List your Free car upgrades here (Outside of Ultimate Choice)
Aug 1, 2015, 1:22 am
#3766
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AS MVPG, DL KM, Bee Six, Bonvoy Plat, Avis PC, Natl Exec, Greyhound Road Rewards Z"L
Posts: 16,721
SLC
PC
G
Yes: I - 2015 Buick LaCrosse, 5300 miles and active XM
They always get things right here. Apparently they were talking about me in the office and remembered I liked the LaCrosse
Thank God it doesn't have the e-Assist. I hope I never get a car with that again.
-J.
PC
G
Yes: I - 2015 Buick LaCrosse, 5300 miles and active XM
They always get things right here. Apparently they were talking about me in the office and remembered I liked the LaCrosse
Thank God it doesn't have the e-Assist. I hope I never get a car with that again.-J.
Aug 1, 2015, 9:38 am
#3767
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 785
Woodbridge HLE (Perth Amboy, NJ)
PC
Reserved: F, no options
Received: F (2013 Dodge Charger, NY plates, 42k miles, tons of scratches).
Given that the plastic on the door handle was peeling etc, I decided to try my luck at DCA, and got:
F6 (2013 Nissan Altima, CO plates), but with 55k (!) miles. Still a better car though, but at this point I'm convinced that PC offers no tangible benefit over 5*.
PC
Reserved: F, no options
Received: F (2013 Dodge Charger, NY plates, 42k miles, tons of scratches).
Given that the plastic on the door handle was peeling etc, I decided to try my luck at DCA, and got:
F6 (2013 Nissan Altima, CO plates), but with 55k (!) miles. Still a better car though, but at this point I'm convinced that PC offers no tangible benefit over 5*.
Aug 2, 2015, 4:44 am
#3768
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,201
Back a week later with another R-class booking.
- LHR
- President's Circle
- Booked R - Renault Captur or similar
- Additional Options: None
- Assigned and took: Kia Carens 3 diesel with a surprisingly large number of scratches for its 1500 miles.
Not sure if I was upgraded - fob says C, paperwork says 'T' but it's a great car so I'll assume that I was. ('T' is a Ford S-Max or similar, although it feels like a class below that - albeit very well equipped, with nav and leather). Only complaint is that it only manages 45 mpg Imperial (37 mpg US, which isn't as good as it sounds at $7/gallon), and it's not fast enough to justify its thirst. In fact it could do with a bigger engine generally which might not have to work so hard.
- LHR
- President's Circle
- Booked R - Renault Captur or similar
- Additional Options: None
- Assigned and took: Kia Carens 3 diesel with a surprisingly large number of scratches for its 1500 miles.
Not sure if I was upgraded - fob says C, paperwork says 'T' but it's a great car so I'll assume that I was. ('T' is a Ford S-Max or similar, although it feels like a class below that - albeit very well equipped, with nav and leather). Only complaint is that it only manages 45 mpg Imperial (37 mpg US, which isn't as good as it sounds at $7/gallon), and it's not fast enough to justify its thirst. In fact it could do with a bigger engine generally which might not have to work so hard.
Last edited by Cymro; Aug 2, 2015 at 4:50 am
Aug 2, 2015, 10:39 am
#3769
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriot Am, MU Pt
Posts: 3,092
Location: MXP
Status: President's Circle
Booked: F6 - Audi A6 Avant with winter tires
Assigned: Audi A8 3.0 TDI, refused due to lack of trunk space.
Received: Audi A6 Avant 3.0 TDI with summer tires. Only 2000 km, but there were dents all over the roof, hood, and trunk, so I suspect hail damage. There were also a number of scratches on the rear bumper, which looked like scratches from luggage. Was able to do 6.7L/100km on the highway, so pretty good I think with three adults and five suitcases. It didn't have a sunroof and had only manual seats, but it had four zone climate control, navigation, etc. Also lacked a rear camera which I thought was suppose to standard 2015 onward or is that only in the US? Overall a good car.
Status: President's Circle
Booked: F6 - Audi A6 Avant with winter tires
Assigned: Audi A8 3.0 TDI, refused due to lack of trunk space.
