gj83

Avis doesn't care about renters. I'm Avis First but only because back in the Preferred Select days after I had 25 rentals I begged for the status. Their e-mail in response to my request was something to the effect of "After reviewing your record we have determined that you do in fact meet our qualifications" making it sound like they are asleep at the wheel.

I rent from Avis weekly, sometimes 2 rentals a week, yet I get old cars with nonfunctional blinkers which have been smoked in recently. I know Avis First is the bottom of the elite totem pole, but why are all my cars over 20k miles? Why do they smell like cigarettes when Avis claims to be smoke free? Why does a smoke free company have ashtrays (i mean aftermarket cupholder ashtrays)? Why did I get 3 cars in 2 months with non-functional blinkers?

3 more months til no more Avis for me!

gleff

Does Avis claim to be smokefree? I know whenever I rent there's a choice of smoking or non-smoking vehicle (defaults to non-smoking).

My experience is that Avis varies tremendously by station, where are you renting from mostly?

I've loved SAN, ATL, LAS, FLL, PHX for instance... and utterly loathed SMF, the worst airport station in the US, IMHO. Most locations are kind of clueless, with decent at best cars, but not completely useless

N9MD

Responding to a few points brought up by posters:

I have never ever had a "smokey" car in my years of renting from AVIS -- and even before I was invited into the CC, my preference for non-smoking when making a reservation was always honored. And I have seldom had a high mileage vehicle -- again, even before I was invited into the CC.

"Within reason" means I can reserve a mid-size car but, according to CC rules, be elevated to a Luxury Car. In practice, I usually call ahead the day before I arrive to assure availability of a Cadillac (CTS or DTS). The nice thing is that, in my experience with CC, only once during a busy holiday travel season did I drive out with a Buick Lucerne (which ain't such a bad thing). I've been told by one manager that, if a CC member is listed for a car on any given day, the AVIS location will revoke any upgrade that was intended for a Preferred or Presidents Club customer -- or for someone with an upgrade coupon -- to assure the CC gets the Luxury car.

Regarding qualification for the CC invitation, I really do not know the answer. Howevere, in reading many posts in other threads over the course of recent time, I get the feeling that it may reflect:

1) Platinum ($350 annual fee for CC) or Centurion (Free) American Express Card.

2) CEO or President of a Corporation. (Apparently not Vice President or COO since my son-in-law, who has AmExp Platinum and rents practically every week or two from AVIS, has not received an invitation. But, I may be wrong.)

3) Corporate American Express charges of "beaucoup bucks" annually. (I get the feeling that CC invitations have nothing to do with the number of annual rental days.)

4) A nice smile.*

* I lied about the smile.

IAH Oil Man

CEOs for the companies that I know of... don't rent cars. The driver picks them up at hanger when their jet arrives. If they did, they would rent the highest car class and not think twice about the cost. So free upgrades would not interest them.

Avis needs to give upgrades to the average business traveler and give higher status to people that rent more...

gleff

Certainly on the whole true, with business travel, though I know several CEOs of not small companies who would rent cars on personal business and some of whom do think about cost (they're frugal themselves, at times driven by being in low margin businesses).

But on the whole I don't know the Chairmans Club is primarily held by actual major corporate CEOs, despite lore to the contrary.

gleff

There isn't anything about 'in reason' the rules for CHM members. The upgrade is to the 'best available car' but despite this, Avis has rules exempting certain specialty vehicles such as Hummer and Volvo from CHM upgrades.
No, Platinum used to get Preferred Select. When Preferred Select went away, I believe the benefit did as well. Centurion gets Presidents Club. And since when was the Black Card free?
There are VP types here that were targeted for CHM status several months ago, with the new annual fee CHM program.
[quote]

IAH Oil Man

[QUOTE=gleff;8847699]No, Platinum used to get Preferred Select. When Preferred Select went away, I believe the benefit did as well. Centurion gets Presidents Club. And since when was the Black Card free?


You are correct. Plat Amex no longer has any benefit with AVIS and the Black card gets you Presindets Club. The Black Card is 5K to get and 2.5K per year afterwards. There were some black card memeber that were "grandfathered" at 1K per year but next year that goes away. Along with the high yearly fee the black card is hard to qualifiy for. The type of people that have one are the ones that put all their buiness expences on their personal cards or are people that would not likely be renting cars anyway.....at least the kind of cars that AVIS rents.

The interesting card is the Chase CoAir Presidents Plus card that gives you double upgrades at AVIS but does not say if it comes along with any status of any kind with AVIS.

gleff

It comes with avis presidents club status.

THE soni

Exclusive AvisŪ Benefits - As a Presidential Plus cardmember, you will be invited to join Avis' President's Club, an exclusive program that includes up to a two-car group upgrade, guaranteed car even without a reservation, savings on international rentals, and access to a members-only reservation line.

N9MD

Exactly right, gleff. One would be extremely naive to believe that the title CEO means a multi-billion dollar corporation with access to a private jet and a company chauffered limo. There are thousands and thousands of small and mid-sized businesses, each of which has a CEO -- and that CEO uses airline travel and actually does rent a car in order to drive himself/herself. The size of these businesses does not warrant a sole or fractional ownership in a jet. And very often the CEO does not actually do much travelling for the business -- but he/she gets credit for the spending patterns, so Chairmans Club is offered to the sedentary CEO.

My CEO status (aside from being a practicing gastroenterologist) relates to a company I founded in 1982 that marketed medical office practice management hardware/software computer systems. We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars annually -- on computer equipment inventory which we turned around and sold to our clients -- thereby impressing AmExp with our annual charges, enough to get me invited into the Chairmans Club. Yet, our company could never justify the costs of a private jet or chauffered limo (although I am a twin engine instrument rated pilot who has flown my aircraft almost exclusively for pleasure).

sfbarry

Nevermind.....