List your upgrades!
 

This is a total knockoff of the thread in Hertz... but what's good for the goose... :)

The listing is slightly different... but let's list your:

- Location.
- Class Reserved (let's just go with class names like "mid-size" rather than code)
- Car Received (with any notes about the car, if you want).
- Your status.

You may begin.

My experience is generally limited to 1 airport, but here goes:

- Location: PDX
- Class Reserved: Intermediate (Group C)
- Class Received: Intermediate SUV (Group F)
- Status: Preferred

I've rented probably 10 times or so from PDX with the same experience all times but 1, where I was upgraded to a Full Size (Group E). My rentals are generally for the weekend (pickup Friday, return Sunday or Monday), and the one exception occurred when I booked for a full week (during a holiday week as well).

Location - MCO
Class reserved - Full size ("Chevy Impala or similar")
Car received - Volvo S60
Status - Preferred Select

Trust me, this is NOT a normal upgrade (but appreciated!).

- Location: ALL
- Class Reserved: Intermediate (Group C)
- Class Received: Cady DTS (Only no other car)
- Status: Chairmans Club

I ALWAYS reserve Full Size, so I wont write it every time. and I dont remember a time I wasnt upgraded... I'm only writing the times I remember throughout the past 9 months.

STATUS: While I was regular preffered:

Location: YOW
Car Recieved: Lincoln Town Car (for 19.99 p/d)

Location: YOW
Car Recieved: GMC Yukon XL (21.99 p/d)

Location: YOW
Car Recieved: Buick Rendezvous

Location: YOW
Car Recieved: Pontiac Montana

STATUS: After I became Chairman's Club
Location: MTL
Car Recieved: Lincoln Town Car (on a Free Weekend Cert... $6.09 for 2 days)

Location: YOW
Car Recieved: Ford Minivan

Location: MTL
Car Recieved: Lincoln Zephyr

Location: MTL
Car Recieved: Chevrolet Uplander

Location: MTL
Car Recieved: Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT

Location: LGB
Car Recieved: Chrysler 300

Location: MTL
Car Recieved: Chrysler 300

As a new Chairman's:

MCO
intermediate reserved
upgraded to a CTS :)

PSP
intermediate reserved
upgraded to Buick Lucerne :(

--------------------------------------------

Note that the new Lucernes are very sporty looking and come w/ XM radio... but handles terribly at 70-80 mph (70mph is the speed limit here) and the a/c really struggles to cool the car.

I was disappointed in the car choice. It is Palm Springs after all and I'm on my last vacation for a verrrrry long time. (The mgr at the location said it was the best available at the time of my rental and that it was a "brand new car and has all the bells and whistles".)

Of course it is Palm Springs, after all and there are probably more premium and luxury rentals?

Sigh.

Wow, I'd kill for that upgrade!

My last few rentals:

Location: MCO
Class reserved: Full size
Car received: Lincoln Town Car
Status: President's Club

Location: MCO
Class reserved: Full size
Car received: Cadillac DeVille
Status: President's Club

Location: MCO
Class reserved: Full size
Car received: Premium class (can't remember the exact car)
Status: President's Club

Susan

I'm not sure what this thread is going to...

... but we're all here at least Prefered and we all get upgrades all the times. So what???

I'm preferred select...

May @ YYZ
Rented: intermediate
Received almost new Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer edition. Nice SUV.

May @ OMA
Rented: full size
Received: Hyundai Sonata

June @ ORD:
Rented: intermediate
Received: Hyundai Sonata

June @ LAS:
Rented intermediate
Received: a "new" malibu (not the classic)
Nothing special about the car - -but there was a SUPER friendly avis guy waiting after I got off the bus that greeted me by name ..

June @ LAX:
Rented intermediate
Received: PT Cruiser

July @ MCI:
Rented intermediate class
Received PT Cruiser...had 9999 miles when I picked it up
2 day rental

August @ ERI:
Rented: Standard
Received: Ford Mustang...brakes were very warped - after only 12,000 miles
3 day rental

August @ PIT
Rented: intermediate
Received: Taurus. Absolutely nothing memorable about the car.

