After Losing Status With Avis Twice, I’m Moving to National
I’ve been a loyal Avis customer since 2007 when I first got President’s Club status through Continental, but now that I’ve lost status TWICE in the last 3 months I think it’s finally time to move on.
When I say loyal, I mean for 6 years no other rental car companies existed for me — I wouldn’t even check another company to compare prices. I was in love with the perks of my status and the consistent level of service Avis offered and I needed nothing more.
Then in December on our trip to Santa Rosa I lost Chairman’s status in a horrific way. Jeanne & I show up at the Avis location and there’s no car for me in the special Chairman’s area. We look for my name on the board and are directed to a super basic, slightly dirty car in the class I’d selected. With horror growing in my heart, I pulled up my Avis account on my phone to discover not only was I not a Chairman, I had zero status with Avis. Now I’d known this day was coming, I no longer met the requirements of being a Chairman and they were probably a year overdue adjusting my status, so not complaining about that. It was just hard that 3 days before I had top status and with no email update or anything I had nothing 🙁
So as we drove off to go wine tasting, my mind was busy trying to find a solution, quickly remembering my United Mileage Plus Club Card came with President’s Club status. Not Chairman but still enough perks to be worthwhile. Then earlier this month, after only about 2 months of President’s Club status, I hear a rumor that that benefit was going away. And a week or two later, I get this email:
Oh that hurt! And while I hold out hope that I’ll log in to my account on Monday and see that they haven’t actually changed my status yet, I don’t want to live with the uncertainty that I’ll show up for a reservation and that’s the day my status is gone. And the fact that the exciting 2 day free weekend rental deal reservations are being cancelled.
Fortunately I’d already been aware of a status match opportunity through National Emerald Club. With my President’s Club status I could match to Executive Elite.
Since there seem to be alot of great discount codes out there for National I think I’m most excited about only having to rent a mid-size car in order to get my pick of the executive lot. I guess we’ll see once I have my first rental and take a peek at the executive lot options.
I’m grateful I got a soft landing from my Avis status but I’m still wistful for the days of completely over-the-top-treatment when cars were delivered/picked up from my hotel and I could enjoy the occasional funny exclamations when I’d show up at the counter “But you don’t look like a Chairman!” 🙂
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Heels First is the travels and tribulations of two twenty-something frequent fliers jumping into the world of travel. Join Keri and Jeanne as they tackle mileage runs, elite status, and of course–the perfect travel accessories.
