Hertz Completely Gutted PC/Upgrades?? Am I missing something???
May 6, 2022, 8:54 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2021
Programs: UA Plat, AA Plat, DL Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC, National EE, Enterprise Plat
Posts: 7
Hertz Completely Gutted PC/Upgrades?? Am I missing something???
Hi all,
I've been a PC with Hertz for a while now and have absolutely loved it. 9 times out of 10, I fly into an airport that has UC and select a vehicle from the upgrade ramp nearest the PC aisle and proceed to the gate. I have NEVER (that I can recall) been charged the upgrade fee at any of the airports from whom I've rented (although of course I'd be fine with it if I was, as that's part of the terms of the program). Well imagine my shock yesterday when I flew into AUS and was told that this is no longer a thing, and was then quoted several hundreds of dollars more in upgrade fees for the upgrade cars they had available. I'm not a "karen" and I don't want to be one in this case, but I was so absolutely thrown off by the entire experience. Over the past several years, I've flown into AUS dozens of times and used Hertz when I was coming into town for work. I have NEVER had a bad experience until last night. I actually was so disappointed and confused by the entire thing that I tracked down the GM on LinkedIn and sent him a very long (but polite!) message about the whole ordeal. I'll drop that below so you can see what exactly happened. Am I the one who is out of line here?? Were there changes recently that I'm not aware of, perhaps due to cutting ties with United (I have PC through United Club card but I doubt that's related to my experience).
Anywho, here's a snippet of the email. Sorry it's long-winded. I even omitted the niceties for the purposes of this thread:
Another thing that befuddled me is that the gentleman who told me about the upgrade pricing kept bringing up the fact that "these cars are brand new" (they were all new 2022 Tesla Model 3's and BMW 3-series). Okay? I've rented brand new cars in the past without paying $100+ extra/day? Why is this relevant?? The Tesla I can sorta understand but not the BMWs, etc.
So anyway, if you've read this far, you're a trooper. If nothing else it felt good to rant about it. I have status matches with National and Enterprise so I'll probably be cancelling my remaining Hertz reservations for the year and trying someone else. Most of my rentals are going to be with other people in coming months and I'd really like to, if nothing else, avoid the embarrassment and hassle that I experienced last night.
I've been a PC with Hertz for a while now and have absolutely loved it. 9 times out of 10, I fly into an airport that has UC and select a vehicle from the upgrade ramp nearest the PC aisle and proceed to the gate. I have NEVER (that I can recall) been charged the upgrade fee at any of the airports from whom I've rented (although of course I'd be fine with it if I was, as that's part of the terms of the program). Well imagine my shock yesterday when I flew into AUS and was told that this is no longer a thing, and was then quoted several hundreds of dollars more in upgrade fees for the upgrade cars they had available. I'm not a "karen" and I don't want to be one in this case, but I was so absolutely thrown off by the entire experience. Over the past several years, I've flown into AUS dozens of times and used Hertz when I was coming into town for work. I have NEVER had a bad experience until last night. I actually was so disappointed and confused by the entire thing that I tracked down the GM on LinkedIn and sent him a very long (but polite!) message about the whole ordeal. I'll drop that below so you can see what exactly happened. Am I the one who is out of line here?? Were there changes recently that I'm not aware of, perhaps due to cutting ties with United (I have PC through United Club card but I doubt that's related to my experience).
Anywho, here's a snippet of the email. Sorry it's long-winded. I even omitted the niceties for the purposes of this thread:
...I've been renting from Hertz for quite a while now, specifically the AUS location, as my previous employer has a corporate office here that I visited frequently. I've been a President's Circle member for almost a year and I have absolutely loved every single experience - except for the one I had this evening. In the past, I have flown in, walked straight to the PC area, and probably 9 times out of 10 selected a vehicle from the Premium Upgrade Ramp. I always booked a C car and just about every car I left with was a P4. To be fully transparent, I don't know that I've ever even paid an upgrade fee (and even if I did, I fully expected to under the terms of my PC status). I rented many a BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes, etc all for the price of a C car. So imagine my complete shock when I did what I've always done, flew in, selected a car from the upgrade ramp next to the PC aisle, drove to the gate, and then this happened...
