Question about using Airmiles for a car rental

[EastCoastCdn]

Can you use Airmiles to cover the insurance when renting a car using your miles? I suspect we'll need to purchase the insurance where we won't be paying for the rental with our credit card that carries insurance coverage. Given what the daily insurance cost will likely be I'm looking to find out if I can use additional Airmiles to cover it or if paying outright for the full rental would be better.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I can't answer your question about the insurance purchased from the rental company as far as your air miles go, but you may want to check what coverage you have under your personal auto policy here at home. Many offer rental car coverage, even for rentals in the USA (ours does). You may not need any supplementary (and expensive) insurance from the rental car company at all.

 

[pigletto]

I can't answer your question about the insurance purchased from the rental company as far as your air miles go, but you may want to check what coverage you have under your personal auto policy here at home. Many offer rental car coverage, even for rentals in the USA (ours does). You may not need any supplementary (and expensive) insurance from the rental car company at all.

I second this. Always check your own policy to see what you are covered for. We've never needed any additional insurance when renting a car in Orlando. This is great knowledge to have when they start with the inevitable upsell at the rental desk.

 

[ngm]

Agree with the others. I couldn't figure out a way to add insurance with my miles, so I called my regular insurer and they added the rental-coverage rider for $25 for 6 months. Much cheaper than buying insurance from the rental company!

 

[Donald - my hero]

Nope, but like others stated, call your own company, the answer i got was "don't rent a hummer or Porsche, cause you only have coverage to 50,000!" ALSO don't forget that if you are planning on using the coverage you get from using a credit card ... on anything (like AMEX gives traveller's insurance depending on the card you have) if you are only paying the taxes you will NOT be covered, only if you pay the full amount.

Btw, we've rented a car with our Airmiles ever since we could and have never had a problem, think it's a great way to cut expenses, last time we paid 18 US plus the two loyalty fees for booking for 2 one day rentals (stayed at Dolphin so no ME .. rented to get both to and from MCO)

 

[EastCoastCdn]

Thank you for the information. It didn't occur to me that my auto insurance may have coverage outside of Canada.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

We also have a rental car coverage rider on our insurance. I think that's the cheapest way to go.