Hertz Vehicle Upgrades and Experiences for Elites Master Thread and Guide
Jul 16, 2019, 1:39 pm
#61
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
PWM
Reserved: SCAR
Assigned: 2019 Hyundai Sonata
Received: 2019 Dodge Charger R/T
I arrived at 10:30 PM and was told they had given away the Sonata and were going to have to give me something else. I protested the Charger as I was going to be driving over 400 miles and wanted the Sonata's gas mileage. The agent assured me the Charger got the same. When I got to the garage I found it was an R/T so I ended up with 24 MPG instead of 37+. It is what it is, but I really don't like being lied to.
Reserved: SCAR
Assigned: 2019 Hyundai Sonata
Received: 2019 Dodge Charger R/T
I arrived at 10:30 PM and was told they had given away the Sonata and were going to have to give me something else. I protested the Charger as I was going to be driving over 400 miles and wanted the Sonata's gas mileage. The agent assured me the Charger got the same. When I got to the garage I found it was an R/T so I ended up with 24 MPG instead of 37+. It is what it is, but I really don't like being lied to.
Jul 16, 2019, 2:41 pm
#62
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York suburbs
Posts: 4,210
I'm surprised a small airport would have such a car. In my experience, it's usually the big snazzy locations that have lots of competition and need to impress the high rollers that have all the best stuff. Just curious, did the car have out of state plates? There's natural traffic between Maine and Boston, for instance, which would fit that criteria.
Jul 17, 2019, 2:28 am
#63
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,706
PWM
Reserved: SCAR
Assigned: 2019 Hyundai Sonata
Received: 2019 Dodge Charger R/T
I arrived at 10:30 PM and was told they had given away the Sonata and were going to have to give me something else. I protested the Charger as I was going to be driving over 400 miles and wanted the Sonata's gas mileage. The agent assured me the Charger got the same. When I got to the garage I found it was an R/T so I ended up with 24 MPG instead of 37+. It is what it is, but I really don't like being lied to.
Reserved: SCAR
Assigned: 2019 Hyundai Sonata
Received: 2019 Dodge Charger R/T
I arrived at 10:30 PM and was told they had given away the Sonata and were going to have to give me something else. I protested the Charger as I was going to be driving over 400 miles and wanted the Sonata's gas mileage. The agent assured me the Charger got the same. When I got to the garage I found it was an R/T so I ended up with 24 MPG instead of 37+. It is what it is, but I really don't like being lied to.
Jul 18, 2019, 7:41 pm
#64
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Longmont, CO
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards, Hertz Gold
Posts: 2
MKE (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Reserved: Premium G PCar, prepaid, reserved through Hertz w/AAA discount
Received: 2019 Kia Sportage B4 CFar
I don't think this was an upgrade. Only nice thing I can say about the Kia was it got 34 MPG on the highway.
Second time in less than a year my name wasn't even on the board. Bored booth person found my reservation and said I could take 'anything in the gold lot.' All a bunch of roller skates, I had 400 miles to go that evening.
Last July, I arrived in MKE with my name on the board; walked over to the area and it was completely empty. I was told I could take anything; only 2 cars available were a Nissan Altima or a very sad looking minivan with a low tire. I took the Nissan.
I'm getting tired of Milwaukee. Not the airport (it's great!) but Hertz.
Reserved: Premium G PCar, prepaid, reserved through Hertz w/AAA discount
Received: 2019 Kia Sportage B4 CFar
I don't think this was an upgrade. Only nice thing I can say about the Kia was it got 34 MPG on the highway.
Second time in less than a year my name wasn't even on the board. Bored booth person found my reservation and said I could take 'anything in the gold lot.' All a bunch of roller skates, I had 400 miles to go that evening.
Last July, I arrived in MKE with my name on the board; walked over to the area and it was completely empty. I was told I could take anything; only 2 cars available were a Nissan Altima or a very sad looking minivan with a low tire. I took the Nissan.
I'm getting tired of Milwaukee. Not the airport (it's great!) but Hertz.
Jul 23, 2019, 5:41 pm
#66
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
I'm surprised a small airport would have such a car. In my experience, it's usually the big snazzy locations that have lots of competition and need to impress the high rollers that have all the best stuff. Just curious, did the car have out of state plates? There's natural traffic between Maine and Boston, for instance, which would fit that criteria.
Jul 26, 2019, 8:44 am
#67
Join Date: Jun 2019
Programs: VCU
Posts: 2
RIC (Richmond, VA), but rented at the HLE a mile from where I live.
Reserved FCAR, had a 300S available, but saw a X3 pull in as the agent was doing an inspection. Asked to get into that one instead, $25 upcharge. $56 total. Why not?
Rent there twice a week, they are pretty good about putting me in “fun” cars people seem to bring in from one-way rentals. Normally they don’t do an upcharge if moving from an F to an L, but I think this one is a T4 or something.
Two rentals away from hitting Five-Star.
Reserved FCAR, had a 300S available, but saw a X3 pull in as the agent was doing an inspection. Asked to get into that one instead, $25 upcharge. $56 total. Why not?
