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
Aug 5, 2019, 6:46 am
#706
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
Not at all part of the program. I've had a crazy number [for me] of 1-way rentals this year [ORD-CLE, PVD-ATL, CMH-CLE being toe ones I can remember off the top of my head] and at every airport I where UC has bee available I've picked whatever car I wanted from PC -- PVD-ATL I had an Infiniti QX60 and ORD-CLE I had a Cadillac XTS -- I was sure I'd get some kind of comment if not a "Haha .No." at the gate but I got one "That should be a nice car for such a long drive" and nothing else.
I wonder if, though, the trick is I'm always going from one Ultimate Choice location to another, and if you're going to a non-Ultimate choice location if they assign a car based on need/deficit at that location? One of the only things I can think of that would explain why some posters are reporting that they're getting a car assigned on one-way rentals while others aren't
I wonder if, though, the trick is I'm always going from one Ultimate Choice location to another, and if you're going to a non-Ultimate choice location if they assign a car based on need/deficit at that location? One of the only things I can think of that would explain why some posters are reporting that they're getting a car assigned on one-way rentals while others aren't
Legit: Some corporate rates could include this provision (no UC for one-ways). I haven't heard about it, but it's certainly possible.
Not legit: Location doesn't want to give up good cars for one-ways, so they're trying to pretend that the customer isn't entitled to use PC.
Aug 5, 2019, 7:30 am
#707
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 183
I can think of two reasons why a PC picking up a one-way at a UC location would be assigned an intermediate rather than sent to the PC section. One reason is legit, the other not.
Legit: Some corporate rates could include this provision (no UC for one-ways). I haven't heard about it, but it's certainly possible.
Not legit: Location doesn't want to give up good cars for one-ways, so they're trying to pretend that the customer isn't entitled to use PC.
Legit: Some corporate rates could include this provision (no UC for one-ways). I haven't heard about it, but it's certainly possible.
Not legit: Location doesn't want to give up good cars for one-ways, so they're trying to pretend that the customer isn't entitled to use PC.
Aug 5, 2019, 9:33 am
#708
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
Aha - was it a prepaid rental of some sort, or just a regular pay later rental that you booked through Autoslash? If the former, then your status (and hence right to use UC) might not have come through...
Aug 5, 2019, 10:52 am
#709
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CLE, DCA, and 30k feet
Programs: Honors LT Diamond; United 1K; Hertz PC
Posts: 4,157
Not even Gold service, much less Ultimate Choice. A generally awful rental experience after having become used to the speed/simplicity of President's Circle + Ultimate Choice. One of many reasons I really prefer booking my own travel (typically our rates to clients are "all in" -- this one being a global non-profit we don't actually charge anything except direct costs)...
Aug 5, 2019, 11:33 am
#710
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 183
It was not prepaid. Just a plain old pay later rental booked through autoslash. The reservation showed up in my account beforehand, I got the 'go to the PC area' email when I landed and I got Hertz points after the rental was completed.
Aug 5, 2019, 11:35 am
#711
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
An email to customer service would be in order. If you got a post-rental survey, you should definitely submit it, and it should reflect this chicanery.
Aug 5, 2019, 12:10 pm
#712
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: AUS
Posts: 281
Sounds like they're being particular about UC with those downtown<->airport rental rates w/ the free tank of gas, although corporate policy-wise you should still be able to pick from UC, and I did one of those at IAD recently and was able to pull from PC just like normal.
Aug 6, 2019, 6:45 am
#714
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
Safe travels!
Aug 6, 2019, 7:15 am
#716
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
Small edit: from the PC, 5*, Gold, Fullsize, Midsize, or Compact areas. Although it's pretty unlikely that you'll find something you like better in 5* than in PC, it does happen.
Aug 8, 2019, 9:38 pm
#717
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Wanting First. Buying First.
Programs: Lifetime Executive Diamond Platinum VIP with Braniff, Eastern, Midway, National & Pan Am
Posts: 17,483
I had a one way rental from ORD to downtown Chicago. The email I got when I landed said pick from the PC sections. When I looked at the board however it said intermediate. The Hertz employee near the board explicitly told me that since it was a one way and they would not get the car back I had to pick from the section I reserved. I figured this was just part of the program...
I've never had any issues with one-way rentals from UC locations. Including from UC locations to HLEs. I've pulled at least two one-way Cadillacs out of 5*/PC, one which was reserved for return to an HLE.
I have had some mediocre to total junk one-way cars, but not from a UC location.
Aug 15, 2019, 6:32 am
#718
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,340
Hi, not sure if this is the best place. I am President's Circle and my experience at SFO yesterday was certainly different. I went to the PC Ultimate Choice, took a car, got to the checkout lane, guy says "you can't have this car as you booked in B/compact class". Huh? I've always done this. The website says this is one of my benefits:
"Freedom to choose any vehicle in the President’s Circle section of the Hertz Ultimate Choice lot on the spot at no extra charge".
He made me take the car back and said you have to choose from the 5 star. So, chose a car from there, went to checkout and told the guy what had happened and he said "the guy was wrong, go and choose a car from the PC and I will check you out". Which he did.
For clarity on this I just rang the PC line and apparently I have to book in C/Intermediate to get this benefit. Have I just been lucky over all these years and has this always been the case and they are tightening up? And obviously there is also confusion within Hertz at SFO on this too.
Mods feel free to move if there is a better thread for this, but this was my PC experience yesterday.
"Freedom to choose any vehicle in the President’s Circle section of the Hertz Ultimate Choice lot on the spot at no extra charge".
He made me take the car back and said you have to choose from the 5 star. So, chose a car from there, went to checkout and told the guy what had happened and he said "the guy was wrong, go and choose a car from the PC and I will check you out". Which he did.
For clarity on this I just rang the PC line and apparently I have to book in C/Intermediate to get this benefit. Have I just been lucky over all these years and has this always been the case and they are tightening up? And obviously there is also confusion within Hertz at SFO on this too.
Mods feel free to move if there is a better thread for this, but this was my PC experience yesterday.
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Aug 15, 2019 at 7:39 am Reason: Moved into consolidated thread
Aug 15, 2019, 6:52 am
#719
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: Amex Plat, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Carlson Gold, CM Presidential / *A Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 1,648
You need to book C/Intermediate (or above) for ultimate choice - so you have gotten lucky previously
Unsure how the first guy came up with being able to use 5* lot
Unsure how the first guy came up with being able to use 5* lot
Aug 15, 2019, 6:54 am
#720
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,340