Cars at PHX (Phoenix Airport)
Apr 29, 2019, 8:36 pm
#541
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Canada
Programs: Marriott Plat; Air Canada E75K; Westjet Platinum
Posts: 1,161
Do you typically see Minivans at the Executive Aisle? I want to redeem free rental days and need a Minivan. Should I just reserve a Minivan when redeeming over the phone to avoid disappointment when I show up? When redeeming free days, do they allow one way rental at no extra cost? ex., pick up at PHX and return at LAS?
Apr 30, 2019, 10:09 am
#542
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York suburbs
Posts: 4,210
Yes, but not for minivans. You can redeem up to midsize/ Emerald Aisle for regular members, up to full size/ Executive Aisle for Executive, and up to large SUVs for Executive Elite. If a minivan by random chance happens to be on the aisle, you can take it as a free upgrade, like usual.
Apr 30, 2019, 11:42 am
#543
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: HH Diamond, HGVC, WN RR, National Exec, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,055
I reserved a minivan in early March and when I arrived they had to go off somewhere to retrieve one for me. I didn't noticed any available to pick and there were a couple of reps waiting to help customers out. Once I told them I had a van reserved they had me wait and brought one to me. Whenever I need a van, I reserve a van.
Apr 30, 2019, 1:47 pm
#544
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York suburbs
Posts: 4,210
Yes, but the question asked was needing a van and wanting to redeem free days. Vans are not covered by free days. They used to be, for Executive Elite. National stopped it when a lot of very expensive long distance one-way minivans were being redeemed for free.
Apr 30, 2019, 7:17 pm
#545
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Canada
Programs: Marriott Plat; Air Canada E75K; Westjet Platinum
Posts: 1,161
Thanks for the reply. I am Executive Elite. I must have lucked out as I just redeemed 6 days and was able to reserve a Minivan. It allowed me to book anything from compact up to Premium SUV like an Infiniti Q90. I tried to redeem online with a pick up at PHX drop off at LAS. All looked good - base rate zeroed out - except when I looked at the pricing breakdown, it DID NOT include any mileage at all. It says 0.33 per mile !!!! Wow I am glad I looked carefully, would have been ugly. Very ugly bill. On the redemption page, there is a pull down box that you can select number of free days right next to pick up date / drop off date. The pull down only has 1-7 days. Is that all I could redeem in one reservation - 7 free days? What would I need to do if I want to redeem like 14 days?
May 1, 2019, 8:32 am
#546
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York suburbs
Posts: 4,210
For redemptions longer than 7 days, you would need another reservation. Ex, one-way to another city along your route.
The one-way mileage charges are usually associated with a default company contract code. Switch to the generic Emerald Club ID to get the standard unlimited miles.
The one-way mileage charges are usually associated with a default company contract code. Switch to the generic Emerald Club ID to get the standard unlimited miles.
May 1, 2019, 9:07 am
#547
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Canada
Programs: Marriott Plat; Air Canada E75K; Westjet Platinum
Posts: 1,161
Ha, you are right AE, I have my company contract ID attached which may have been the reason for NO mileage included for the one way redemption. Good to know for future that redemption includes one way rental, unlimited mileage, and need to book 2 separate 7 day reservation for a 14 day redemption. Learned a lot here. Thanks AE and Birdie.
May 18, 2019, 3:28 pm
#548
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: The place where it gets so hot in the summer some planes can't take off.
Programs: Marriott LT Titanium, WoH Globalist, National EE, United Platinum
Posts: 1,446
Ha, you are right AE, I have my company contract ID attached which may have been the reason for NO mileage included for the one way redemption. Good to know for future that redemption includes one way rental, unlimited mileage, and need to book 2 separate 7 day reservation for a 14 day redemption. Learned a lot here. Thanks AE and Birdie.
Jun 4, 2019, 7:15 pm
#549
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 37
Muscle cars phx
I was at PHX a week ago and booked for a midsize car via National Emerald Club. Many times from what I've seen you can book whatever level vehicle and you can choose any without paying more. At LAX I've seen Camrys and Altimas which were in the Emtalde Isle and I was able to choose them but at midsized rate. Have things changed?
At PHX they literally had the smaller cars like Kia, Hyundai and tiny Chevys littering the garage. I wasn't down for that and so I saw Dodge Challenger Hemis up front when walking in. After seeing my choices I asked the lady at the canopy what i could rent the Dodge for and she checked with her manager and it was $30/day. For a week rental that was too high for me. Anyone have experience negotiating a better price? When I was in OC a rental employee was practically begging me to take a Camero. I walked away twice then he came down to a $40 charge for entire rental. I couldn't pass that up but that may have been Avis or Hertz and not National.
Anyone get a consistently great price on the higher end sports cars? With gas prices I was expecting a deal at PHX.
At PHX they literally had the smaller cars like Kia, Hyundai and tiny Chevys littering the garage. I wasn't down for that and so I saw Dodge Challenger Hemis up front when walking in. After seeing my choices I asked the lady at the canopy what i could rent the Dodge for and she checked with her manager and it was $30/day. For a week rental that was too high for me. Anyone have experience negotiating a better price? When I was in OC a rental employee was practically begging me to take a Camero. I walked away twice then he came down to a $40 charge for entire rental. I couldn't pass that up but that may have been Avis or Hertz and not National.
Anyone get a consistently great price on the higher end sports cars? With gas prices I was expecting a deal at PHX.
Jun 13, 2019, 11:04 pm
#550
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 37
Two pathetic experiences here in a row. Absolute garbage in the Executive Aisle. Kias, Hyundais, Chevys, Altimas, Jeeps. Took a Challenger the first time. Garbage. Rav 4 the second. Would have been an okay choice in the Emerald Aisle. But Executive???
Staff hiding out to avoid wrath of customers.
Staff hiding out to avoid wrath of customers.
I completely agree with your sentiment, how are Kias. Hyundais, Chevys, Altimas and Jeeps considered Exec???? I tried to get one of the 2 white Challengers they had up front but the mgr wanted an extra $30/day on top of my $480 mid size reservation.
Jun 14, 2019, 12:53 am
#551
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 118
I once came around 1am, and there was just 1 attendant. He was busy with his video on the phone, so he just told me to pick any car that I liked, pulled up a 4-series convertible from the reserved area and he said: good choice. He charged me as a full-size reservation. Guess I was really lucky.
Jul 13, 2019, 10:04 am
#555
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,453