Yesterday @ FLL:
Rented: Intermediate
Received: Hyundai Ashtray - oops Sonata...24k miles and smoky, but otherwise fine.... 6 hour rental. Was parked with 3 volvos on one side, and 2 on the other...... As I was walking downt the aisle, I thought that this would finally be the time that I got a killer upgrade.....

Just out of curiosity, was it white with the goldish undercarriage? If it was and it pulled to the right... sorry :D

I reported on a great upgrade at MCO, but here's the other side of the coin:

- Location: IND
- Class reserved: Full-size (Impala or similar)
- Car received: A very tired Suzuki SUV
- Status: Preferred Select

Since I had a two hour drive ahead of me, I went to the Preferred booth and refused the Suzuki. Interestingly, there were two people in line ahead of me refusing their cars as well! When they got to me, the only thing they could offer in my class was a Hyundai Sonata with 25k miles ("It's going to be a SUV, sir..."). They finally found a Trailblazer with lower mileage which is what I accepted.

A non-upgraded Impala would have been nice at this point.

My favorite Avis location in the US pulled through for me yet again. The manager, Mr. Allen is a top-notch guy.

Location - ATL
Class reserved - Full size ("Chevy Impala or similar")
Car received - Lincoln Town Car with 90 miles on the odometer
Status - Preferred Select

One thing that people forget is that cars are checking in, coming back from oil change, and light bulbs and other items repaired all day long. When your contract is pulled up, its based on best available at the moment when the contract is pulled up.

If your willing to jump through hoops to get your upgrade, then you can get pretty much anything. But there comes a point when enough is enough.

Not to point fingers, or to the OP who I am replying to, but people need to understand the following.

1> PS and Presidents club members get the two class upgrade or one class upgrade as appropriate within their car group class.

If you book a full size, as a presidents club, you are NOT entitled to a CADI. Your entitled to a premium. You are also not entitled to a Van, SUV, Mini SUV, Full size SUV , 12 Passenger Van, Hummer, Volvo, or dodge durango pickup.

There are three subgroups within the car groups.

Sedans. class A, B, C, D, E, G
specialty Class F, H, K, S, W, Z, P
premium specialty X

Your upgrades are within these groups. Book an A, Get a B (PS) or C (PCI)

If you book an E and get an H, that is an operational decision made by the airport manager. Not because that is the upgrade path you are on.

Depending upon availablity, a manager may elect to go outside the normal upgrade paths to give you a car. that is their discretion and not bound by any upgrade rules. And under ANY circumstances, even if you see 500 cars on the lot of the exact type you want. If the manager says "this impala is yours" and you reserved an impala, then they are under no obligation to give it to you. You dont know if they have a 700 Car group coming through for a convention. And its not avis' place to tell you either.

So when demanding any upgrade, remember the above!

*Yeah I recently got into it with a perferred select customer. Hence my tone*

See, now we're all curious as to what went down!

Very good post... and of course, it's never a good thing to demand anything. A polite request stands a better chance. In the past when I was a non-status (and I guess this is true with all car companies), I've witnessed many customers huffing/puffing about not getting an upgrade they want, and I could only keep it go myself. Then I'd walk up, smile, sympathize, and politely asked for a particular car, if it was available of course. And usually, it was... if not, a reasonable alternative was offered.

At least nowadays I don't have to politely request as much :D It amazing to me that people still think yelling/screaming at someone will get them what they want.

I have a letter from Robert Salerno (President and CEO) informing me-as a President's Club member-that I am entitled to "Complimentary two-car-level upgrades whenever available, when you reserve an Intermediate-level car or higher."

I don't feel entitled to a Premium car, if I reserve a Full-Size vehicle I feel entitled to an upgrade up to a Cadillac "whenever available".

Thankfully I've formed a great relationship with the manager of the local Avis, so I've never had a problem with "hidden" inventory

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 :-(

I'm not ez, but this should help.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=589502

Thanks! (I've been having a problem with FT search over the past week...errors out)

So, I'm still a bit confused. As a President's Club member, I'm supposed to get a 2-class upgrade where available? I'm trying to understand what ez said...if I book a fullsize, I should only hope for a premium because SUV is in between?

Again, what should I book if I want the best shot at a luxury or better?