Rent there twice a week, they are pretty good about putting me in “fun” cars people seem to bring in from one-way rentals. Normally they don’t do an upcharge if moving from an F to an L, but I think this one is a T4 or something.
Two rentals away from hitting Five-Star.
Last edited by AntonyH; Jul 26, 2019 at 8:49 am Reason: Added FR status
Jul 26, 2019, 4:43 pm
#68
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
Blount County, Tennessee? If so, the car isn't actually from there. Hertz registers all of the cars they can there, because the county has very low registration and plate transfer fees. As I recall, Hertz even paid to add a staffer at the DMV just to handle their volume.
Jul 26, 2019, 10:49 pm
#69
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York suburbs
Posts: 4,210
One of my recent points rentals last month was from CAE to AGS. A few hours in advance, I got an email saying my assigned car is a 2017 Nissan Altima with 42k mi and TN plates. And a red key chain, too. Yuck.
(Premium was not a reservable class at CAE. If only I had a National 1-2 Free bonus day, I could have swapped the contract from CLT I did with a regular free day. Even for a small location, the choice aisles seemed surprisingly stocked with good stuff.)
Interesting that this time, I don't think it said Blount County. But, in the glove box, I did find a Certificate of Self-Insurance...from PA. I suspect that's where the car was originally from, may have failed the normal turnback process or such, and was re-registered in the cheapest location possible for its 2nd (and hopefully last) year in service.
(Premium was not a reservable class at CAE. If only I had a National 1-2 Free bonus day, I could have swapped the contract from CLT I did with a regular free day. Even for a small location, the choice aisles seemed surprisingly stocked with good stuff.)
Interesting that this time, I don't think it said Blount County. But, in the glove box, I did find a Certificate of Self-Insurance...from PA. I suspect that's where the car was originally from, may have failed the normal turnback process or such, and was re-registered in the cheapest location possible for its 2nd (and hopefully last) year in service.
Aug 4, 2019, 6:03 pm
#70
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
BOI. Arrived to find my contract already ready to go. I was on a FCAR reservation and they asked if I wanted a Grand Cherokee. I said I preferred sedans and they offered an Optima or a Malibu. I ended up taking the Grand Cherokee which was 2019 Trailhawk with 7,000 miles and XM. Nice car to only drive 18 miles in 
Aug 5, 2019, 8:11 am
#71
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: virgin
Posts: 109
MAD - Madrid airport. 2 weeks rental.
Booked mid level wagon, Hertz website image was of a black Subaru Outback, and it was... a black Subaru Outback. (8k km)
$220/week. $440 total rental. A terrific deal in high summer season for a family touring North Spain.
No PC upgrade, but very happy with the rental.
Booked mid level wagon, Hertz website image was of a black Subaru Outback, and it was... a black Subaru Outback. (8k km)
$220/week. $440 total rental. A terrific deal in high summer season for a family touring North Spain.
No PC upgrade, but very happy with the rental.
Aug 8, 2019, 3:04 pm
#72
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
MLU - FCAR Reservation.
Arrived to find the contract ready to go. I was given a 2019 Explorer XLT with 9,000 miles and Sirius XM. Definitely not my favorite car to drive even if it was an "upgrade". Still, fleets at small airports are not big so it was fine for what it was.
Arrived to find the contract ready to go. I was given a 2019 Explorer XLT with 9,000 miles and Sirius XM. Definitely not my favorite car to drive even if it was an "upgrade". Still, fleets at small airports are not big so it was fine for what it was.
Aug 8, 2019, 9:30 pm
#73
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: 17,492
Blount County, Tennessee? If so, the car isn't actually from there. Hertz registers all of the cars they can there, because the county has very low registration and plate transfer fees. As I recall, Hertz even paid to add a staffer at the DMV just to handle their volume.
Sep 2, 2019, 9:13 am
#75
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: France
Programs: too many
Posts: 686
NTE
Reserved: CWMR 308SW or similar Group D
Assigned: 2018 Ford Focus Group D
Received: 2018 Ford Focus Group D
Arrived in Nantes to only have the choice between a Fiat Tipo, a Renault Kadjar and the C-max I got assigned - All vehicles were petrol and I chose the C-max, the least crap of the 3 cars...oh boy, I was unimpressed. 30k km, 7.5L per 100km.
The C-max is definitely not an estate, more like an MPV, I cannot fathom why this vehicle is in that class...
Reserved: CWMR 308SW or similar Group D
Assigned: 2018 Ford Focus Group D
Received: 2018 Ford Focus Group D
Arrived in Nantes to only have the choice between a Fiat Tipo, a Renault Kadjar and the C-max I got assigned - All vehicles were petrol and I chose the C-max, the least crap of the 3 cars...oh boy, I was unimpressed. 30k km, 7.5L per 100km.
The C-max is definitely not an estate, more like an MPV, I cannot fathom why this vehicle is in that class...
Last edited by ng1265; Sep 5, 2019 at 2:42 am