala (i love the AUX jack on the radios) but got uped to a Mini-Van...A MINI-VAN!!!! Then when I ask for what I want its like I asked to date their sisters. The same thing happens to me at SFO. I understand if I got uped to a Lincoln or a Grand Marquis or a Buick...but a freakin Mini Van?

Actually, I did date the sister of an employee at PDX. But I wasn't at avis at the time.

One thing to remember, you take the good with the bad. If you want the lincolns and Cadi upgrades, you gotta deal with the occasional mommy wagon too. You have to understand how things work at these locations. 6-8am, there are often huge preferred hours. If a location has 200 stalls, and your preferred reservations for a single hour are 110-120, someones getting a van baybee! i know. Many people say "I rent 35 cars a year!@#@!#!" arguement, but so everyone knows, we have a way of verifying that, rather quickly and 9 times out of 10 the perrson complaining has less than 4 rentals in 24months on their profile. Regardless, when the contracts spit out, its all timing. I have advocated in the past to have people use flight numbers of earlier flights in making reservations. Preferred rentals are usually brought up 1-2 hours in advance and kept on the "BIG BOARD" flashing and pointing for at least two hours after arrival. That bieng the case, saavy renters can find a flight that lands an hour before their flight and usually finds better success in car selection and cars bieng ready (with the exception of some locations that do not pull up until your confirmed on the bus-per some posterrs here, LAX is one of them.).

The agents will do their best to minimize the issue. If you have a reservation for 3 hours, your chances of getting the Van or the 3 headed stepchild are good.

And anyone who comes in and asks for the "car they were reserved for" during those hours are not getting the "you want to date my sister" odd stare...its the "wholly @(#$(#$ I have no cars, every sedan I have is already on contract for preferred. I have to void someone elses contract, risk screwing up their credit card, give that car to this guy, then pray to freaking bhudda that the other guy doesnt come in within the next 10 minutes while i call and beg the QTA to send me another batch of cars triple time" stare.

If you have a reservation more than a day,and you get a van in place of a Full size reservation or less....there are more issues than that going on.

Sometimes I envy small locations. At least they can see the cars getting cleaned and judge whats coming up. At the larger locations like mine, i need to rely on a nextel beep to another manager and then a lead to shuttle cars from a holding lot or from the QTA area before my customers can see it. If we run out of cars.....the FASTEST we can get cars is sometimes 30 min. So given that issue, some customers do get vans instead of Impalas with mini jacks. If your here for 3 hours for a meeting, if we make you miss that meeting, its wasted airfare. So we get you into anything with 4 wheels on occasion as to not delay your meeting. imagine a high powered attorney flying in for a court date and then hes late to court because he had to wait for a car. We cant let that happen, so we make sure, as much as possible, that every person is in a car, even if its not what your reserved for. I have had people come back to me at return saying " I couldnt say anything at the beginning because if I did, i would have missed my meeting." And i always work something out with them. theres no way,in my mind, to not do something. I would rather giveout a 25 dollar coupon afterwards for sticking someone in a mommy wagon(van) or the 36k impala with a wierd squeak when it turns right than to have them miss a meeting waitiing for a car, potentially losing that customer for life.


As a manager, its sometimes easier to knock off 20 bucks off the rental for you to go buy a RF adapter for your ipod than to find you a full size carwith the minijack.

Ohh....did i give something away?!?!??!!? ;)

I experienced the same upgrade when I was there earlier this month.

Hey Ez,

Can you put this into English for us new president's club members? What should I book if I want a Cadillac or similar? What should I book if I want to try to get a specialty? Or at least have the best chance of getting one? Class letters don't help me unless I can find a mapping to car names :-(