IMO only, a PC should book a premium to have the best shot at a luxo. I'd say full-size has a 50/50 chance of being upgraded that far.

And again, some stations are better than others about it.

Can you explain how that works? Isn't premium 1 level up from full-size?

A tiny car
b Compact
C Mid
D standard (2dr)
e Full
G prem
H luxury

As a PC, if you book a Mid size or Better (class C) your entitled to a two class upgrade based upon availability.

Availability, as defined by Avis Rent A car, means the car class is open for reservations within the reservation system and management does not need that car class to fulfill other reservations in other classes in that location or adjoining locations within that district.

That last statement is critical. If Budget is short Luxury cars, then avis shuttles it to them. Avis and budget are owned by the same company under NYSE Symbol CAR, AvisBudgetGroup.

So if i was going to research my options at getting a luxury upgrade at LAX, I would check SNA and ONT for avis and budget to see if they are sold out on Luxury. If they are, then my odds just went down. If they are not, my odds just went up. But by the letter of the program, if you booked a full size, and got a Premium car, then you were given an upgrade. No manager anywhere is "Required" to give you a luxury car when you book a full size, even if they had 600 available luxury cars on lot. Also, if you got Lincoln Town Car instead of a Cadi DTS, the location is not compelled to give you a DTS, even if you see one sitting right there next to your car. A luxury upgrade is a luxury upgrade.

If you were to book a full size car, and demand an SUV, again, the location does not have to give it to you. Specialty cars, which a luxury is part of (but included in the sedan tree), are not on the same upgrade path as the sedans.

As a PC, you could book a Mini SUV (F) and request a two class upgrade to an expedition if you wanted to. However most people who book specialty car classes do so for good reason, because it meets their needs. Someone who books a Van may not necessarily be too thrilled to get a convertible upgrade. Nor will someone who books a minivan be happy to see a 15 pax van in their stall. For that reason, most PC/Select upgrades are not done prior to your arrival unless you have specific notes in the reservation, such as "request suburban". just remember that if you request it, it doesnt mean you will get it.



Feel free to msg me directly with questions on any other scenarios.

no one ever said you were easy ;)

ill try. I know ill confuse some people. feel free to ask questions.

Book A full size or better, request luxury.

Thats your best bet. Plain and simple. Odds of success vary from location to location.

Another thing you can do is to book a SUV, inter-SUV, Convt, or other vehicle and request luxury. Depending upon your company's AWD, some car classes may be cheaper than others. I know for a fact that some DotCom/tech companies have huge discounts on Luxury Car class, but absolute zilch on SUV, Van, Convt, etc. So many of them book luxury cars and request the other car classes with significant success (greater than 80%). the same works in reverse for some AWD's.

Bottom line, Each manager/location has a $ amount that a rental has to hit in order to not be questioned about an upgrade. This doesn't mean they cant ever do an upgrade, it just means they wont get a second look about it when it happens. Certain times of year, rentals can be so expensive that booking a Compact as a presidents club might get you a G class car if they are short on sedans due to the seasonal influx. Lets face it, there are times when you are paying 60 dollars a day for a compact car. If thats the case, go ahead to the counter and ask to see if a full size, SUV, InterSUV, or even a luxury or premium is available. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. But when the prices are that high, I could care less what car you were booked for, if I have spare, i just might give it to you. Happy customer is a repeat customer.

Absent of that $$ cap, they are limted to the upgrade tree and program guidelines to okay upgrades. So some people who have compact reservations end up in SUV's. or "vans" or "mom wagons". When some cars sit on the lot too long, you could end up in that car.

Saavy managers really teach their agents how to massage the system by keeping inactive cars down, making status customers happy, and keeping the ready line full so the rest of the agents do not have difficulty in provding their customers needs.


Plain english, this is how it works. A preferred agent (hourly employee) will get a list of available cars from management at the beginning of their shift. Not available cars like "15 luxury, 3 vans, 24 full size" mut more like "were really tight on sedans, so specialties are your upgrade cars" or "we have tons of Cadi's on lot that have been sitting too long, get them turned around asap."

The preferred agent will use those general guidelines, reserved class, length of rental, and customer knowledge to emulate a game plan for the next two hours (always starts two hours ahead).

