January 22
I need to pick a new rental car company to earn points with. I am no longer going to be using National because of some ridiculous drama that I will blog about later! (gotta make sure you keep reading J)
I’m having a hard time picking a new program. Because I primarily do international travel, I don’t rent nearly as frequently as I used to so I’m looking for a program that has the best points transfer or ways to earn w/other partners like Airlines, hotels, etc…
Let me know what you think! I’ll pick one random comment and send you an iTunes gift card as a thanks!
Hertz is great – found virtually in every country and has a load of partners.
I’ve been consistently happy with Alamo, but they are under the same umbrella as National so maybe not something you’re interested in.
Have you thought about jumping around? Seems like each quarter someone new is running the greatest promotion, and in my opinion grabbing 1000+ miles per rental would outweigh a free upgrade on a car class by staying loyal. JMO.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car maybe?
@Sophia, I was thinking Enterprise too, but I think they’re owned by National, or vice-versa
Hertz is great for non-frequent renters.
Hertz–theyre everywhere! While they are not the cheapest, there are CDPs for AAA, AARP, Car and Driver which make it comparable to other companies. By far the best service (when elite). They give away elite status online for free a few months each year, plus AMEX Platinum gets it for free
My concern with hertz is their rates. Love Avis here
Hertz!
I’d go with Hertz since they are virtually everywhere and have lots of partners. But unfortunately they rarely seem to have the best price.
I would vote for Hertz, however, if you are rarely renting a car, I would rent from places that is cheapest. Concentrate on $ saved over pts earned.
I have tried to maintain loyalty, but to me price is the biggest factor. Have you tried booking through Costco Travel? You will need a membership to secure the reservation, (none needed to price shop) over the past 2 years or so they have consistently priced out way lower than using any other booking engine. They use Alamo, Budget, Avis and Enterprise, so there is a chance you can build up loyalty at one of these locations.
Hertz…I have tried others but always come back. Great customer service + dependable cars brings me back. They also have an on demand service for renting cars by the hour in select locations.
Hertz or Avis are your obvious next choices if National is out. Avis often runs great airline mile promos.
Depends on what miles or hotels are most usefulto you & whether your rental pattern is single it multi-day? Look at recent promo threads to get an idea of earning.g requirements & potential.
It’s easy to earn 1,000 VS per day with Hertz. That 1000 VS can be used in CA or be transferred into 2,000 HH.
Avis/ Budget promos tend to be best for multi-day rentals and have promos with several airlines
Also note that LH often runs multiple rental bonuses for rental car partners.
If you want free cars, especially in NYC, then Hertz is best program & there are ways to double dip to get more free days faster. Biggest downside with Hertz is that 1ways can often be expensive in $$ or double points.
Oops dam autocorrect…meant that VS miles can be used on Virgin America.
fwiw, I too had drama with National and no longer can rent with them. Surprised to later realize, other company’s suit my needs better.
Good luck
I rented from Hertz every single week for 8 months. Even though I had a positive experience, I would agree with some others to choose the cheapest option. Even after 8 months of renting every single week, I barely had enough points for a 3 day free rental.
Car rental points/perks are not worth it, especially if you’re not renting frequently.
Hertz or Avis for international travel since they have the biggest coverage.
Hertz is good for points and can eaaily be redeemed for rentals outside the us like Sydney or Auckland. However, Avis ia good for partner promotions like bonus pointas for hotels (e.g. club Carlson) or airline miles. I find the Avis service better in the US with better cars offered.
I would suggest going with Budget or Avis. They are both under the same umbrella. Alamo may also be another option because Enterprise, Hertz, and National are all under the same umbrella. So, if you had a problem with National, I wouldn’t suggest going with the other two. I am not sure who would have the best rewards, but I thought I would give my input. Good luck!
Avis seems to have good international deals with mileage bonuses.
As others have said, there is a lot of variations with rental car pricing and you are probably better off going for the best price. That being said, I have been happy with Hertz. Through some sign up bonuses, a triple points promotion, and a few other quirks, I have only rented with them twice, and already have enough points for a free weekend rental.
Also – even though you are traveling internationally, you might want to consider renting a car. I am living in Europe right now, so all of my travel is international. I don’t always rent a car, but have found prices to very often be better than you would expect. I just got back from a trip to Italy, and was able to rent a car for five days through Europcar for 136 Euros – not a great deal if you are staying in the city, but when you have to get out of town a bit, the value is really there.
Also – through hertz, I have a rental car booked for two weeks in Israel for only $128 US. That’s cheaper than any other form of transit for all the places I am going! Of course, you need to factor the cost of gas in as well.
Hertz is the best…but not the cheapest!!
Check out Costco travel for some good rental car deals.
Diversity…keep shopping till you have the best deal.
I would encourage you not to get tied into only one option or company…never a good idea if $$$ matters to you.
If work is paying (i.e. not focused on the absolute lowest price) I would go with Hertz or Avis.
Am interested to hear about your experience with National. I used to be an Exec Elite but stopped using them after a horrific experience where they tried to charge me for damages 11 months after I had returned a car…
I’m stuck with Avis for work, but I do like them. I get upgraded when they don’t have the car type I reserved. Sorry to not be more profound in my advice than this lol.
@Tony – very similar reason!!
Nothing beats Hertz and their #1 Club.
read Million mile secrets, his latest series on cheapest Car Rental rates.
National Car Rental , pretty decent promos every now and then, like free days!
Avis is everywhere it’s “location, location, location” and as we always say.
My experiences lean toward Hertz – the consistency of their renting experience is worth it. They often have the biggest selection of cars which means that they will have what you want ready to go. No waiting while the car is cleaned, etc. They also take no for an answer when you decline additional insurance and don’t go on and on about how I’ll be responsible…..blah, blah.
definitely Hertz for international travel, despite the sometimes higher costs.
Ill go with Avis and or Budget, Avis owns Budget and i have been using Avis for many years and quite happy with them.