3 National rental questions

[New England Eeyore]

#1. I remember getting an email about rent twice and get a free day awhile back. I did rent twice in the qualifying period this year - does anyone know how long it takes that free day to be added to your account? I can't find my original email.

#2. DH and I both are Emerald Club members but that free day will be posted to my account, not his, so I'll have to make the next ressie in my name. I have never actually tested the theory that the Emerald Club allows your spouse to be an extra driver at no additional charge - when he travels with me he reserves in his name and does all the driving. If I make the ressie in my name but he drives out of the garage is there going to be any kind of problem?

#3. Anyone have any insight as to whether the AMEX discount code will be available in 2007? Right now it's ADDING charges to the cost. I miss it terribly! I've used it for years now to get fantastic rates. The best I can do right now for a 9 day rental in April is $414. I haven't paid that much in ages! I'll bite the bullet but I sure would love to save some money. National has me in their pocket though - I'm way too spoiled with the Emerald Aisle to ever consider another rental company.

 

[shoes99]

If you had qualified rentals between August 16th and November 8th 2006, you received an email for a free one day rental during the period
January 1, 2007 to June 25, 2007.
You had to click on the link in the email, the code started with
NF____MD5T

 

[LindaBabe]

1. Not long - we completed 2nd rental December 2 and I have my free day already booked for January 14th.

2. Yes, he can drive free as the extra driver. Just did it.

 

[disneyldwjr]

The person who reserves the car has to drive it out of the garage. After that, anything goes and the person reserving the car does NOT have to be the one to return it.

 

[janets]

I rented twice in the required period and my free day is listed when I log into my account on their website. I can choose to redeem it whenever I want.

Reservations are always in my name (I set up the account) but I don't think I've ever driven out of the garage. DH always does (he's listed as an add'l driver) and they have never questioned it.

I too loved the AMEX code. I need a rental for a 4 day weekend trip (p/u on Sat AM, drop off Tues PM) and the best rate I found was using the AAA code. All the others were much higher.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I rented twice in the required period and my free day is listed when I log into my account on their website. I can choose to redeem it whenever I want.

Reservations are always in my name (I set up the account) but I don't think I've ever driven out of the garage. DH always does (he's listed as an add'l driver) and they have never questioned it.

I too loved the AMEX code. I need a rental for a 4 day weekend trip (p/u on Sat AM, drop off Tues PM) and the best rate I found was using the AAA code. All the others were much higher.

What is the AAA code? I belong to AAA and I thought they only discount thru Hertz which stinks since they're off-terminal. Would love a AAA discount thru National! TIA!

 

[riaesq]

We picked up our car Thanksgiving Day and returned it the 28th. Just 20 minutes ago I got the email that my free day was awarded.

I am the EC member in our house and my DH ALWAYS drives the car out of the lot. No questions asked. We show both our licenses at the booth.

 

[n2mm]

I got my free day certificate within a couple of weeks once I qualified for the first day (last year I got two). The only thought that comes to mine is that you did have to register for that perk. Hopefully you registered under one or both of your names since you are both EA members. And both qualifiying rentals had to be under the same name. Actually once you registered, you got your first qualifying rental free. I registered, then rented in August, then rented in October. I got my first free certificate in September after my August trip since I was at two then. I never rented again after October, so didn't get another certificate. (Last year we rented Aug/Oct/Dec + with signing up, we got 2 certificates.)

 

[disneyldwjr]

We picked up our car Thanksgiving Day and returned it the 28th. Just 20 minutes ago I got the email that my free day was awarded.

I am the EC member in our house and my DH ALWAYS drives the car out of the lot. No questions asked. We show both our licenses at the booth.

I think that is great about the driver and the free day.
To those that say the other listed driver can drive out, I think that is wonderful, however, some day we may all encounter some agent that actually knows the rules and enforces them, like the time we had to switch drivers at the exit kiosk. That is where I was informed about that rule, I later called National about it and was told the exact same thing.
I find them to be very lax at MCO, however, that does not eliminate the fact that there are rules and we should be aware of them and prepared to have someone actually enforce them.

 

[New England Eeyore]

Funny I posted this when I did - I just got my email that my free day was awarded yesterday!

I'll probably just drive out of the garage to be safe. I certainly can, I just preferred not to because we're staying in a different hotel this time than usual and I'm a much better 'navigator' than DH. If I remember correctly, there's really no where to pull over in MCO after leaving the garage to switch drivers.

You can find the AAA rate code on Mousesavers. That and the BJ's membership code were the only ones giving me discounts for April.

 

[Rpsemont]

The person who reserves the car has to drive it out of the garage. After that, anything goes and the person reserving the car does NOT have to be the one to return it.

Actually, DH has driven out of the garage on reservations that have been in my name. We just hand them both licenses and EC card when exiting. And I have been in the car.

 

[Snoozan]

Another one here who allows makes the ressie in my name, but my DH ALWAYS drives out of the garage and does all the driving. Only the last few times have I also had to show my license; before it was always just his info. No problem as I'm always with him!