Here’s another offer that I found in the American Way magazine that’s not published at AA.com.  This one is from Budget car rental:

Save up to 30% plus Earn Triple American Airlines AAdvantage Miles.

Budget is a preferred partner of American Airlines, which means you can enjoy great AAdvantage members-only offers on every rental. Save up to 30% when you use your Budget Customer Discount (BCD) #U072415. Must use coupon #MUAZ021 with your AAdvantage number to earn triple AAdvantage miles!

The rental has to begin by July 31, 2012.   Some of the other terms and conditions:

• Triple AAdvantage miles valid on a qualifying rental of one or more consecutive days at participating Budget airport locations in the U.S. and Canada.
• An advance 24-hour reservation is required.
• Triple AAdvantage miles equal 150 AAdvantage miles per rental day.
• AAdvantage bonus miles offer valid on all car groups.
• An advance 24-hour reservation is required.

Go here for the full details.

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Just a reminder, it’s MondAAy over at The Frugal Travel Guy so look for today’s Deal of the Day which is sponsored by AAdvantage.  Share you favorite AAdvantage Mile tip or strategy for chance to win 2,500 AAdvantage Miles.

Photo: Budget @ Hakata Station
Credit: Tzuhsun Hsu on Flickr

I was at the Admirals Club the other day and noticed a countertop advertising stand with a 4X AAdvantage Miles offer from Avis.  You won’t find mention of it on AA’s website or at Avis.com, and it’s marketed as an “Exclusive Offer for Admirals Club Members” but nowhere in the terms and conditions does it mention that a membership is required.  

Here are the details:

• Now through August 31, 2012, American Airlines AAdvantage members can earn quadruple AAdvantage miles on rentals of 1 or more days at participating airport locations in the U.S. and Canada.

• Use coupon # MUAA063 and provide your AAdvantage number at the time of reservation or at the rental counter to earn your AAdvantage bonus miles. Quadruple AAdvantage miles are calculated using your AAdvantage base miles multiplied by four for every day you rent with Avis.

• This offer is in addition to your everyday savings of up to 25% when you use AWD # K817170.

The standard Avis earning rate is 50 AAdvantage Miles per day, so with this promotion you’ll earn 200 miles each rental day.  From the terms and conditions:

• Quadruple American Airlines AAdvantage miles valid on a qualifying rental of one or more consecutive days at participating Avis airport locations in the U.S. and Canada.
• Offer of quadruple AAdvantage miles is valid on daily and weekend rentals.
• Mention coupon MUAA063 to get this offer.
• Quadruple AAdvantage miles equal 200 AAdvantage miles per rental day.
• Offer valid on all car groups.
• An advance reservation is required.
• Offer may not be used with any other coupon, promotion or offer except your AWD discount.
• The savings of up to 25% applies to the time-and-mileage charges only.
• Use AWD K817170 to receive this discount.
• Taxes, concession recovery fees, vehicle license recovery fee, customer facility charges ($10/contract in CA) and fuel charges are extra.
• Optional items such as LDW ($35.99/day or less) and other surcharges may apply and are extra.
• Offer is subject to vehicle availability at the time of rental and may not be available on some rates at some times, including some online rates at Avis.com.
• Car rental return restrictions may apply.
• Offer subject to change without notice.
• Holiday and other blackout periods may apply.
• Renter must meet Avis age, driver and credit requirements. Minimum rental age may vary by location. An additional daily surcharge may apply for renters under 25 years old.
• Rental must begin by August 31, 2012.

There’s another offer from Avis of 1,500 AAdvantage Miles for a 3 day rental, which is a better deal if you’re renting for 3 to 7 days.  Single, 2 day, and 8 day rentals will be better off with the 4X miles.

Go here for complete details.

