From
http://misc.biztravel.com/content/ne...iles/miles.htm

"I just saw another press release reminding me that a car rental company claiming that "frequent flyer awards are subject to a $.50/transaction tax recovery fee." Transaction tax recovery fee, do I look blind to you? This is yet another attempt by selected partners of various frequent flyer programs to continually pass the buck.

I, for one, am getting rather aggravated by this tacky approach to revenue management and have decided to tee-off on this matter and forewarn others whom I suspect are reviewing the matter that frequent flyers with pitchforks are waiting for you. I say this because I had heard that a rather well known credit card company who gives away a lot of miles has this under consideration.

This whole thing started a few years back with the Taxpayer Relief Act whereby a few spineless representatives of our public proposed to the government a new way to raise money....


- Lot's of folks I know support you on this one for sure!!!


[This message has been edited by doc (edited 04-13-2000).]

Thank you Doc for keeping us up on the Rental car miles fiasco.

I recently rented a Cadillac from National and got exactly 100 miles.

From Hertz for a cheapo economy car, I got 415 miles.

When I attempted to complain to the National website, they wanted two pages of mandantory information (data collection) before I could even send a comment.

The rental car situation has gotten and is getting worse continuously. It used to be that one would get 500 miles minimum from any affiliated program, for each rental. Now it seems anything goes.

I encourage all fflyers to bear down on the rental car mileage deals. Until we do there will be no improvement.

Cheers, Woody

I've given up on FF miles from car rentals and have gone to hotel points, so far not taxed. It's only a matter of time, though.

I feel the pain described above. I recently rented a midsize from Hertz and received a whopping 45 AA mile. Could this be correct?
If anyone has any input on this I would appreciate it.

Those car rental company sucks. Lowering the mile from 500-mile/rental to 50-mile/day, and then copy something like this from phone companies.

Although I am focusing all my miles into Delta this year, when I rent a car it goes to Southwest Airlines, Rapid Rewards.

I earn a half a credit with any rental, and can usally get a full credit by doing a little searching. This is equal to 780 to 1560 miles per rental. They don't go international, but at least I get a better bang for my buck.

What would be the best way to voice our discontent to the rental car companies?

We should be unified in our approach and focused to our targets to be as effective as possible.

Any suggestions? (Randy? Old Gold? et al.)

I've just given up on miles and gone for price. Amazing deals I've found on-line when not constraining myself to the big rental companies. Haven't had a problem with these smaller companies. A little inconvenient, since they're off-airport, but I can live with the extra time I need to pick-up/drop off.

I'm with Papollo on this one. I rented a car from Fox last weekend at LAX. $14 per day and it was in nice shape. Granted, Fox is way off airport - but they are RIGHT at the enterance for I405. If I had gone with the majors I would have gotten maybe 50 miles and paid at least twice as much. No way it is worth it.

On another, albeit only very faintly related topic, doesn't this make you really mad too?

NO MORE MILES FOR NWA EFARES!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/003500.html

Doc .. isn't it cute how the official words :

"improvement" to your FF program -

Usually translates upon closer reading as:

MAKING YOUR PROGRAM EVER WORSE THAN IT IS NOW.

Very underhanded way of dealing with their customers IMO. Just to remind people that currently any rental using BA's 20% off AWD will net 1000 miles per rental (even on cheapo geo metro for $18 a day weekend rate).

What's worse than this is MCI!

My usual monthly calling card bill is a few dollars - then in the next month I get another bill for the tax - usually 1-5 cents.

It's costs MCI 40cents to send a 1cent invoice!

Is this Alice in Wonderland?