mo2rose

Who won't, my backup Alamo reservation?
when I reserved, they had 2 minivan options. 7 passengers or 8 passengers. I reserved the 8 Passenger Minivan Toyota Sienna or similar.
I know it's not "guaranteed" but I specifically reserved the 8p. (Btw, 8p Minivan no longer shows up as an option for that day)

mo2rose

Fyi, I did track my 8p Alamo reservation with Auto Slash😀
It did find something a few $ cheaper but won't help me cuz it sent me 1. A 7p minivan and 2. Fox and not one of the major rental companies

AutoSlash

Those SVARs go quick, and it sounds like the class is sold out already, so that’s probably why we offered an MVAR (7-passenger version).

To answer your original question, the answer is that it’s unlikely that National will have an SVAR (8-passenger) minivan in the Emerald Isle section. If they did, you could grab it for the midsize price, but we would be very surprised if one ended up being there. It’s possible though.

As for whether it’s “proper” to have multiple reservations, that’s a slippery slope. It adds to the problem of overbooking/lack-of-availability but there are no rules against it and it technically should work fine. We would just be remiss if we didn’t point out the moral downsides lest we get flamed by those who enjoy riding tall horses. 😉

mo2rose

Thanks.
I don't specifically need SVAR, an 8p SUV would also work but I assume they're also rare in national EA. Hoping that having EE status will help me.

AutoSlash

A Premium SUV (PFAR) would be a Chevy Suburban or similar vehicle that would seat 8. With EE status you can choose from the Executive section, but unless they have a bunch of extra PFARs on hand, you're unlikely to see them there. It's always possible though.

If you PM us your Alamo confirmation number, we can switch the tracking from an SVAR to an PFAR which would be more likely to turn up results for an 8-seater.

mo2rose

PM sent, Thank you. you're awesome.

Another Q if anyone with experience can advise,
I made my Alamo reservation for 3pm but now AA changed my flight so I want to change rental to 6:30.
If I want to modify reservation I get the following message:
"Modifying your reservation may require you to re-start your reservation from the beginning, reselecting and providing all reservation details again. Rates and prices may vary. Are you sure you want to continue?
No, Keep Reservation
Yes, Modify Reservation"
Does that mean I may lose my reserved vehicle and rate (which are no longer available for new reservations) just by clicking "Yes, Modify Reservation"? or it's just telling me that if I actually go ahead and confirm changes to the reservation the rates may not be the same

AutoSlash

Not only will you likely lose your great rate, but you probably won't even be able to book the SVAR at all since it's now sold out. Then again, there's no harm in trying. You won't mess anything up by clicking "Yes, Modify Reservation". Nothing will happen unless you actually confirm the revised reservation.

All of that said, you don't have to worry in the slightest. Major companies like Alamo will hold your reservation for at least 6 hours from the scheduled pickup time, and usually much longer (until midnight of the scheduled day usually)--sometimes even as long as 24 hours past the scheduled pickup time.

In short, no worries at all arriving a few hours late, so rest easy.

m907

Pacificas and Voyagers are much more common than Siennas...I'd say 90% of the minivans are Chrysler.

The only 8-passenger vehicle I've seen at National lately is the Jeep Wagoneer. They are ordering lots of used cars and unusual trims, so there's a chance you might be able to ask and find one.

mo2rose

They obviously have some SVAR (8p Sienna) since I was able to reserve that with Alamo but chances of them offering me an 8p in National EA don't seem that great

Friarboy

Is there an optimal time to pick up an aisle reservation to maximize options? I rent from the PIT airport location frequently because I live nearby and the neighborhood Enterprise in my experience has much less selection and shabbier vehicles. A few weeks back we had a snowstorm and I delayed my trip several hours, heading down around 8 PM which is later than I normally would, to find the entire place cleaned out. The rep quoted me 2 hours before my car would be ready. I prefer National because of corporate alliance, Emerald Club, and the aisle, but Avis had plenty of vehicles and I needed to hit the road so I switched my reservation and got out of there.

If I'm able to would it be better to arrive early in the morning before many flights get in to pick up, or is it totally hit and miss?

m907

In general, Monday mornings and Friday mornings are best. You might also find something good on a Tuesday or Wednesday night when they're short on cars and they put more special cars on the aisle just to fill reservations. PIT is one of the more generous locations if you're executive or executive elite and ask nicely for a particular car. I've found Saturday nights to be good at PIT.

atourgates

What's going on with National.com showing no availability, but reservations being available on OTA sites?

I'm looking at a reservation over the week of Christmas - New Years at Liberia, Costa Rica. When I search Kayak/Priceline/Expedia I can see and reserve available vehicles. When I try to search on National, it just says "No vehicles available. Please call."

Is this normal? Is there a way around it?

EDIT: Figured it out. It was related to the "Amex EE" promo code that was attached to my account. Removing that showed availability.

hawkfan7314

Trying to understand National EE Benefits. I got the status via a Promo with my Amex Platinum but never needed to use it. I am planning on renting for the first time in SAN and am trying to understand the Emerald Aisle aspect.

So I just order a midsize and I can go and get anything from the Emerald Aisle? If that's the case isn't that the same as a regular Emerald Executive? What is the benefits of being a EE? Thank you.

mo2rose

In addition to Emerald, there's another area called Executive Aisle which has additional & better vehicle options

Auto Enthusiast

And easier to earn free days, the option to reserve any category for free days (including one-ways), and guaranteed availability for some stations.