Emerald Aisle

[babyruth]

Tell me about this? I have never used it. It's impossible to end up with a smaller car right? What are the odds of getting a bigger car?

I don't know that I would want a bigger sedan (I get very motion sick and the bigger the car the worse it gets) but I could deal with a small SUV.

Do fellow DISers love this service? You really get in and just go? That doesn't seem right you must have to sign something at some point LOL

 

[nacho113]

Tell me about this? I have never used it. It's impossible to end up with a smaller car right? What are the odds of getting a bigger car?

I don't know that I would want a bigger sedan (I get very motion sick and the bigger the car the worse it gets) but I could deal with a small SUV.

Do fellow DISers love this service? You really get in and just go? That doesn't seem right you must have to sign something at some point LOL

First, Join the Emerald Club (free)
The way it works is that you rent a Mid-Size vehicle. When you arrive, just proceed right out to the garage and pick any vehicle from the Emerald Aisle which will contain Mid Size or larger vehicles. Pick the one you want and drive to the attendant at the gate to check-out, they will verify your CC and DL and you're out the gate and on your way to your vacation.
**Note: Only occasionally have we seen SUV's on the Emerald Aisle, usually mid-size and full size cars.
National used to be our Rental company of choice but for the last couple of years it has become one of the most expensive options.

Our rental company of choice is now Alamo (it's a sister company to National)
Sign up for their Alamo Insiders program (free).
Make a reservation for the size vehicle that you would like (quite often you will find the size you reserved or larger vehicles mixed into these aisles).
Before you leave home, use the "Online Check-in" and print the paperwork.
When you arrive, head out to the garage and pick a vehicle from the aisle that you reserved.
**Note: When booking a full size vehicle, we have found SUV's fairly often on the FS aisle.
Load up, drive to the attendant at the exit gate, hand him/her the paperwork, Drivers Licence and Credit Card.
They will verify everything and send you on your way.

 

[rwdavis2]

Most of the cars are similar in size with a few medium to smaller SUVs in the mix. We use it when we can but most car rental companies are doing the same thing. You drive up to the exit gate and they check your id.

But there are no guarantees for National or any other car rental company. Sometimes they just run out. There is no way to predict it. Once, at Los Angeles they were all out of the cars we reserved but they offered us a mini van which was fine for us.

 

[bumbershoot]

I've never seen anything smaller than a mid-size.

That doesn't seem right you must have to sign something at some point LOL

You do the paperwork online when signing up for their frequent driver plan. At the exit you show your driver's license and CC. No signing.

Only occasionally have we seen SUV's on the Emerald Aisle, usually mid-size and full size cars.

Although the last 3 years we've only hit the Executive aisle b/c of DH's travel, when we were using Emerald we saw SUVs and minivans regularly.

 

[MouseLover]

We've used the a Emerald Aisle multiple times and have always found a variety of mid size, full size, small SUVs, and minivans. Once there was a convertible and once there was a Tahoe.