At the gate, I was informed that the car that I selected - a Tesla Model 3 - was already reserved and that I would need to go select another one. We went back and forth a bit as I assured her that I did not take this car from a reserved spot, and that it came from the premium upgrade ramp. She said that it must have been some sort of mistake, and also warned me that the upgrade price for a Tesla is an additional $250/day. Of course at that point I had decided to go and get something else anyway. I drove back around and selected a BMW 3 series of some sort (not on the ramp but still under premium upgrade signs). As I was preparing to leave, a gentleman approached me and asked me if I was okay with the upgrade price. I said "sure, what is it $25 or $35/day?" He said that it was actually $100/day. Again, I'm totally shocked. I told him that I had PC status and that as far as I've ever been aware, the upgrade price is $25 or $35 per day. He told me that the Hertz program "hasn't had upgrades for those prices in a long time." I proceeded to exit this car and start looking for another. At one point I even went in and asked what the cheapest upgrade was - a Mustang for $35/day. There were probably 4 of these in the PC area anyway so not really an upgrade. I went back outside and asked the gentleman from earlier how much it was for the older BMW 4 series on the "Ultimate Series" ramp. He said "we could do that for maybe $50/day." Again - me - extremely confused. What do you mean "we could do?" I'm still lost as to why I'm not just being charged a flat upgrade price based on my status. Is this negotiable all of a sudden??
Anyway, I told him I'd take it and proceeded to follow him inside (as I was already 3 hours late after a flight delay and sweating profusely in the hot garage). Once inside he told me he could do the upgrade price for $35/day instead just as a favor to me which I did appreciate. I took the keys and left. Upon reaching the gate, I informed the two gentlemen at the booth that I noticed a sizable scrape/dent on one side of the vehicle. This is not something I've really ever paid attention to before, but after the rest of the experience I had just had, I wanted to cover all of my bases. I took the inspection form and drove off...
At the gate, I was informed that the car that I selected - a Tesla Model 3 - was already reserved and that I would need to go select another one. We went back and forth a bit as I assured her that I did not take this car from a reserved spot, and that it came from the premium upgrade ramp. She said that it must have been some sort of mistake, and also warned me that the upgrade price for a Tesla is an additional $250/day. Of course at that point I had decided to go and get something else anyway. I drove back around and selected a BMW 3 series of some sort (not on the ramp but still under premium upgrade signs). As I was preparing to leave, a gentleman approached me and asked me if I was okay with the upgrade price. I said "sure, what is it $25 or $35/day?" He said that it was actually $100/day. Again, I'm totally shocked. I told him that I had PC status and that as far as I've ever been aware, the upgrade price is $25 or $35 per day. He told me that the Hertz program "hasn't had upgrades for those prices in a long time." I proceeded to exit this car and start looking for another. At one point I even went in and asked what the cheapest upgrade was - a Mustang for $35/day. There were probably 4 of these in the PC area anyway so not really an upgrade. I went back outside and asked the gentleman from earlier how much it was for the older BMW 4 series on the "Ultimate Series" ramp. He said "we could do that for maybe $50/day." Again - me - extremely confused. What do you mean "we could do?" I'm still lost as to why I'm not just being charged a flat upgrade price based on my status. Is this negotiable all of a sudden??
Anyway, I told him I'd take it and proceeded to follow him inside (as I was already 3 hours late after a flight delay and sweating profusely in the hot garage). Once inside he told me he could do the upgrade price for $35/day instead just as a favor to me which I did appreciate. I took the keys and left. Upon reaching the gate, I informed the two gentlemen at the booth that I noticed a sizable scrape/dent on one side of the vehicle. This is not something I've really ever paid attention to before, but after the rest of the experience I had just had, I wanted to cover all of my bases. I took the inspection form and drove off...
