Consolidated "Renting at DCA; What Kind of Cars to Expect?" Thread
Oct 10, 2017, 10:47 pm
#31
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
PC lot & Premium Upgrade area were both entirely vacant, as they have been on other Saturdays (less than 1/4 of the time, but noticeable frequency) recently.
On these Saturdays, there will be 5-20 cars in the "reserved" areas and essentially none anywhere else, and I'll be directed to choose one (or from among a group of cars) from the reserved spots.
On these Saturdays, there will be 5-20 cars in the "reserved" areas and essentially none anywhere else, and I'll be directed to choose one (or from among a group of cars) from the reserved spots.
Oct 10, 2017, 11:28 pm
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,703
PC lot & Premium Upgrade area were both entirely vacant, as they have been on other Saturdays (less than 1/4 of the time, but noticeable frequency) recently.
On these Saturdays, there will be 5-20 cars in the "reserved" areas and essentially none anywhere else, and I'll be directed to choose one (or from among a group of cars) from the reserved spots.
On these Saturdays, there will be 5-20 cars in the "reserved" areas and essentially none anywhere else, and I'll be directed to choose one (or from among a group of cars) from the reserved spots.
Oct 25, 2017, 6:58 am
#33
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 785
DCA - Saturday AM
Reserved: G (Premium)
Offered: ICAR and FCAR
Pushed back, got my choice of
-2 Audi A3's
-Infiniti QX30
-Infiniti Q60
Took the A3 because I was going to have passengers, but the Q60 was tempting...
Reserved: G (Premium)
Offered: ICAR and FCAR
Pushed back, got my choice of
-2 Audi A3's
-Infiniti QX30
-Infiniti Q60
Took the A3 because I was going to have passengers, but the Q60 was tempting...
Nov 7, 2017, 8:21 am
#34
Join Date: May 2005
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1P, HH Gold, SPG+
Posts: 157
I need to rent from this station in December for a 10 day period, taking the family on a long trip, so we need a car with lots of space. My company just switched programs and I am new to Hertz, but they have me as PC now.
Which class would I need to reserve to get a good sized car, such as SUV or minivan (shudder...). Up to F is fairly cheap but if I book G and above its about 75% more. Does it make a difference whether it's F or G, can't I just walk up to the lot like I used to with Emerald Aisle and pick any car? Or should I just reserve a 7 passenger SUV which is the same price as the G class?
Thank you!
Which class would I need to reserve to get a good sized car, such as SUV or minivan (shudder...). Up to F is fairly cheap but if I book G and above its about 75% more. Does it make a difference whether it's F or G, can't I just walk up to the lot like I used to with Emerald Aisle and pick any car? Or should I just reserve a 7 passenger SUV which is the same price as the G class?
Thank you!
Nov 7, 2017, 9:44 am
#35
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
I think it's a combination of:
-pickups Friday for weekend trips, meaning things are barren by Saturday
-one-ways out on Fridays
-certain weekends are busier than others, those are the ones when it's empty by Saturday
This past weekend, for example, there were plenty of cars and I got a nice Jaguar XF from the PC aisle.
You should reserve the SUV that you want. It may be the case that when you arrive there are plenty of SUVs (and sometimes that's almost all there is) -- but I've seen the lot nearly empty here often enough (in which case you get what you get) that you'll be much better off if you reserve your desired car.
I suppose you could make two reservations, one in F (which you could use to drive off with something from the PC aisle, if you saw something you liked there) and one for the SUV... some might frown upon that, but given how unreliable car rental reservations are, it seems reasonable. You could cancel the reservation you didn't need once you showed up and had a chance to survey the lot.
Reserving a G won't help you. Either they'll pre-assign you a car, which will almost certainly be a G, I, or YI, or they'll tell you to pick something from the PC aisle (assuming there are Gs or better in it), in which case you're paying 75% more for what you could have gotten at the F rate.
Edited 11/14/17 to add:
Came in this past Saturday a.m. Several cars in PC aisle, mostly F but one new black 2018 Cadillac XTS, which I took -- very nice.
-pickups Friday for weekend trips, meaning things are barren by Saturday
-one-ways out on Fridays
-certain weekends are busier than others, those are the ones when it's empty by Saturday
This past weekend, for example, there were plenty of cars and I got a nice Jaguar XF from the PC aisle.
