matio_svk

When renting an EV do you also qualify for Ultimate Choice or you have to stick with an EV? Currently have an intermediate Electric Elite (C4) - Polestar 2 LR Dual Motor since it was the cheapest option.
Thanks

FlyinHawaiian

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.

An EV is not booked as an Economy (A), Compact (B), or Manager's Special (EXAR) vehicle so you should be good.

matio_svk

Yes, I am aware about the groups, but there was nothing mentioned about EVs, so just wanted to make sure. For example Europcar (I know, different company) does not allow elite upgrades from an EV to a non-EV and does not even allow to switch for free to a same class non-EV (personal experience in PMI this summer)
Thanks for clarifying.

lincolnjkc

Since you mentioned EVs... Hertz and EVs seems to be... Odd. I've had (including my current rental) 3 Teslas since September. The first was in Edinburgh where I booked an midsize automatic (couldn't drive standard/stick to save my life, let alone on the wrong side of the controls...had considered booking a Tesla from the start but had "charge availability anxiety" about our Highlands destination... it was beyond fine) and I think they had to give me a Tesla because everything else on the lot was standard.

In Chicago (ORD) a few weeks ago I explicitly booked a Tesla and had to visit the booth because the originally assigned car was full of trash -- the agent told me I could just grab anything from the PC zone of UC and when I mentioned I was really looking forward to driving an EV but didn't see any Teslas in UC (there were dozens on the lot, just none in any UC zones) she mentioned that I'd "never" see a Tesla in UC because "it doesn't happen" [I had formed that opinion for myself because IAD is another airport where it always seems like the lot is overflowing in Telas but none are in the PC/UC area)... so she assigned me to another Tesla in another stall and all was well.

Which made me laugh out loud on Sunday when I landed in Richmond and the first car I saw in PC was a Model 3... (When I booked an EV wasn't even an option for my dates) I actually had to check a few times to make sure it was really in President's Circle and not the "Premium Upgrades" zone that was the next space to the left... Probably the first time I haven't walked at least half of the line to see what my other options would be

Yllanes

This statement by the Hertz employee is completely contrary to my recent experience.

This Saturday at BWI half the cars in the PC area were Teslas, the rest large SUVs, plus a few Challengers and Mustangs.

On Monday at SFO again maybe a third of PC were Teslas (more variety otherwise).

goofygoofygooberyeah

Renting from SFO as PC. So if I�ve rented C4 (standard electric) I get that I�m eligible for UC. How will it work when I�m on the lot - can I just grab a car from the UC section, or do I have to tell them that I�m not taking my Polestar first?

AutoSlash

You can just grab a car from the PC/UC section if you find something you�d prefer over the C4 you reserved.

cestmoi123

Anybody know if I can use Ultimate Choice if I have a Tesla reserved? I plan to take the Model 3, but if there's something very appealing in UC, I might go that route. I would assume you can, since I had always understood UC eligibility to be "anything but A or B," but thought I'd ask.

For a future Tesla Model 3 rental at PHX, the app is saying:
*Hertz will endeavor to provide the vehicle with at least 80% charge
*You can purchase the Charge Purchase Option (CPO) for $35
*If you return with >=50%, the CPO is refunded
*If you return with 10-50%, the CPO isn't refunded
*If you don't buy the CPO, and the vehicle is rented with at least 60% charge, and you return with <50% charge, you'll be charged a $35 fee
*If you return with <10% charge, there's a $25 Undercharge Battery Fee, whether you bought the CPO or not

Given this, it seems irrelevant whether you buy the CPO or not, since the charge for returning with <50% is $35 either way.

In summary, if vehicle is rented with at least 60% charge:
Return <10%: $60 charge
Return 10-50%: $35 charge
Return >50%: No charge

FlyinHawaiian

Yes, per https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34947143-post944.html

Roona

Just started seeing class C6 - EV Manager Special. Anyone know if it qualifies for UC? Rates look like they're a few bucks cheaper than anything else.

I know that the generic A6 Manager Special class is excluded from UC.

Auto Enthusiast

That would defeat the purpose of Manager's Special. The manager picks, not you.

AutoSlash

1. Yes, your President's Circle benefit should apply by the time you pick up the rental. That said, if you're renting an EV, it won't really make any difference as you won't be choosing from Ultimate Choice--they will assign you a vehicle and an upgrade won't apply here.

2. At least with Hertz’s current version of the charging policy, they offer a “Charge Purchase Option” of $35, which lets you return the car with 10% battery, but which is refundable if you return it above 70%. This is exactly the same cost as the charging fee(/penalty) for not returning it with at least 70% battery…so it’s kind of silly to pay for it in advance. But either way, the fee can be both added and removed at pick-up or at return, so it doesn’t make a difference which you select.

Slytherin23

The last two times I booked C6, they told me to go to Ultimate Choice. I actually wanted the EV though so I had to ask for one.

AutoSlash

Any reservation that is not coded as an Economy or Compact is eligible for Ultimate Choice.

Behind the scenes, Hertz is coding Tesla Model 3 reservations as "JCAE" -- the first letter, J, standing for "Intermediate Elite" (you can see the full breakdown of the code here). As "J" is one step up from "I" (Intermediate, which does qualify for UC), a Tesla reservation does qualify for choosing from the PC aisle.

Other EVs carried by Hertz include:

Tesla Model 3 Long Range - RFAC - Standard Elite Car - qualifies for UC
Tesla Model Y - JCAC - Intermediate Elite Car - qualifies for UC
Kia Nero EV - IFAC - Intermediate SUV - qualifies for UC
Polestar 2 - JDAE - Intermediate Elite 4-Door Car - qualifies for UC

Other than Economy (ECAR) and Compact (CCAR), the only ones that don't qualify are the two Manager's Special classes (EXAR - Economy Special [normal] - and ECAE - Economy Car Electric).

tys90

I booked an Intermediate Electric Elite (C4) car at CLT. When I arrived, I was told to go to the check-in desk. When I got there, they told me electric car bookings do not have access to Ultimate Choice. I pushed back and the manager came out and said they'll allow it this time but to not book electric if you want access to Ultimate Choice.

They also said "Oh, I see you've been shopping around." I did cancel and rebook for a slightly lower price once but still an odd comment to make to a customer. Overall not the best experience.