Mar 29, 2017, 6:02 am
Last edit by: FlyinHawaiian
Questions regarding specific locations (eg, "I am Renting From XXX; What Might I Get?") may be moved to specific/dedicated threads for that location. All major airport codes may be searched using FlyerTalk's search engine; otherwise, words in " " quotation marks will bypass the character limit filter.
Overview of Service and List of Existing and Future Airport Locations: https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/produ...ate_choice.jsp
Am I Eligible? Is My Vehicle Eligible?
Q. Who can use Ultimate Choice?
Any member of the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program is eligible to use Ultimate Choice. The areas you can select from depend on your status in the program (President's Circle, Five Star, or Gold).
Q. What is the minimum booking class to be eligible to freely select cars from Ultimate Choice?
A. You can book anything other than an Economy (A), Compact (B), or Manager's Special (EXAR) vehicle, and be eligible for Ultimate Choice.
Q. What if I book a lower class such as Economy or Compact or Manager's Special?
A. You will be assigned a car from that class (or higher, as a complimentary upgrade) in a marked space.
Q. What happens if I book a Economy or Compact but pick a higher-class car from Ultimate Choice?
A. You will likely be asked to pay the midsize rental rate by the gate agent.
Q. What if I book a Fullsize car but find a lower class car in Ultimate Choice that I like better?
A. You may chose to take it, but you will pay the originally-booked Fullsize rate.
Q. What if I book a Adrenaline/Electric/Hybrid/Luxury/Prestige car or a Minivan/Truck/SUV?
A. You will be assigned a car from that class in a marked space. You can either accept it or chose a car from Ultimate Choice.
Q. Can I use Ultimate Choice for one-way rentals?
A. Yes.
Q. Can I use Ultimate Choice for award rentals?
A. Yes, provided the reservation is for a mid-size car or higher.
Overview of Service and List of Existing and Future Airport Locations: https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/produ...ate_choice.jsp
Am I Eligible? Is My Vehicle Eligible?
Q. Who can use Ultimate Choice?
Any member of the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program is eligible to use Ultimate Choice. The areas you can select from depend on your status in the program (President's Circle, Five Star, or Gold).
Q. What is the minimum booking class to be eligible to freely select cars from Ultimate Choice?
A. You can book anything other than an Economy (A), Compact (B), or Manager's Special (EXAR) vehicle, and be eligible for Ultimate Choice.
Q. What if I book a lower class such as Economy or Compact or Manager's Special?
A. You will be assigned a car from that class (or higher, as a complimentary upgrade) in a marked space.
Q. What happens if I book a Economy or Compact but pick a higher-class car from Ultimate Choice?
A. You will likely be asked to pay the midsize rental rate by the gate agent.
Q. What if I book a Fullsize car but find a lower class car in Ultimate Choice that I like better?
A. You may chose to take it, but you will pay the originally-booked Fullsize rate.
Q. What if I book a Adrenaline/Electric/Hybrid/Luxury/Prestige car or a Minivan/Truck/SUV?
A. You will be assigned a car from that class in a marked space. You can either accept it or chose a car from Ultimate Choice.
Q. Can I use Ultimate Choice for one-way rentals?
A. Yes.
Q. Can I use Ultimate Choice for award rentals?
A. Yes, provided the reservation is for a mid-size car or higher.
Questions/Discussion About Hertz Ultimate Choice Service
Dec 5, 2019, 2:54 pm
#766
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,666
I'm reading this topic and see that Ultimate Choice sometimes offers Mustang GT and other cars with an age limit. I booked a standard sport (D2) as a PC member but first time renting with Hertz as a 20 year old.
Could they offer me to pick from the Ultimate Choice and would I be able to take a Mustang GT if I'm lucky enough that they have one even though I'm not 25?
Could they offer me to pick from the Ultimate Choice and would I be able to take a Mustang GT if I'm lucky enough that they have one even though I'm not 25?
The question on whether you can rent a Mustang GT or similar as a 20-year old is separate and it doesn't really depend on reserving an SSAR or picking from UC. The answer there is that it really depends on the gate agent. It's possible they may assign you a GT for example, but then when you try to leave the lot, the gate agent may turn you away and tell you that you aren't eligible and you'll have to go and pick something else. The rules are kind of fuzzy in this area and it's really up to local management. I've seen under 25 year olds rent things like Jaguars, Mercedes and GT Convertibles with UC and I've seen them turned away when trying to exit with an Infiniti Q50. No harm in trying, but it's definitely a YMMV situation based on who's in the booth at the time and how picky they want to be.
