Ea

[dtk'smom]

I'm full of questions today-what does EA stand for and how do you get it?

 

[sgtdisney]

EA stands for Emerald Aisle and it is a feature of the Emerald Club with National rent-a-car.. National charges 50.00 to join the Emerald Club, but there are many offers that will allow you to join for free. What Emerald Aisle will get you is when you reserve an intermediate size car you bypass the counter, and go directly to National's "Emerald Aisle" and pick whatever car suits your fancy and then drive to a checkout and pay there.. Sometimes you will get a nicer car on the 'aisle' like a fullsize, van, SUV or convertable, but many times not.

 

[Hawkeye314]

I believe that has changed recently, though. I think there are only intermiediate cars in the EA from now on but EA privledges still allow you to bypass the counter, pick out the car you want from the aisle which you reserved (National parks its cars by size, so all the full sizes are together, etc.) and go right to the exit without having to wait in line.

 

[sgtdisney]

Originally posted by Hawkeye314
I believe that has changed recently, though. I think there are only intermiediate cars in the EA from now on but EA privledges still allow you to bypass the counter, pick out the car you want from the aisle which you reserved (National parks its cars by size, so all the full sizes are together, etc.) and go right to the exit without having to wait in line.

You are right, maybe I wasn't clear enough, I thought the OP was asking specifically about Emerald Aisle... With National (and the Emerald Club) you also have the choice of Emerald Reserve if you reserve any class other than intermediate. With this you bypass the counter and go directly to the lane with the type of car you reserved.. Actually this isn't all that new National has had this for a while.. It used to be called Emerald Choice.. What is new is you don't even have to be an Emerald Club member anymore to bypass the counter. They have a new thing called Quick Rent now which allows you to bypass the counter as well..

 

[Hawkeye314]

It kind of takes away some ofthe fun the old EA...never knowing what kind of car you're gonna get... whether you're going to have to squeeze the family into the full-size you rented or find something bigger ..and every once in a while ... JACPOT! .. a mini-van.

Taking the chance out of car rental, sigh, what next? Assigned seats on SWA? Where's the sport in that?