Received: Audi A6 Avant 3.0 TDI with summer tires. Only 2000 km, but there were dents all over the roof, hood, and trunk, so I suspect hail damage. There were also a number of scratches on the rear bumper, which looked like scratches from luggage. Was able to do 6.7L/100km on the highway, so pretty good I think with three adults and five suitcases. It didn't have a sunroof and had only manual seats, but it had four zone climate control, navigation, etc. Also lacked a rear camera which I thought was suppose to standard 2015 onward or is that only in the US? Overall a good car.
Aug 2, 2015, 11:22 am
#3770
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
With all that space in the back seat you could fit a dozen suitcases! No way I'm refusing an A8 upgrade.
Aug 3, 2015, 9:45 am
#3771
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
Aug 8, 2015, 8:44 pm
#3772
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,201
- LHR
- President's Circle
- Booked D6 - Nissan Leaf on a super cheap rate - would have been quite happy with this a it was basically a status run to be on the safe side
- Additional Options: None
- Assigned: Initially a Skoda Fabia TDI, brand new, in beige, probably B, possibly A
- Assigned by updated Carfirmation: Volvo XC60 SE Lux D5 (L6)
Quite a jump with no input from my part, and not quite sure what Hertz was trying to achieve, but very happy. As for the car - it's OK but it's surprisingly unrefined and the ride is quite choppy, but it's still a lovely place to be.
- President's Circle
- Booked D6 - Nissan Leaf on a super cheap rate - would have been quite happy with this a it was basically a status run to be on the safe side
- Additional Options: None
- Assigned: Initially a Skoda Fabia TDI, brand new, in beige, probably B, possibly A
- Assigned by updated Carfirmation: Volvo XC60 SE Lux D5 (L6)
Quite a jump with no input from my part, and not quite sure what Hertz was trying to achieve, but very happy. As for the car - it's OK but it's surprisingly unrefined and the ride is quite choppy, but it's still a lovely place to be.
Aug 9, 2015, 9:21 pm
#3773
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: San Francisco, CA & Bangkok (Home)/Lawrenceville & Switzerland (Boarding School)/Baltimore, MD (College)
Programs: DL DM, AL MVPG 75K, SQ Gold, BA Silver, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriot Plat, Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 599
BWI
BWI Airport
Status: PC
Booked: F Car
received: S4 Infiniti QX80
Was surprised that they would upgrade me to a Prestige vehicle because I am only 22. I saw it in my carfirmation, and looked like they didn't have many vehicles at all
Status: PC
Booked: F Car
received: S4 Infiniti QX80
Was surprised that they would upgrade me to a Prestige vehicle because I am only 22. I saw it in my carfirmation, and looked like they didn't have many vehicles at all
Aug 11, 2015, 4:51 am
#3774
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
NYC HLE
Status: PC
Booked: G
Received: Chrysler 300 (I)
2014 model with 22k on the clock, but in very good shape. I felt a bit like a car service driver, and I still think it's kind of ugly, but a perfectly respectable car.
Status: PC
Booked: G
Received: Chrysler 300 (I)
2014 model with 22k on the clock, but in very good shape. I felt a bit like a car service driver, and I still think it's kind of ugly, but a perfectly respectable car.
Aug 11, 2015, 5:40 am
#3775
Moderator: Hawaii-based airlines & Hawai'i forums
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Ka ʻĀpala Nui, Nuioka
Programs: NEXUS/Global Entry, Delta, United, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, and Hertz
Posts: 18,043
FLL
Reserved: G
Received : 2015 I Chrysler 300 with 13,000 miles and working Sirius/XM.
LGA (One-Way into Manhattan)
Reserved: G
Assigned: YF 2015 Impala Classic
I had a long discussion in with the Gold Desk agent trying to explain to them the difference between an Impala Classic and an Impala but it appears to be a distinction that's too hard for the staff there to understand. I refused to accept the Impala Classic and asked for another premium or better car. I ended up taking a 2014 L Dodge Journey with 32,000 miles and expired Sirius/XM.
