car rental programs
Oct 26, 2009 | 10:43 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: FLL
Programs: DL Plat, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold, Marriot Silver
Posts: 54
car rental programs
I travel about 10 days per month. I usually rent cars from whoever has the cheapest prices and where i can pick up without waiting in a line.
is any car rental program better than the other in terms of miles, gifts, etc. i dont need free days because they are usually too restrictive since i do a lot of one ways.
thanks for the help.
is any car rental program better than the other in terms of miles, gifts, etc. i dont need free days because they are usually too restrictive since i do a lot of one ways.
thanks for the help.
Oct 27, 2009 | 1:24 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S+, Choice Platinum
Posts: 23,319
Dollar and Thrifty do not, as far as I've ever seen, have any restrictions on using free day certificates earned via the Blue Chip and Dollar Express programs (they can even be used in peak season on over-$100/day rates), including for one-ways. I haven't looked in detail, but it seems like the free day certificates can be earned faster with Dollar and Thrifty than with the other programs.
That said, Dollar and Thrifty do have downsides for your situation:
Still, just something to think about.
That said, Dollar and Thrifty do have downsides for your situation:
- They charge drop fees separately from the rate, so even though you can use the certs on one-way rentals to pay for the base daily rate, you'll still have a large out-of-pocket expense
- With their franchise model where franchises own their own fleets and with a relatively large number of franchises, their one-way options are more limited than others (e.g. Hertz or Avis, which have a nationwide integrated fleet, even between franchised locations)
- Blue Chip and Dollar Express service is spotty: there is no true counter bypass, and while the lines should theoretically be nonexistent or much shorter, the service is not always consistently performed and you often end up waiting
- Blue Chip and Dollar Express do not (currently) offer any elite tiers, so there are no special benefits such as free upgrades or extra discounts (beyond the free day certificates) for high-volume renters (unless your business can commit to doing over $5,000 in yearly time-and-mileage volume and can sign up for a corporate account)
Still, just something to think about.
Oct 27, 2009 | 9:09 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: DTW
Programs: DL 0.22 MM, AA 0.34 MM, PC Plat Amb, Hertz #1 GC 5*
Posts: 7,511
If you're consistently renting 10x/month, every month, I'd start working my way through all the programs, for their respective Elite levels. Believe Hertz ia 10x for 5*, and 40x for PC, so that's a start.
You could also wait out the programs, as there always appears to be one having an RDM special. The Avis/DL 1day/3000rdm 3-5/day/5000rpm comes to mind (some reporing 100k+ rdm returns). I'm a Hertz GC 5*, yet if I had had the time, I really would have dipped into that Avis promotion.
You could also wait out the programs, as there always appears to be one having an RDM special. The Avis/DL 1day/3000rdm 3-5/day/5000rpm comes to mind (some reporing 100k+ rdm returns). I'm a Hertz GC 5*, yet if I had had the time, I really would have dipped into that Avis promotion.
Oct 27, 2009 | 7:54 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S+, Choice Platinum
Posts: 23,319
If you're consistently renting 10x/month, every month, I'd start working my way through all the programs, for their respective Elite levels. Believe Hertz ia 10x for 5*, and 40x for PC, so that's a start.
You could also wait out the programs, as there always appears to be one having an RDM special. The Avis/DL 1day/3000rdm 3-5/day/5000rpm comes to mind (some reporing 100k+ rdm returns). I'm a Hertz GC 5*, yet if I had had the time, I really would have dipped into that Avis promotion.
You could also wait out the programs, as there always appears to be one having an RDM special. The Avis/DL 1day/3000rdm 3-5/day/5000rpm comes to mind (some reporing 100k+ rdm returns). I'm a Hertz GC 5*, yet if I had had the time, I really would have dipped into that Avis promotion.