National's Emerald Reserve Service--Killing EA Benefits

[Wes]

It looks like National Car Rental is getting tighter on the Emerald Club upgrades, as of March 15, via their new Emerald Reserve Service.

In the past, with Emerald Aisle, Emerald Club memebers could reserve an intermediate or full-size and take -- but then take any car on the Emerald Aisle, even a van or SUV.

But under the new scheme, this only works if you reserve an intermediate. <b>Under the new scheme, if you reserve a full-size, then you are restricted to a full-size: you do not have the choice of any vehicle on the Emerald Aisle, since you can now only choose any car from the car class you reserved (i.e. full-sized).</b>

Has anyone run into the reality of this yet?

Has anyone changed their reservation from a full-size to an intermediate so that you can have the "any Emerald Aisle vehicle" choice?

Is National cutting back on the availability of full-sizeds and vans/SUVs, so that if you reserve an intermediate, you are more likely to have to live with an intermediate?

 

[DebbieB]

I just saw a commercial on TV regarding "Quick Rent". It seems like anyone will be able to skip the counter and go to their size aisle as long as they reserve with a credit card. No mention of Emerald Club. It is on their site also, see below:

>>Bypass the counter when you rent any car at nationalcar.com!

Whatever vehicle you need to rent such as a fullsize car, SUV, convertible, or minivan, you’ll be amazed at the speed and convenience of QuickRent®. When you arrive at the location you’ll bypass the counter and go directly to the row of the car class you reserved. You can choose any vehicle… whatever make and model you want, whatever color you want. Then simply drive away!

QuickRent is available at 50 major airport locations across the United States.

QuickRent is not available with reservations that contain the following:

• Corporate accounts with contracted rates, coverages, and benefits
• National coupons
• Special equipment such as child restraint seats, cars equipped with hand controls and ski or luggage racks
• Central Bill numbers
• Reservations over 30 days


In order to complete a QuickRent transaction, the primary driver must meet the following requirements:

• Must meet minimum rental age requirements
• Have a clean driving record
• Have a valid U.S. or Canadian drivers license
• Present an acceptable credit card, with available credit in their name at the time of rental

• National Car Rental does not accept debit cards at time of rental. Although a debit card may be accepted online, you will not be able to process your transaction at time of rental.

• The following credit cards may be used to complete your QuickRent transaction:
U.S. issued credit cards: Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover
Canada issued credit cards: American Express >>>>

 

[DebbieB]

Here's what they have for Emerald Club:

>>>When making intermediate car reservations, please continue to go directly to the Emerald Aisle® and choose from any available car as usual – all at the price of an intermediate. You may still find vehicles on the Aisle that are larger than intermediate (including fullsize), but if they need to guarantee a specific car class, simply use Emerald Reserve Service.<<<

 

[drusba]

Emerald Reserve is really not new. Previously, they had Emerald Aisle and "Emerald Choice," under which you could reserve a car larger than intermediate and go directly to an aisle that had the type of cars you reserved. Emerald Reserve is being touted as new, but they simply did away with "Emerald Choice" and changed its name to "Emerald Reserve."

 

[beattyfamily]

This is what I was told a couple of weeks ago by the EC people at the 800#. Going to the Emerald Aisle would be a downgrade for anyone with a Full size reservation so there was no point to even go there. They are now going to stock the Emerald Aisle with mostly Intermediate cars.

I asked her what if I still go to the Emerald Aisle (since my reservation states I can) even though I have a Full size. She said I could but there'd be no point. I also asked "so there will never be anything bigger than an Intermediate on the Aisle?" and she said mostly Intermediates but that sometimes if there is an overflow of Full sizes or if some PT cruisers come in they will go to the Emerald Aisle.

I fully intend to check out the Emerald Aisle since that is what my reservation states and if there's nothing good, I'll head over to the Full size aisle.

In the future, I will still book a Full size as my family just can't fit into an Intermediate anymore and I don't want to take any chances. I'll just have to face the fact that Emerald Aisle is no more what it was before and book what I really need.

 

[cindala]

Okay, my reservation is Emerald Aisle, and for a full size car. So forget about going to the EA because there won't be any full size cars, and just head directly to the full size aisle?

 

[mrsstats]

Just returned from MCO. Had rented a full size under Emerald Aisle but only mid size in that area. Went over to full size and took a car from there. Did not see anything but mid size in the Emerald Aisle. No SUV's, no larger cars.

 

[Mickey_Maniac]

mrsstats,
What did you see on the full size aisle?

 

[Wes]

Since an intermediate simply is too small for us and since it seems that Emerald Aisle is now Intermediate Aisle (except on rare occasions), then we have to reserve something bigger than intermediate.

The Emerald Aisle seems more like a Green Glass Aisle as of March 15. There is no benefit whatever to Emerald Club membership for us any more that I can see, since we always have multiple drivers and have to go to the counter to let the second driver sign in. EA has become a shell of its former self.

 

[NotUrsula]

Only someone who didn't know anything about renting cars, or someone who was traveling on someone else's dime, would rent a car without using any kind of discount code or coupon. The whole QuikRent idea is meant for them, and they will pay quite a bit more than an EC membership for the convenience.

My reason for using EA is being able to avoid that counter, and I never want a full-size anyway; too much expenditure on gasoline. In any case, all of the major US companies have a standing rule that if the car class you reserved is not available when you arrive, you get the next largest class that is available. If I'm flying into a quiet airport after 6 pm, I always reserve a compact, but not once have I ever ended up with one. (Back in the days before I found a free EC membership, I even did it at MCO, but the counter lines there are always long, so now that I can afford it, I'll pay that little bit extra to actually reserve an intermediate and skip the line.)

Now that Nat'l and Alamo have merged their counter staff, the privilege of skipping that line is worth even more than it was before, IMO.

 

[mrsstats]

Mickey Maniac - We took the Buick Century, there was also a Chevy Impala and a Toyota Camray

 

[CarolA]

EA, like all the other car rental programs, is really designed for business travelers.

Most companies are not requesting travelers to rent midsize cars (unless there are several of you traveling together!). So, the EA will still work for the target market.

While it is nice for leisure travel, rental car companies like the rest of the travel industry depend on the business traveler to make money (Yep, we are the one's not bringing the coupons and just taking the rate!)