The line the agent kept spouting to me was that "All 2015 Impalas (even Classics) are Premium."
I really hate renting from LGA.
Reserved: G
Received : 2015 I Chrysler 300 with 13,000 miles and working Sirius/XM.
LGA (One-Way into Manhattan)
Reserved: G
Assigned: YF 2015 Impala Classic
I had a long discussion in with the Gold Desk agent trying to explain to them the difference between an Impala Classic and an Impala but it appears to be a distinction that's too hard for the staff there to understand. I refused to accept the Impala Classic and asked for another premium or better car. I ended up taking a 2014 L Dodge Journey with 32,000 miles and expired Sirius/XM.
The line the agent kept spouting to me was that "All 2015 Impalas (even Classics) are Premium."
I really hate renting from LGA.
Aug 11, 2015, 11:59 am
#3776
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,153
Hertz Italy:
Three rentals, Zero upgrades. Couldn't get them to do an upgrade from Manual to Automatic if my life depended on it. They want to charge an extra 30 EUR per day. Got them down to 10 Eur in Venice, but the car was so badly serviced (forgot to change a particle filter, it turns out according to roadside assistance) that I had to exchange it in Munich where again, they refused to replace it with an automatic car.
The upgrades, President Circle, or Amex Cent/Plat benefits with Hertz are a marketing joke.
Three rentals, Zero upgrades. Couldn't get them to do an upgrade from Manual to Automatic if my life depended on it. They want to charge an extra 30 EUR per day. Got them down to 10 Eur in Venice, but the car was so badly serviced (forgot to change a particle filter, it turns out according to roadside assistance) that I had to exchange it in Munich where again, they refused to replace it with an automatic car.
The upgrades, President Circle, or Amex Cent/Plat benefits with Hertz are a marketing joke.
Aug 11, 2015, 12:10 pm
#3777
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
Hertz Italy:
Three rentals, Zero upgrades. Couldn't get them to do an upgrade from Manual to Automatic if my life depended on it. They want to charge an extra 30 EUR per day. Got them down to 10 Eur in Venice, but the car was so badly serviced (forgot to change a particle filter, it turns out according to roadside assistance) that I had to exchange it in Munich where again, they refused to replace it with an automatic car.
The upgrades, President Circle, or Amex Cent/Plat benefits with Hertz are a marketing joke.
Three rentals, Zero upgrades. Couldn't get them to do an upgrade from Manual to Automatic if my life depended on it. They want to charge an extra 30 EUR per day. Got them down to 10 Eur in Venice, but the car was so badly serviced (forgot to change a particle filter, it turns out according to roadside assistance) that I had to exchange it in Munich where again, they refused to replace it with an automatic car.
The upgrades, President Circle, or Amex Cent/Plat benefits with Hertz are a marketing joke.
Also, FYI, the PC benefit in Europe is for "select European locations," so they don't promise it's universal, and there's no promise that the upgrade will jump the manual/automatic divide.
Aug 11, 2015, 12:50 pm
#3778
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
You don't say what your status is? I'm guessing it's not Platinum because I always get awesome Plat upgrades in Europe. I personally don't want an automatic, but sometimes I get one anyways. In most of the Porsche upgrades I get here are automatics. What a waste!
Aug 11, 2015, 1:33 pm
#3779
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,153
I am President Circle. They don't have Plat in Canada apparently.
Aug 11, 2015, 1:34 pm
#3780
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,153
Manual to automatic is a big move pricewise for many European markets, and the supply of automatics is a lot smaller. Not surprised they wouldn't make that upgrade. Quick check shows that, for Hertz MUC, going from a midsize manual to a fullsize auto is a ~50% price increase.
Also, FYI, the PC benefit in Europe is for "select European locations," so they don't promise it's universal, and there's no promise that the upgrade will jump the manual/automatic divide.
Also, FYI, the PC benefit in Europe is for "select European locations," so they don't promise it's universal, and there's no promise that the upgrade will jump the manual/automatic divide.
Last edited by Rut Dog; Aug 11, 2015 at 7:58 pm