If you could buy your Executive or Executive Elite status, would you?
Oct 17, 2011, 1:00 pm
#1
Moderator: National Car
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SE MI
Programs: Delta PM, National EE, Hertz PC, Hilton DM
Posts: 2,168
If you could buy your Executive or Executive Elite status, would you?
Simple question. If you were an infrequent renter, or didn't rent enough to make the 12/year or 35 day/year cutoff, and National let you pay some amount of money to skip ahead to Executive or Executive Elite, would you?
Of course this is purely hypothetical, since they offer no such option. I'm just curious if you all think the benefits would justify the cost.
Of course this is purely hypothetical, since they offer no such option. I'm just curious if you all think the benefits would justify the cost.
Oct 17, 2011, 2:45 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Austin (TX)
Posts: 308
Simple question. If you were an infrequent renter, or didn't rent enough to make the 12/year or 35 day/year cutoff, and National let you pay some amount of money to skip ahead to Executive or Executive Elite, would you?
Of course this is purely hypothetical, since they offer no such option. I'm just curious if you all think the benefits would justify the cost.
Of course this is purely hypothetical, since they offer no such option. I'm just curious if you all think the benefits would justify the cost.
Would it justify the cost? As a standalone item, no. As a component in a package of perks included in the annual fee, it depends.
Oct 18, 2011, 9:23 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 453
My general answer to the question is yes. 
At my local airport, Executive tends to have the best selection. And, I have never yet had National balk when I do a self-downgrade to a more economical car, as long as I was paying the higher price.
However, right now I have 6 or more rentals a year that are for the most mundane reasons(where even an Aveo will do
). Even though I cannot earn airline miles at Enterprise, having the Enterprise rentals count toward status with Emerald Club has been very helpful.
So, I would not be really keen on paying for something that I would likely earn over a year anyway.
P.S. Even now that I have Executive status, my decision on which company to rent from can still be swayed by a big airline miles bonus.
At my local airport, Executive tends to have the best selection. And, I have never yet had National balk when I do a self-downgrade to a more economical car, as long as I was paying the higher price.
However, right now I have 6 or more rentals a year that are for the most mundane reasons(where even an Aveo will do
). Even though I cannot earn airline miles at Enterprise, having the Enterprise rentals count toward status with Emerald Club has been very helpful.So, I would not be really keen on paying for something that I would likely earn over a year anyway.
P.S. Even now that I have Executive status, my decision on which company to rent from can still be swayed by a big airline miles bonus.
Last edited by 4now; Oct 18, 2011 at 9:30 am
Oct 20, 2011, 4:27 pm
#6
Moderator: CommunityBuzz!, OMNI, OMNI/PR, and OMNI/Games & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: ORD (MDW stinks)
Programs: UAMM, AAMM & ExPlat, Marriott lifetime Plat, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 23,523
In no way should they offer a pay option for E status.
Oct 24, 2011, 12:05 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA Plat Pro 1.4M, SPG Lifetime Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 210
In a way, one already can buy the status...it is offered with some of the larger annual fee credit cards (ie. AXP Plat) which places the status as just one of a handful of perks being acquired for the $375 or so per year.
Would it justify the cost? As a standalone item, no. As a component in a package of perks included in the annual fee, it depends.
Would it justify the cost? As a standalone item, no. As a component in a package of perks included in the annual fee, it depends.
Oct 24, 2011, 2:28 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA EP, UA Gold-MM, UA 1K (former), GS (former),SPG LT Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,299
I would not buy it. If I only rented occasionally I really wanted a specific car or size of car I would just rent that directly.
Oct 24, 2011, 3:10 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott LTG, HHonors Diamond, Nat'l Exec
Posts: 3,581
This -- plus I can't imagine it'd be cheaper to buy it than to do a few extra rentals in a cheap location. But then, I'm never anywhere near missing Exec, and Exec Elite isn't really worth paying extra for...