I need to rent from this station in December for a 10 day period, taking the family on a long trip, so we need a car with lots of space. My company just switched programs and I am new to Hertz, but they have me as PC now.
Which class would I need to reserve to get a good sized car, such as SUV or minivan (shudder...). Up to F is fairly cheap but if I book G and above its about 75% more. Does it make a difference whether it's F or G, can't I just walk up to the lot like I used to with Emerald Aisle and pick any car? Or should I just reserve a 7 passenger SUV which is the same price as the G class?
Thank you!
Which class would I need to reserve to get a good sized car, such as SUV or minivan (shudder...). Up to F is fairly cheap but if I book G and above its about 75% more. Does it make a difference whether it's F or G, can't I just walk up to the lot like I used to with Emerald Aisle and pick any car? Or should I just reserve a 7 passenger SUV which is the same price as the G class?
Thank you!
I suppose you could make two reservations, one in F (which you could use to drive off with something from the PC aisle, if you saw something you liked there) and one for the SUV... some might frown upon that, but given how unreliable car rental reservations are, it seems reasonable. You could cancel the reservation you didn't need once you showed up and had a chance to survey the lot.
Reserving a G won't help you. Either they'll pre-assign you a car, which will almost certainly be a G, I, or YI, or they'll tell you to pick something from the PC aisle (assuming there are Gs or better in it), in which case you're paying 75% more for what you could have gotten at the F rate.
Edited 11/14/17 to add:
Came in this past Saturday a.m. Several cars in PC aisle, mostly F but one new black 2018 Cadillac XTS, which I took -- very nice.
Last edited by platbrownguy; Nov 13, 2017 at 10:04 pm
Nov 17, 2017, 6:45 am
#36
Join Date: May 2005
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1P, HH Gold, SPG+
Posts: 157
You should reserve the SUV that you want. It may be the case that when you arrive there are plenty of SUVs (and sometimes that's almost all there is) -- but I've seen the lot nearly empty here often enough (in which case you get what you get) that you'll be much better off if you reserve your desired car.
I suppose you could make two reservations, one in F (which you could use to drive off with something from the PC aisle, if you saw something you liked there) and one for the SUV... some might frown upon that, but given how unreliable car rental reservations are, it seems reasonable. You could cancel the reservation you didn't need once you showed up and had a chance to survey the lot.
I suppose you could make two reservations, one in F (which you could use to drive off with something from the PC aisle, if you saw something you liked there) and one for the SUV... some might frown upon that, but given how unreliable car rental reservations are, it seems reasonable. You could cancel the reservation you didn't need once you showed up and had a chance to survey the lot.
Dec 10, 2017, 8:32 pm
#37
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: DCA or IAD (originally DUB)
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM, Hertz PC, Marriott Platinum/Lifetime Gold
Posts: 7,657
DCA
Premium - Chevy Impala (G) or similar
None
Yes - Infiniti Q60 (E) with factory satnav
DCA
Premium - Chevy Impala (G) for similar
None
Yes - 2018 Cadillac XTS (I) with factory satnav
DCA
Premium - Chevy Impala (G) or similar
None
Yes - Jaguar XE 2.5t (P4)
Premium - Chevy Impala (G) or similar
None
Yes - Infiniti Q60 (E) with factory satnav
DCA
Premium - Chevy Impala (G) for similar
None
Yes - 2018 Cadillac XTS (I) with factory satnav
DCA
Premium - Chevy Impala (G) or similar
None
Yes - Jaguar XE 2.5t (P4)
Jan 23, 2018, 9:40 am
#39
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: Hertz PC, National Exec Elite, Marriott Titanium Elite, Southwest A-List, United Premier Silver
Posts: 14
New to FT. I fly into DCA about 2-6 times monthly for work. Although I've never been PC while there - only recently attained the status and the last two times have been at BWI - I was never impressed from what I saw walking past to Five Star. It seems like a very small section - maybe 7 cars? And they're all just slightly higher trim Chevys or Kias, from what I saw. Meanwhile, at BWI, I got a Ford Explorer once, and a Camaro another time.