Here is how I teach my agents to do it.

here is a mimmicked list that an agent will pull

xxx,xxx G+ PCI/pref DTS 1

Name Class Notes length of rental


We pull up two hours in advance, and look at the class. The "+" means that the customer by status has an upgrade. The notes determine the upgrade limit and any customer request information the last is the length of rental.

Essentially, if you are going to have a car for only 1 day, the sky can be the limit. You could get a hummer or a volvo for this particular sample reservation. The rate is high (g), the customer has status, and the rental is short. Depending on pre-existing rules set forth by the District manager, you could get a hummer, or you could only get a G, or any car inbetween, sideways, or upside down, primariliy because its a short rental.

now look at this example.
xxx,xxx E+ PCI/pref DTS 1

an upgrade may not be possible depending on how the system is at the time of your arrival, or it could totally be possible. This is one of the reasons why you may see alot of CADI's available, but you are not upgraded into one of them. The management may be holding them in case they run out of G, or E cars. there may be 45 Cadi's on the lot, but if the balance of G and E cars is -15 or worse, there will be some upgrades done. those are the perfect time to be "early" to the party. If a preferred agent comes into work at 6am and sees -15 on E, then every PCI that comes across her/his desk will get a Luxury in an attempt to balance the system out. The first 15 PCI's in that day will be satisfied with their upgrades. After that, its a balancing act between the next hour's cars and the supply of E cars and Demand at that magical two hours prior mark. You may be the unlucky soul who comes in at just the moment when a ton of Full size cars check in, and because tons of CAdi's already went out, they may need to re-balance the fleet and slow down upgrades to make sure that the 7pm hour still has enough luxury cars to meet their reservations.

A Saavy Preferred agent will upgrade people and downgrade people at will to balance the fleet and keep available cars flowing. A "shuttle" of cars arrives from the QTA (cleaning area, stands for quick turnaround area) that has 14 Compacts 15 Mid size and 40 Full size. The reservations on the next hour (and looking two hours ahead for preferred) shows the need for 16 Full Size, 35 Mid size and 60 compact Cars. Already on the ready line, the agent has 14 SUV's 10 Vans, 24 Cadi's and 15 Premimum Cars.

14 Compacts will likely be saved for regular reservations or given to subcompact reservations for Select status individuals. Full size reservations with or without status will get premium cars, luxury cars, and full size cars depending upon length of rental and rate, leaving more full size cars left over to cover the mid size reservations. Then status mid size individuals may get upgrades to full size (even PC, single class) in order to balance the fleet for the hour.

Not everyone can see the logic in this. Its like a chess game. Put the people in the cars and avoid checkmate (too many people, not enough cars). A untrained agent might just drop all the PCI's into their two class upgrade, then for the next 3 hours the location is chasing their tail trying to balance.


Downgrading (oh the horror!)


Many businessmen book specific car classes, but really they just need to "get there" for that meeting. Avis will, in the absense of your reserved car class, assume that you need a car right away and will try to put you into anything that is available, should you really need to get going in a hurry. It will usually be an upgrade, but it can be a downgrade. If your booked for a full size, but the only thing available is mid size, The agent, by empowerment guidelines, should back your rate down to a subcompact rate, give you the mid size car (giving you the two class upgrade your entitled to) and send you on your way, or you could decline the car and wait for something better. you would be right by saying "should you upgrade rather than downgrade". The answer is yes. But reality gives way to desire at times. Reality bites. No cars, you take what you can get. Plus PC customers can walk up to any location and get a car even if the location is 100% sold out. The agent will get you any car, charge you for that car class, and send you on your way even if customers are camped out like woodstock in the lobby.

There are benefits to PCI.


That is now its "supposed" to work. Not always works that way.

This is the best explanation I've ever seen. Thanks so much!
What's the best way to put notes in the reservation when booking online? Or should I book through the phone for this reason?

Las Vegas this past week...we went from a Ford Taurus to a Chevy Monte Carlo SS

Tul
 

Class reserved: Premium
Car received: Cadi (had a choice of either Cadi or Towncar)
Length: 1 week.
Status: Preferred Select