So anyway, if you've read this far, you're a trooper. If nothing else it felt good to rant about it. I have status matches with National and Enterprise so I'll probably be cancelling my remaining Hertz reservations for the year and trying someone else. Most of my rentals are going to be with other people in coming months and I'd really like to, if nothing else, avoid the embarrassment and hassle that I experienced last night.
May 6, 2022, 9:49 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 224
Flat fee upgrade has been gone for more than a year already. That is correct.
However asking $100 a day for a BMW 3 is ridiculous, this thing's reasonable upcharge indeed should be no more than $25-35, but the agent basically decide what price to charge themselves unless there's specific instructions (usually minimum, or what car can't be used for upgrade) from the location.
Not sure about the Tesla's upgrade charges as I've never really asked for one, but $250 sounds more than ridiculous too, I'm sure you can reserve this car for no more than $100 a day in most cases
However asking $100 a day for a BMW 3 is ridiculous, this thing's reasonable upcharge indeed should be no more than $25-35, but the agent basically decide what price to charge themselves unless there's specific instructions (usually minimum, or what car can't be used for upgrade) from the location.
Not sure about the Tesla's upgrade charges as I've never really asked for one, but $250 sounds more than ridiculous too, I'm sure you can reserve this car for no more than $100 a day in most cases
May 6, 2022, 10:53 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2021
Programs: UA Plat, AA Plat, DL Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC, National EE, Enterprise Plat
Posts: 7
Flat fee upgrade has been gone for more than a year already. That is correct.
However asking $100 a day for a BMW 3 is ridiculous, this thing's reasonable upcharge indeed should be no more than $25-35, but the agent basically decide what price to charge themselves unless there's specific instructions (usually minimum, or what car can't be used for upgrade) from the location.
Not sure about the Tesla's upgrade charges as I've never really asked for one, but $250 sounds more than ridiculous too, I'm sure you can reserve this car for no more than $100 a day in most cases
However asking $100 a day for a BMW 3 is ridiculous, this thing's reasonable upcharge indeed should be no more than $25-35, but the agent basically decide what price to charge themselves unless there's specific instructions (usually minimum, or what car can't be used for upgrade) from the location.
Not sure about the Tesla's upgrade charges as I've never really asked for one, but $250 sounds more than ridiculous too, I'm sure you can reserve this car for no more than $100 a day in most cases
Anyway, I have a feeling I won’t hear from the manager anytime soon, if at all. I’ll probably just submit to corporate.
May 6, 2022, 1:09 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Redondo Beach, CA USA
Programs: UA 1KMM, Bonvoy LTE+A, HH D, Nat'l EE, Hertz Plat, Avis PC
Posts: 3,713
If I'm reading this correctly, you got away with highway robbery on all your previous rentals. I'm a Hertz Platinum and was PC for many, many years before that and never got free upgrades like you're describing. Cars in the "premium upgrade" section are exactly that--cars they're offering, at a premium, to upgrade to. They are not, nor have they ever been, intended to be free for any level of loyalty program renter. The "free upgrade" cars are the ones in the PC section (or 5* or gold, depending on one's level).
So I suspect, if the GM responds to you on LinkedIn at all, that they will politely thank you for your business and explain that you've been very lucky in the past but that the way his staff handled things last night was proper. And then he'll probably print out your profile picture from LinkedIn and have it posted around his location with directions to "watch out for this person gaming the system and expecting free upgrades".
So I suspect, if the GM responds to you on LinkedIn at all, that they will politely thank you for your business and explain that you've been very lucky in the past but that the way his staff handled things last night was proper. And then he'll probably print out your profile picture from LinkedIn and have it posted around his location with directions to "watch out for this person gaming the system and expecting free upgrades".
May 6, 2022, 1:36 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2021
Programs: UA Plat, AA Plat, DL Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC, National EE, Enterprise Plat
Posts: 7
If I'm reading this correctly, you got away with highway robbery on all your previous rentals. I'm a Hertz Platinum and was PC for many, many years before that and never got free upgrades like you're describing. Cars in the "premium upgrade" section are exactly that--cars they're offering, at a premium, to upgrade to. They are not, nor have they ever been, intended to be free for any level of loyalty program renter. The "free upgrade" cars are the ones in the PC section (or 5* or gold, depending on one's level).
