huskyflyer

Hmm yeah I wonder what goes on in deciding or how much discretion managers outsource. I just read through threads for a number of different airports and it seems like some including LAX have BMWs, Mercedes etc that do show up sometimes on ES while YYZ seems to never have any premium like cars on ES.

I wonder why other car rentals have not allowed for this level of choice or why some city downtown branches couldn't do something similar like at least give a few options to choose from

Is there any way to view whats currently on the lot at ES on the app ? I thought one car rental allowed you to see whats on the lot live - maybe Avis?

Auto Enthusiast

Avis can do that because you don't walk through and pick from a row. National used to have a virtual aisle at some small airports, but tying up inventory in advance at places with little extra probably made things harder.

gooselee

Is there a way to change the default corporate account tied to your National account? The code from my old company still defaults in and I would like to save my new company's code rather than having to swap it out every time. Have already been through a couple rentals where I forgot to swap the code...

pigzilla

First time National renter here. I will have my first National rental this Monday (2/13) at DFW. Status matched from Hertz PC to National EE. I see from the FAQ that there is a regular Emerald Aisle section and an Emerald Aisle Executive section. Is there a 3rd Executive Elite section as opposed to just an Executive section at the airport? Similar to PC vs 5 star areas for Hertz. Or do both Executive Elite and Executive members just rent from the same Executive section.

Basically my question is if there is a difference between Executive and Executive Elite when it comes to the rental car choice/pickup experience.

mciampa

they both rent from the executive aisle but I do have a 100% success rate saying I would like a different car (one not in either aisle). I’ve even been offered premier before (but I didn’t like the cars they had in premier at that time so didn’t take them up on it).

I think the major differences are free night in 5 instead of 6 and guaranteed car availability as long as it’s 24 hours before.

PortlySpartacus

Has something changed with National with respect to using a corporate code on rentals for personal use?

I work for a big company that has negotiated special employee rates with a variety of travel companies and they provide a code for renting from National for personal use. I've been using the code successfully for many years but now when I input the code for a future booking its bringing up pricing that is significantly higher than my basic Emerald Club discount pricing.

I sent a notice internally at my company to our Corp Travel team to ask if something has changed but haven't received any reply yet. I'm wondering if this might be a temporary pricing glitch or worse, that National is no longer offering discounts for personal use or maybe the contract was terminated? Anyone else experiencing this when trying to use a valid corporate code with National?

AutoSlash

Most corporate contracts are being renegotiated at renewal, and the new rates are almost universally *significantly* higher than they were in the past. Welcome to the new normal.

mciampa

I’ve noticed the same thing. Pricing used to be equal between our corporate plan and personal plan but now the corporate is always significantly cheaper.

Auto Enthusiast

This will create an upward spiral. People will rent much less at these rates, so the volume won't be enough to leverage for maximum discounts at the next contract renewal.

The interesting questions will become how long until flat corporate rates catch up to retail rates, until flat rates are mostly converted to percent discounts, and until more companies then decide to become vendor neutral. The advantage of having a contract is that it's easier for companies to predict their travel spending. But once that's no longer happening, the incentive is stronger to require shopping more on price.

PortlySpartacus

Here is a price comparison to show what I'm talking about:

Corp Code with my company I have been using for 5+ years. 7 day rental, midsize car: $957.38
Emerald Club member discount 7 day renal midsize car : $575.27

The National reservation system recognizes my Corp code as always but the price is bonkers. Something just not right here....

isaac2004

I am going to be in Germany in May and I would love to do a little driving in a fun car. Has anyone used the National in Duesseldorf? If so, what options in the higher end were there?

funnyfarm299

LGA tends to have a couple cars in the executive aisle locked for EEs. They're the only airport I've seen that does this though.

ErinO

Thanks so much for this forum. I am currently booked for a full size. I am a Emerald Executive level thru AMEX Plat. So, when I arrive I will go to the executive aisle. BUT, to confirm, because I rented a FULL SIZE, I can also go and pick from ANY in executive elite?

Also-- if hubby is coming, does he have to register his license, or is he automatically on because he is my spouse and is a legit driver (and we live at same address).

Thanks!

dwbf11

dwbf11

No way to predict what may be there on any given day. SIXT has the best selection of "fun" cars that you can actually guarantee.