In case you missed it, a shameless plug from yesterday’s post:

Earlier this month, American launched a new Facebook promotion: share your favorite AAdvantage tip for a chance to win 5,000 miles. If you haven’t entered yet, hurry – the deadline to submit your entry is approaching:

Want the scoop on the best ways to maximize your AAdvantage membership? Read these top tips submitted by AAdvantage members like you! Got a tip to share?  Submit your tip now through 5/1 and you’ll be entered for a chance to win 5,000 AAdvantage miles. On or around 5/23, we’ll select our 10 favorite tips to win.

There’s even a blogger component to the promotion: five bloggers (including me) were asked to offer their favorite AAdvantage tip.

Here are the details: the blogger with the tip that gets the most votes will win 5,000 AAdvantage Miles for themselves and 5,000 AAdvantage miles to give away in a reader contest of some kind (for the record, if I win I’ll donate my 5,000 miles to AA’s Miles for Kids program).

I’m flattered that I was asked to take part in a promotion with The Frugal Travel Guy, The Weekly Flyer from Points, Miles & Martinis, Mommy Points, and Matt Long at Landlopers, so this is pretty exciting to me.

There are lots of good suggestions on the AAdvantage Facebook pages, so go read them, submit your own AAdvantage tip, and vote for your favorite expert advice (look for the “Expert Tips” tab)!

Hertz hasn’t had many bonus AAdvantage promotions this year, but the few that they have offered have been pretty generous. Now they’ve just introduced a new bonus that’s better than anything they offered last year:

Hertz – Earn Quadruple Miles and Save Up To 35 Percent

Award: 4x Miles

Dates: Now through September 30, 2012

Discount/CDP/Club Code: 217692
Promotional Coupon (PC): 169676

Offer: Earn 4x the miles per $1 spent (instead of the usual 1 mile per $1 spent) plus, save up to 35% when you rent any vehicle for one of more days in the US, Puerto Rico, Canada, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, and United Kingdom through September 30, 2012.

Go here for complete details of this promotion.

I’ve always been a big fan of Hertz, they usually have the best rental and return locations, their customer service people are friendly and helpful, and if you have Hertz Gold Plus status, they make it easy and quick to go from being dropped off by the shuttle bus to driving yourself through exit gate.

If you don’t have Hertz Gold Status, here’s your chance to get it for at not cost:

Go Gold for Free — No $60 Membership Fee Through June 30, 2012!

Stop waiting in lines and filling out paperwork and start earning points for free rentals. With our Hertz Gold service and Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, booking a car has never been easier or more rewarding.

Speedier Service: No more waiting at the counter. Just pick up your keys and go!

More Value: Get special offers and more value. Your spouse will no longer pay an additional driver fee and you will enjoy discounts on child seats and more

More rewarding: Earn one Hertz Gold Plus Rewards™ point for every qualifying dollar* spent plus bonuses.

Quicker pickup: See your name in lights! Find your name on the Gold Board and locate your car in a snap

Faster return: Just fill out a slip. Leave the car, and you’re off. It’s that easy.

Mobile Gold Alerts: Know which car you’ll be driving and where it’s parked the minute it’s assigned.

Offer expires June 30. Go here to sign up for Hertz Gold Plus Status or to review the complete terms and conditions.

Photo credit: San Diego Hertz Airport Shuttle – view from the floor

Credit: (Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester) on Flickr

The other day I wrote about a new bonus miles offer from Alamo, and a reader, Mark, shared this in the comments section:

Not sure why all the bloggers like the 1,000 or 1,500 mile bonus offers on a 3 day rental. Most rental car agencies offer a free day on a 3 day rental. So, unless you are on a VERY cheap rental, the free day is going to be worth more than 1,000 or so miles.

He makes a very good point.

There are several ways to evaluate these offers. And one way is to consider this: if you decided to use some AAdvantage Miles for a car rental, you’d likely need to redeem at least 5,000 miles for a single day. So if you compare a free day rental (pardon the oxymoron) to 1,500 miles, the free day provides a better value.

Of course, some may find the miles more useful than the free day rental, it’s really just a matter of preference, but Mark’s got some very solid advice, so I thought of him when I came across this offer from National Car Rental:

Save up to 25% and earn 500 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles, plus receive One Free Weekend Day with National!