Dec 6, 2019, 9:41 am
#767
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,705
AutoSlash is spot on, and I want to add that the chances of a Mustang GT being available in Ultimate Choice are almost zero. You'd face the same problem of getting through the gate agent.
When I was under 25 I got through with a Cadillac Escalade (MSRP $75,000) found in PC at one location, but was refused the Mercedes C-Class (MSRP $40,000) at another.
When I was under 25 I got through with a Cadillac Escalade (MSRP $75,000) found in PC at one location, but was refused the Mercedes C-Class (MSRP $40,000) at another.
Dec 6, 2019, 9:48 am
#768
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 183
1) the car is a convertible AND
2) you are in some place like Minneapolis or Detroit AND
3) it is the middle of January AND
4) it is snowing
Dec 6, 2019, 10:01 am
#769
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 5
That is cool!
AutoSlash is spot on, and I want to add that the chances of a Mustang GT being available in Ultimate Choice are almost zero. You'd face the same problem of getting through the gate agent.
When I was under 25 I got through with a Cadillac Escalade (MSRP $75,000) found in PC at one location, but was refused the Mercedes C-Class (MSRP $40,000) at another.
When I was under 25 I got through with a Cadillac Escalade (MSRP $75,000) found in PC at one location, but was refused the Mercedes C-Class (MSRP $40,000) at another.
Dec 6, 2019, 10:35 am
#770
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: Amex Plat, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Carlson Gold, CM Presidential / *A Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 1,648
I could be misremembering, but either in this thread or another, someone said that an u25 PC member (I believe) had their status removed and banned from the program due to taking cars from the PC lot which they should not have been able to rent due to their age
Dec 6, 2019, 11:58 am
#771
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,666
AutoSlash is spot on, and I want to add that the chances of a Mustang GT being available in Ultimate Choice are almost zero. You'd face the same problem of getting through the gate agent.
When I was under 25 I got through with a Cadillac Escalade (MSRP $75,000) found in PC at one location, but was refused the Mercedes C-Class (MSRP $40,000) at another.
When I was under 25 I got through with a Cadillac Escalade (MSRP $75,000) found in PC at one location, but was refused the Mercedes C-Class (MSRP $40,000) at another.
Dec 11, 2019, 12:57 pm
#772
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 5
First off, if you booked a Standard Sport (D2), then you are going to be assigned a vehicle. You don't necessarily need to take that vehicle--you can pick something from the UC section instead, which may or may not be better than what you were assigned, but that depend on how you hit it in terms of availability/selection when you arrive.
The question on whether you can rent a Mustang GT or similar as a 20-year old is separate and it doesn't really depend on reserving an SSAR or picking from UC. The answer there is that it really depends on the gate agent. It's possible they may assign you a GT for example, but then when you try to leave the lot, the gate agent may turn you away and tell you that you aren't eligible and you'll have to go and pick something else. The rules are kind of fuzzy in this area and it's really up to local management. I've seen under 25 year olds rent things like Jaguars, Mercedes and GT Convertibles with UC and I've seen them turned away when trying to exit with an Infiniti Q50. No harm in trying, but it's definitely a YMMV situation based on who's in the booth at the time and how picky they want to be.
The question on whether you can rent a Mustang GT or similar as a 20-year old is separate and it doesn't really depend on reserving an SSAR or picking from UC. The answer there is that it really depends on the gate agent. It's possible they may assign you a GT for example, but then when you try to leave the lot, the gate agent may turn you away and tell you that you aren't eligible and you'll have to go and pick something else. The rules are kind of fuzzy in this area and it's really up to local management. I've seen under 25 year olds rent things like Jaguars, Mercedes and GT Convertibles with UC and I've seen them turned away when trying to exit with an Infiniti Q50. No harm in trying, but it's definitely a YMMV situation based on who's in the booth at the time and how picky they want to be.
I asked them if they could provide a mustang and they added it to the reservation so really wondering if that will help. Regardless I'll have a good time anyway.