Jan 23, 2018, 11:12 pm
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,703
New to FT. I fly into DCA about 2-6 times monthly for work. Although I've never been PC while there - only recently attained the status and the last two times have been at BWI - I was never impressed from what I saw walking past to Five Star. It seems like a very small section - maybe 7 cars? And they're all just slightly higher trim Chevys or Kias, from what I saw. Meanwhile, at BWI, I got a Ford Explorer once, and a Camaro another time.
Jan 24, 2018, 5:37 am
#41
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 118
New to FT. I fly into DCA about 2-6 times monthly for work. Although I've never been PC while there - only recently attained the status and the last two times have been at BWI - I was never impressed from what I saw walking past to Five Star. It seems like a very small section - maybe 7 cars? And they're all just slightly higher trim Chevys or Kias, from what I saw. Meanwhile, at BWI, I got a Ford Explorer once, and a Camaro another time.
Prior to Ultimate Choice, they rarely honored upgrades for PC members. Even when they had the cars, I always had to select an upgrade myself once I received the Carfirmation. I had high hopes that it would get better with Ultimate Choice - no such luck. The only time I got a decent upgrade was after complaining so much that they put me into a Mercedes SUV just to shut me up.
I've been flying into DCA for many years, and in my opinion they get the award for worst Hertz location on the planet.
BWI, on the other hand, has been improving. Prior to Ultimate Choice, recently I've been assigned decent (though not fabulous) cars like the Altima described above. This week I arrived on Monday early afternoon and they had several brand new Infiniti Q50s in Ultimate Choice - mine had only 8 miles on it! I hope this trend continues.
Feb 24, 2018, 11:55 pm
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,703
Better than usual selection at DCA on Saturday. All rows were full of cars with some decent variety. Gold even had a few full size.
But strangely enough there was a 2015 Chevy Malibu in Five Star, the last-gen model. 44k miles.
But strangely enough there was a 2015 Chevy Malibu in Five Star, the last-gen model. 44k miles.
Feb 25, 2018, 8:28 pm
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,703
Hertz was a disaster Sunday night. The entire garage was chock full of what seemed like every car they had. Cars snaked along walls and inaccessible. I saw a Mercedes in PC so I bolted over to it but the attendant called over and said everything on that side of the PC aisle was unavailable. Looked at the other side and literally every car was an Altima or Camry, except for a single Rogue and 1 Avalon. I went to Five Star and saw a Nissan Armada there, but nope, attendant told me that was the only car unavailable from Five Star.
I get that it was a Sunday night but it just reinforces that Hertz DCA is poorly run. I've had so many bad experiences there.
I get that it was a Sunday night but it just reinforces that Hertz DCA is poorly run. I've had so many bad experiences there.
Mar 23, 2018, 10:49 am
#44
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: DCA or IAD (originally DUB)
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM, Hertz PC, Marriott Platinum/Lifetime Gold
Posts: 7,657
DCA
Cadillac Escalade or Ford Expedition (P6)*
None
Yes - Range Rover (C6)*
*Apparently the prior renter of the Escalade had not returned the vehicle despite repeated attempts to reach him. So I was offered choice of vehicle in the garage.
FWIW - I would rarely rent an Escalade or Expedition, but due to whatever demand was driving the pricing algorithm at time of booking it was only $1 more for the monster SUV over a premium.
Cadillac Escalade or Ford Expedition (P6)*
None
Yes - Range Rover (C6)*
*Apparently the prior renter of the Escalade had not returned the vehicle despite repeated attempts to reach him. So I was offered choice of vehicle in the garage.
FWIW - I would rarely rent an Escalade or Expedition, but due to whatever demand was driving the pricing algorithm at time of booking it was only $1 more for the monster SUV over a premium.
Apr 24, 2018, 8:06 am
#45
Moderator: National Car
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SE MI
Programs: Delta PM, National EE, Hertz PC, Hilton DM
Posts: 2,168
Rented from here again, picked up Sunday evening. President's Circle selection was worlds better than last time I came through. 3 or 4 300s (in S or S AWD trim), a couple of Avalons, a Pacifica Limited, a Jeep Compass Limited, an Escape, and a Maxima. Five Star even had some appealing (relatively) choices with plenty of Altimas in SL trim and a Maxima, and a bunch of 2018 Camrys in both SE and LE trims.