So I suspect, if the GM responds to you on LinkedIn at all, that they will politely thank you for your business and explain that you've been very lucky in the past but that the way his staff handled things last night was proper. And then he'll probably print out your profile picture from LinkedIn and have it posted around his location with directions to "watch out for this person gaming the system and expecting free upgrades".
So I suspect, if the GM responds to you on LinkedIn at all, that they will politely thank you for your business and explain that you've been very lucky in the past but that the way his staff handled things last night was proper. And then he'll probably print out your profile picture from LinkedIn and have it posted around his location with directions to "watch out for this person gaming the system and expecting free upgrades".
And as an update to this entire thing, the BMW 4 series I had ended up renting had a coolant leak and pulled aggressively to the left while driving straight. I returned it to the airport this morning and spoke to a manager and explained everything that happened the night before. She and another manager clarified everything and were very polite/helpful/understanding.
Apparently the AUS location stopped the flat fee upgrades about 6 months ago. My last rental here was in October so that totally makes sense. They also explained the whole situation of “could do this price” or “could do that price” on upgrades. Essentially each manager has their own upgrade price at their own discretion. Given the issues with the BMW, he agreed to rent me something from the Ultimate Series ramp for the same $35/day that I had gotten last night. Unfortunately it’s an Alfa Romeo SUV with less features than the Bimmer, but whatever.
Bottom line: yes I was operating under false assumptions based on past experiences, for which I fully take responsibility! I’m not mad at anybody or Hertz as a whole, I just wish there would have been more clear information about all of this, especially the discontinuation of the flat rate upgrades.
Overall, I believe I’ll still shift my future reservations to other rental car companies just to see what else is out there, and I’m bummed about the situation, but overall I’m satisfied with how it turned out.
I hope this saga helps somebody else out there because, again, it definitely caught me off guard.
May 6, 2022, 3:20 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 335
Flat fee upgrade is no longer available and you should always ask the gold counter on upgrade cost before taking any cars out of premium upgrade section. Also messaging directly to GM via LinkedIn is not really a good way to complain. Hertz might try to charge unreasonable upgrade fee but it always depends on who you spoke with and availability on that day.
May 6, 2022, 5:39 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 224
Okay thank you for the clarification on the flat fee upgrade! I guess I just got lucky all those times I didn’t get charged. I do still find it odd that even when achieving PC within the last 11 or so months, those upgrade prices were included in marketing materials that I received.
Anyway, I have a feeling I won’t hear from the manager anytime soon, if at all. I’ll probably just submit to corporate.
Anyway, I have a feeling I won’t hear from the manager anytime soon, if at all. I’ll probably just submit to corporate.
Last edited by corolla; May 6, 2022 at 5:46 pm
May 6, 2022, 8:51 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: أمريكا
Posts: 26,763
Good to know that the upgrades are no longer flat fee! I didn't use that option often, but now I definitely won't.
What a stupid decision - who wants to figure out at the exit gate what the upgrade fee is?
What a stupid decision - who wants to figure out at the exit gate what the upgrade fee is?
May 6, 2022, 8:59 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Montana
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 149
If I'm reading this correctly, you got away with highway robbery on all your previous rentals. I'm a Hertz Platinum and was PC for many, many years before that and never got free upgrades like you're describing. Cars in the "premium upgrade" section are exactly that--cars they're offering, at a premium, to upgrade to. They are not, nor have they ever been, intended to be free for any level of loyalty program renter. The "free upgrade" cars are the ones in the PC section (or 5* or gold, depending on one's level.
beyond that, I really don’t understand the desire to upgrade on a rental car to a BMW or Tesla. Maybe it’s just me, but it’s a car you have for short term; don’t get to take it home or obtain any value from the “investment”. When I rent a car, agreed, I don’t go for a subcompact…generally always a full sized car, but that’s because there are too many suburbans on the road and I don’t want to be a victim of the law of physics.
also, before you lecture me on “the ultimate driving machine” theory, I understand the difference. My daily driver is an RS7; and yes, I miss it when I’m behind the wheel of a Chevy Malibu, but I’m not about to pay extra to have a rental car that feels like home. I can even see doing so on an occasional splurge if such a vehicle is out of reach, but it doesn’t sound like this is an issue of occasional significance to you.