Thanks for the good anwsers!
Dec 12, 2019, 2:08 pm
#773
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 237
I'm so confused. Do they now park cars in different sections (President's Club, Five Star, Gold, etc) based on the car's class?
I didn't rent much from Hertz in 2017 and 2018, maybe just once a year. I have some sort of Gold Plus status, which is really no status. I don't have elite airline or fancy credit cards.
I reserved a full sized and expected a Chevrolet Malibu or similar. I think the board showed my name and then "Five Star" but I'm not sure. A employee walking around said to go pick any car in my section that was listed next to my name on the boards (I think it said "Five Star"). In that section, there was a Malibu, which I picked. There were two Chevrolet Cruzes, which are smaller cars. If I wanted a smaller car, I would have reserved it and paid a slightly lower rate. Does this mean it's a free for all and some people might reserve a small car then choose a big car?
I didn't rent much from Hertz in 2017 and 2018, maybe just once a year. I have some sort of Gold Plus status, which is really no status. I don't have elite airline or fancy credit cards.
I reserved a full sized and expected a Chevrolet Malibu or similar. I think the board showed my name and then "Five Star" but I'm not sure. A employee walking around said to go pick any car in my section that was listed next to my name on the boards (I think it said "Five Star"). In that section, there was a Malibu, which I picked. There were two Chevrolet Cruzes, which are smaller cars. If I wanted a smaller car, I would have reserved it and paid a slightly lower rate. Does this mean it's a free for all and some people might reserve a small car then choose a big car?
Last edited by A318neo; Dec 12, 2019 at 2:14 pm
Dec 12, 2019, 5:54 pm
#774
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Platinum Elite, National Executive Elite
Posts: 34
I'm reading this topic and see that Ultimate Choice sometimes offers Mustang GT and other cars with an age limit. I booked a standard sport (D2) as a PC member but first time renting with Hertz as a 20 year old.
Could they offer me to pick from the Ultimate Choice and would I be able to take a Mustang GT if I'm lucky enough that they have one even though I'm not 25?
Could they offer me to pick from the Ultimate Choice and would I be able to take a Mustang GT if I'm lucky enough that they have one even though I'm not 25?
With that being said, front desk employees' system will prompt them (which happened when I tried to swap a vehicle for something in UC that I was not eligible). This also happened when I reserved a CTS (and the rate came out cheaper than a standard luxury).
So, pretty much take whatever you want from UC and a gate agent is unlikely to say something. I've always chosen the busiest one so they don't look too closely.
If anyone has ever tried this with a premium upgrade next to the UC section, I'd really like to hear their experience. I've wanted to try that for a while, but have never got around to it.
Dec 13, 2019, 12:04 am
#775
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TLV/LHR
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Elite Amb, HH Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 12,948
Dec 17, 2019, 10:50 pm
#777
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: GEG/DEN/ATL
Programs: UA 1K, TK E+, AS MVPG, SPG&Marriott Plat, HHD, Hertz PC
Posts: 407
Typically when a car is parked in the slot, it is updated in the system. On rare occasions when I've picked up a car before it was fully parked in a spot, I've had to confirm where I got the car from with the attendant at the exit gate.
Dec 18, 2019, 11:34 am
#778
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 145
because in a couple of instances the gate agent asked me where the car had been parked when i picked up from the aisle, and i'd have thought they should already know it from their system.
Dec 19, 2019, 7:21 am
#779
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DTW
Programs: Alaska, Delta, Southwest
Posts: 1,663
Jan 23, 2020, 4:11 pm
#780
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Greater Chicagoland Area
Programs: frontier Elite, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,455
from PC. A few times, the only vehicle I've seen in PC like this was a pick up truck and now I can choose that and be covered.
What Vehicles Are Not Covered?
Certain vehicles are not covered by this benefit, including: antique
cars (cars over twenty (20) years old or that have not been
manufactured for ten (10) years or more), cargo vans, vehicles
with open cargo beds, trucks, (other than pick-ups), motorcycles,
mopeds, motorbikes, limousines, and recreational vehicles and
passenger vans with seating for more than nine (9) people,
including the driver (passenger vans with seating for nine (9) or
less, including the driver, are covered)