Rent a compact through full-size car for a minimum of 3 days at any participating National location in the United States. Save up to 25% and earn 500 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles plus receive One Free Weekend Day with National. Saturday overnight keep required.

One FREE Weekend Day

• Reserve a compact through full-size car in the United States.
• Requires a 3-day minimum (5-day maximum) rental with a Saturday overnight keep.
• Valid through 12/31/2012.
• 24-hour reservation required.

To qualify for this offer, you’ll need to use Contract ID 5026041 and Coupon ID NF3361JDP at the time of your reservation.

Go here for complete details and the terms and conditions.

Also, National Car Rental is celebrating 25 of their Emerald Club loyalty program., and to celebrate they’ve teamed up with The Weekly Flyer to give away two $25 gift cards to Points, Miles & Martinis readers.  All you have to do is share how you traveled 25 years ago.  

Twenty five years ago, AAdvantage Geek was traveling on Spring Break while waering a Spuds MacKenzie t-shirt!   Go here to enter!  

Photo: National Rental Car Counter
Credit: Michael Gray on Flickr

I think this is the first bonus from Alamo that I’ve seen since last year:

Save Up to 30% and Earn 1,000 American Airlines AAdvantage Miles!

Normally, I’d say it’s a pretty good deal, but right now my favorite car rental promotion is the offer from Avis of 1,500 Bonus AAdvantage Miles, and a 25% discount with a 3 day rental.   It was set to expire February 28, but was just extended through June 30, 2012.

Both Alamo and Avis give you 50 AAdvantage Miles per day, so unless Alamo gives you a better price, you’ll come out ahead with the Avis offer.

Anyway, here are the details of the Alamo promotion:

Save up to 30% and earn 1000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles with a three day minimum rental on any size vehicle at participating Alamo locations in the United States and Canada. Offer valid through December 31, 2012.

Book online at alamo.com or call 1-800-462-5266. Please request I.D. Number 7015732. Be sure to provide your American Airlines AAdvantage number at the time of rental.

You can save an extra $15 if you use Coupon Code: AD7428SDR (24 hour advance reservation required).

You’ll find complete terms and conditions here.

 On a related topic

If you’re not already member of the Alamo Insider loyalty program, then you should join.  It’s free,  it can save you money, and it can earn you upgrades.  Go here for full details. 

Photo: “Alamo – I find such beauty in airports at night.”
Credit: Dawn Ashley on Flickr

National Car Rental usually offers 50 AAdvantage Miles per day, but through December 31, 2011 customers can earn 500 AAdvantage Miles, a discount, and one coupon good for one free weekend day rental when they rent for 3 or more days:

Save up to 25% and earn 500 American Airlines AAdvantage Bonus Miles, plus receive One Free Weekend Day with National!

Rent a compact through full-size car for a minimum of 3 days at any participating National location in the United States. Save up to 25% and earn 500 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles plus receive One Free Weekend Day with National. Saturday overnight keep required.

You can earn an unlimited number of bonus miles through the end of the year, but only one coupon for a free weekend day:

Reserve a compact through full-size car in the United States.
Requires a 3-day minimum (5-day maximum) rental with a Saturday overnight keep.
Valid through 12/31/2011.
24-hour reservation required.

To participate in this promotion, you need to use Contract ID 5026041 and Coupon ID NF3361JDP at the time of your reservation.  Go here to make a reservation or to read the full details (including the terms and conditions).

Photo credit: mrkathika, on Flickr

Usually when you rent a car from Budget you’ll earn 50 AAdvantage Miles per day, but through December 31, 2011 you’ll earn twice that with this offer:

• Earn even more American Airlines AAdvantage miles every time you rent with Budget!
• Now through December 31, 2011, AAdvantage members can earn double the AAdvantage miles on rentals of 1 or more days.
• Offer valid on all car groups at participating Budget airport locations in the U.S. and Canada.
• Use coupon #MUAZ015 and provide your AAdvantage number at the time of reservation or at the rental counter to earn your AAdvantage bonus miles. Double AAdvantage miles are calculated by multiplying your AAdvantage base miles by two for every day you rent with Budget.