May 6, 2022, 10:53 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2021
Programs: UA Plat, AA Plat, DL Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC, National EE, Enterprise Plat
Posts: 7
This
beyond that, I really don’t understand the desire to upgrade on a rental car to a BMW or Tesla. Maybe it’s just me, but it’s a car you have for short term; don’t get to take it home or obtain any value from the “investment”. When I rent a car, agreed, I don’t go for a subcompact…generally always a full sized car, but that’s because there are too many suburbans on the road and I don’t want to be a victim of the law of physics.
also, before you lecture me on “the ultimate driving machine” theory, I understand the difference. My daily driver is an RS7; and yes, I miss it when I’m behind the wheel of a Chevy Malibu, but I’m not about to pay extra to have a rental car that feels like home. I can even see doing so on an occasional splurge if such a vehicle is out of reach, but it doesn’t sound like this is an issue of occasional significance to you.
beyond that, I really don’t understand the desire to upgrade on a rental car to a BMW or Tesla. Maybe it’s just me, but it’s a car you have for short term; don’t get to take it home or obtain any value from the “investment”. When I rent a car, agreed, I don’t go for a subcompact…generally always a full sized car, but that’s because there are too many suburbans on the road and I don’t want to be a victim of the law of physics.
also, before you lecture me on “the ultimate driving machine” theory, I understand the difference. My daily driver is an RS7; and yes, I miss it when I’m behind the wheel of a Chevy Malibu, but I’m not about to pay extra to have a rental car that feels like home. I can even see doing so on an occasional splurge if such a vehicle is out of reach, but it doesn’t sound like this is an issue of occasional significance to you.
so to be fair, I drive an S5 Sportback so yes when I’m spending a week away from home schmoozing clients, I want something more like what I’m used to in my morning commute lol.
May 9, 2022, 5:02 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,705
Good for OP for managing it for so long. I'm surprised.
When they introduced UC, one of the written benefits of PC was upgrades for a flat $25/day. It seems like they stopped doing that within six months and went to arbitrary/variable pricing, but they didn't update their website for probably two years. That's Hertz for you.
When they introduced UC, one of the written benefits of PC was upgrades for a flat $25/day. It seems like they stopped doing that within six months and went to arbitrary/variable pricing, but they didn't update their website for probably two years. That's Hertz for you.
Jul 8, 2022, 8:27 pm
#13
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
beyond that, I really don’t understand the desire to upgrade on a rental car to a BMW or Tesla. Maybe it’s just me, but it’s a car you have for short term; don’t get to take it home or obtain any value from the “investment”. When I rent a car, agreed, I don’t go for a subcompact…generally always a full sized car, but that’s because there are too many suburbans on the road and I don’t want to be a victim of the law of physics.
also, before you lecture me on “the ultimate driving machine” theory, I understand the difference. My daily driver is an RS7; and yes, I miss it when I’m behind the wheel of a Chevy Malibu, but I’m not about to pay extra to have a rental car that feels like home. I can even see doing so on an occasional splurge if such a vehicle is out of reach, but it doesn’t sound like this is an issue of occasional significance to you.
also, before you lecture me on “the ultimate driving machine” theory, I understand the difference. My daily driver is an RS7; and yes, I miss it when I’m behind the wheel of a Chevy Malibu, but I’m not about to pay extra to have a rental car that feels like home. I can even see doing so on an occasional splurge if such a vehicle is out of reach, but it doesn’t sound like this is an issue of occasional significance to you.