Avis preferred service

[disneymom1]

Has anyone used Avis preferred service at MCO? I am a National Emerald Club member and have used that many times. I am getting a rate almost $100 less with Avis and was wondering how Avis preferred service works and how it compares to Emerald club.

Do I get to pick my car with Avis or am I assigned one? How do I know which car is mine if I don't get to choose. The Avis website seems to say that I just go directly to the parking lot.

Thanks

 

[Syndrome]

Wondering this also.
I am a preferred Avis member, but have yet to use the service! The way the website reads, it looks like preferred members bypass the paperwork and the counters, proceed directly to the lot to pick up your car. It reads that preferred members also get the newest cars. I am not sure if you find "your car" or just pick one from the class that you reserved.
Wondering how you would find "your car" anyway ??? Would your name be on a sign or something???
I would presume that you get to pick your own car, from a group of "preferred" cars in each class rating, but hopefully someone who has used this service at MCO can enlighten us !!! I will find out in 2 weeks!
Later........
Syndrome

 

[DebbieB]

I've used Avis Preferred for business. They assign the car, you don't pick. You skip the counter and go straight to the garage booth. They hand you your paperwork and keys, tell you the space #. I used it a couple times in Orlando and both times they wanted to give me an SUV (Jeep Liberty). I just wanted a regular car, so they switched it. I've used them all over the country, most of the times I got a full size (but sometimes just intermediate). A couple of times I got convertibles. A couple of times I got an HHR, hated it. One time they gave me a huge Grand Marquis, felt like a tank. I was traveling with a coworker, he called it the "pimpmobile". I traveled quite a bit in 2007, I made Avis First. The last couple years I haven't traveled much and fell back to preferred. My company switched to National and Enterprise as our preferred companies this year.

 

[disneymom1]

So do you specify the type of car you want?

Sounds like you get whatever they feel like giving you.

I have already reserved a standard (Ford Fusion or similar). Can I join now and have preferred added to my reservation?

If I specify the type of car I want, am I assured of getting at least that car or bigger?

 

[DebbieB]

You book the size you want. You are guaranteed at least that. It's kind of like Emerald Aisle but you don't do the picking, they do. There have been times that I asked for something else. Sometimes they were able to, sometimes not. Like the second time I got the HHR, I asked for something else but they said I would have to wait a half hour (I don't think they wanted to do it). I don't like SUV's and usually they were able to accomodate me but sometimes not. That's why I like National - you can pick.

 

[kreed]

On line you cannot modify reservation to add preferred number. You must rebook then cancel old reservation if you want to do it on line. I called the Avis number on my confirmation and they added the preferred number to my reservation.

 

[2binak]

We used Avis Preferred when we went to WDW in May. We booked an intermediate car and went straight to the garage to pick up the keys. We were told what spot # the vehicle was in and walked right to it. They had upgraded us to a compact SUV which we were fine with since we own one. It was a very quick, easy service to use.

 

[kreed]

2biniak,
What kind of SUV was it. I have one reserved and was wondering what kind of SUV you received.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

My Dad has an Avis Preferred card and we are thinking about bypassing the check-in line inside the main terminal if the line looks very long, so we would then check-in at the key pick up stand inside the parking garage. However incase the line inside the main terminal is not busy we might just line up there, because we won't know how busy the line in the garage might be.

 

[Rootskate]

Anybody know if the line at the booth in the garage is usually long??

 

[DebbieB]

I've never seen a long line in the garage. If you have a preferred reservation, I think you have to go to the garage. They will have your paperwork already printed out with the keys there. Your show them your ID and I think credit card. Go to your space and drive out. This info is for Orlando. Now in some cities where they have a bus, they read off the space numbers on the bus and you go straight to your space. Or they have a board with names & space numbers. Your paperwork will be in the car and they check everything at a booth on the way out.

 

[Rootskate]

Thanks Debbie. (I also laughed out loud over the "pimpmobile" comment!)

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I've never seen a long line in the garage. If you have a preferred reservation, I think you have to go to the garage. . .

We CAUSED a long line at the garage back in 2004 when we needed to add an additional driver. We were told we could not compelte the paperwork in advance, but that may no longer be true. It took about half an hour, including the time for them to find a full size car for us and by that time, at least 3 other parties were waiting for us to finish. We decided that if we needed to do this again, we would have tried to do it at the inside counter which we had passed on the way to the garage since there was no line there either and it was air-conditioned! -- Suzanne

 

[DebbieB]

Thanks Debbie. (I also laughed out loud over the "pimpmobile" comment!)

I wasn't happy with that one. It was in Detroit. He flew in from MSP before me, I flew in from PIT. He was already at the lot and had his luggage in the car. Their lot was setup with keys already in the car and you checkout at a booth at the exit. If I was by myself, I would have gone in and requested something else. I hated parking that thing.

 

[2binak]

2biniak,
What kind of SUV was it. I have one reserved and was wondering what kind of SUV you received.

We got a Nissan Murano.