Budget is also offering a 20% discount on qualifying rentals when you use promo code BCD U305500.

The best thing about this offer is the 1 day minimum rental required in order to qualify for this bonus.  Unless you’re renting for more than 20 days or have a corporate travel department the requires you to rent with Budget, the  25% discount and 2,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles offer from Avis is probably a better deal.

To sign up for this Budget offer or to read the complete terms and conditions, go here.

Avis and Swissotel have partnered on a new AAdvantage bonus miles offer:

Earn 1500 AAdvantage miles or more, when you drive and stay with Avis and Swissôtel Hotels

The more you rent, the more miles you earn!

• Now through December 15, 2011, you can earn 500 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles on qualifying rentals of 2 days or more at participating Avis airport locations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Use coupon # MUAA053 and provide your AAdvantage number at the time of reservation or at the rental counter to earn your AAdvantage bonus miles. The AAdvantage bonus miles are in addition to the AAdvantage base miles you earn every time you rent with Avis.

• This offer is in addition to your everyday savings of up to 25% at participating locations worldwide when you use AWD # K817100.

• Stay at one of Swissôtel’s many locations and earn 500 AAdvantage base miles and 500 AAdvantage bonus miles.

Avis already has a great 2,000 bonus AAdvantage Miles offer for rentals of 3 or more days, so this new offer only makes sense if your renting for 2 days. Both offers still earn 50 base AAdvantage miles per day and both offer the same 25% discount code:

Go here for more information about the Avis – Swissotel offer.

Thanks to Jacob for bringing this to my attention!  Have a good weekend!

Thrifty Rent a Car is offering triple AAdvantage miles with their “Putting You in the Driver’s Seat with Triple Miles” promotion:

American Airlines AAdvantage members will earn triple miles when renting a Compact car or larger vehicle for three days or longer.

To receive this offer, reservation must include promo code TRP1.
Offer valid 8/15/11 12/15/11.
Rental of a Compact car or larger vehicle for a minimum of 3 days is required to qualify for triple miles.
Restrictions may apply.
This offer may not be combined with any other offer.

Renting from Thrifty will usually earn you 50 AAdvantage miles a day, so with this bonus offer you’ll earn……….DRUM ROLL……….150 miles each rental day.  

Go here for complete terms and conditions or to make your reservation using promo code TRP1.

Photo: Thrifty Rent a Car shuttle Darwin, NT Australia
Credit: Ken Hodge on Flickr

“5000″ Photo credit: Leo Reynolds on Flickr

I’m a big fan of Avis for two reasons, competitive rates and really generous AAdvantage bonus offers, and now they’ve just introduced a new one: Get 5,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles on rentals of five or more days and save 25%:

The more you rent, the more miles you earn!

Now through August 15, 2011, you can earn up to 5000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles on qualifying rentals of 5 consecutive days or more at participating Avis airport locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Use coupon # MUAA042 and provide your AAdvantage number at the time of reservation or at the rental counter to receive your bonus miles. These miles are in addition to the base miles you receive every time you rent with Avis.
This offer is in addition to your everyday savings of up to 25% when you use AWD # K817100.

This offer is a little more complicated than usual in that you have to make your reservation by August 31 for a one week rental that occurs between August 15 and the end of this year. Here’s how they explain it in the terms and conditions:

5,000 AAdvantage bonus miles offer is valid for qualifying weekly rentals between August 15, 2011, and December 15, 2011, at participating Avis airport locations in the United States and Canada.

5,000 AAdvantage bonus miles is valid on weekly rentals of 5 consecutive days or more.

Rental must be booked from May 1, 2011, through August 31, 2011, to qualify for 5,000 AAdvantage bonus miles offer.

An advance reservation is required.

Go here to make a reservation or to read the complete terms of this promotion.