Check your National Ressies!

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

As you've probably seen on the different threads National must be updating their web site. Most of us got Emerald Reserve this morning, then Emerald Aisle this afternoon. I just went back to view my Emerald Reserve ressie just now, it now says my level of service is Emerald Aisle on their website! I'm too tired to call them back a third time today. I'm going to call them tomorrow and find out what's up. From what the National reps told me on 2 separate calls today, you're only guaranteed an midsize car (or possibly better) if you chose EA, even if you requested full size on your ressie. The only way you can guarantee a full size car is with Emerald Reserve. The difference was $26 for my 12 night stay. I felt I'd rather pay the $26 to make sure I get the size car I want, but now that same ressie says EA, even though the confirmation I printed off their website this morning says Emerald Reserve. Sheesh...

 

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

This really bugged me, so I had to do some investigating on National's website. EA Intermediate, Standard and Full Size cars all came up with the same rate. If you choose counter pickup instead of EA , the Intermediate rate was the same as the EA rate. The counter pickup Standard and Full Size rates were exactally the same, but that rate was higher than the EA rate. So, what I came up with is they must stock the EA with Intermediate, Standard and Full Size-it's luck of the draw what's available when you get there. If you're not picky about what size you get, go for the lower rate by choosing EA. If you must have a Standard or Full Size you have to go with counter pickup (then call National and have them change your ressie to Emerald Reserve-you can bypass the counter but still get the size you want since you are a Emerald Club member and they have all your info on file). Since Standard and Full Size cost the same for counter pickup-you might as well go with the Full Size for a little more room. If anyone figures out anything different than what I came up with, please post.

 

[beattyfamily]

If things at the website are back to BEFORE yesterday, then I think it should work like it did before which is this:

If you book a Full size and have the EA option checked (and not Emerald Choice or Emerald Reserve) then this is what you do. You go to the EA and see what's there. If you don't like anything because they are small you then proceed to the Full size Asile and pick from there as that is really what you reserved. So with EA you have TWO options; take something from the EA or take something from the Full size Asile.

The yesterday morning, you could only get Full size with NO EA which meant you could ONLY go to the Full size Asile and pick something there. You could NOT go to the EA and see what was there. Only the Intermediate rentals could use EA. Now it appears things are back to 'normal' for now!

I hope this helps you out. You WILL get a Full size if that is what you reserved and if you were lucky enough to get Emerald Asile then you can also check that out too.

 

[JOC]

Who would've thought reserving a rental car could be this difficult (and stressful)?
As long as we get a full size, which is what we reserved, we'll be happy.

 

[cinmell]

Have anyone ever reserved a full size and there weren't any when you got there? We reserved a full size and arrive around 10 am. Do you think we will have trouble finding a full size?

 

[n2mm]

We have reserved a full size for every trip on EA and it has always been FULL of full size cars, just never anything in the EA. We go 5-6 times a year and have a full size reserved for our May, July, September and October trips. I wouldn't worry about it. You will get what you reserve, but if you plan to get something from the EA, then you might want to worry, I've not seen a single car on that lot in my last 8 trips.

 

[cinmell]

Thank you!

Do they have someone there to help if there are not cars available in the EA?

 

[beattyfamily]

Originally posted by cinmell
Thank you!

Do they have someone there to help if there are not cars available in the EA?

You really don't need help. The Emerald aisle is right next to the Full size aisle so it's very easy to walk up and down the EA and then if you don't see anything good, walk one aisle over to the Full size aisle and check there; if there are none there (which I've never seen), then you can ask for help. There are employees walking around quite a bit to help answer a question.

Good luck.

 

[cinmell]

Originally posted by beattyfamily
The Emerald aisle is right next to the Full size aisle so it's very easy to walk up and down the EA and then if you don't see anything good, walk one aisle over to the Full size aisle and check there; if there are none there (which I've never seen), then you can ask for help. There are employees walking around quite a bit to help answer a question.

Good luck.

Oh, good! I wasn't positive that I could just go to another aisle, I thought I may be confied to the EA if what I reserved isnt' there. Thank you!

 

[cindala]

I just reserved my full size, and it put me to EA. There wasn't any choice of Emerald Reserve.

I'm assuming as beattyfamily said, if there are no full sizes on the Emerale Aisle, I'll go to the full size aisle and pick one up.

It says full size with my reservation, so that is what they should honor.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

It says full size with my reservation, so that is what they should honor.

In speaking with a customer rep. from National, he stated that in reality what you are booking is an Intermediate. The chance of a standard or full size or better is a free upgrade. In reality, we should not be going to the full sized aisle, but no one seems to be bothered by it. If you check the rates, you will see you are paying for an intermediate. Soooo, while your ressies says full size, it really does not mean that, or so he says. Did not make a lot of sense to me, but, I don't speak "rental car".

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
In speaking with a customer rep. from National, he stated that in reality what you are booking is an Intermediate. The chance of a standard or full size or better is a free upgrade. In reality, we should not be going to the full sized aisle, but no one seems to be bothered by it. If you check the rates, you will see you are paying for an intermediate. Soooo, while your ressies says full size, it really does not mean that, or so he says. Did not make a lot of sense to me, but, I don't speak "rental car".

I don't speak "rental car" either, LOL, Gail! However, I do speak, read and understand English quite well and if I reserve a full size car, I expect to get one! And I'm quite sure you and everyone else does, too!

Off topic a bit, I am glad to see rates are going down. They are almost as cheap as they were prior to the "capacity downsizing" that took place just after 9/11.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I don't speak "rental car" either, LOL, Gail! However, I do speak, read and understand English quite well and if I reserve a full size car, I expect to get one! And I'm quite sure you and everyone else does, too!

I speak and understand English quite well also ( it is spelling I have trouble with, LOL) and I would expect what I rented, but, this is the blurb they gave me. It was more an FYI than trying to stir up a hornet's nest. And, as with most places, you could ask the same question of 10 people and get 10 different answers.

 

[PatMcDuck]

If this helps: I reserved full size a month ago, Emerald Aisle. (I never heard of Emerald Reserve, etc) I was with a friend who is an expericed National renter. We did not like the options in Emerald Aisle, so we walked over to the Full Size Aisle, and just took a car. It was the BEST: RED, Grand Prix (?) or something, all leather interior, sun roof, etc. We had a blast in that car! (4 ladies).

Anyway, we just took the car, no problems.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Same here, PatMcDuck. This "option" has been discussed and shared many, many times here.
I was just sharing what was told to me by a Customer Service Rep. at National. Apparently, this person does not use the Aisle.

 

[Mickey_Maniac]

I posted this on another thread. Maybe it will help clear up some of the questions...

I spoke to EC customer service today to confirm my full size ressie for May. She explained that they are in fact changing the whole EA concept. EA will now be for intermediates only, anything larger than that will now be held in a special Emerald Reserve area. If you reserved a standard or full size, you would get to pick the appropriate size car.

I asked her about my full size ressie under EA for May wondering what I would get. She checked with a supervisor and told me that until the ER model is fully in place, all current EA ressies would officially be considered intermediate, but you would receive a free upgrade to whatever size car you actually reserved. So the bottom line is if you reserved a full size like me, you would go to the full size area in either EA or ER (whichever is actually in place when you arrive) and select your car.

Hope this makes sense, and more importantly, I hope everything works out when we actually get there.

 

[cindala]

Mickey_Maniac,
Thanks for trying to clear that up! I too have a full size reserved in EA, but for July. We should get what we reserve/pay for, so going to the ER for a full size seems logical. Thanks again!