Rental Cos. Prioritize Frequent Flyer Promotions
<B> Rental Cos. Prioritize Frequent Flyer Promotions</B>
By Lynn Woods
Though late to arrive at the frequency program party, the Hertz Corp. and Budget Rent a Car have marked the first anniversaries of their frequent renter programs by expanding the types of rewards and special discounts available to their members.
Hertz, which launched its #1 Awards program just last May, initially offered golf and tennis merchandise, car rental certificates or airline frequent flyer miles as rewards. But recently it also has added a $100 discount off the price of any vehicle purchased from Hertz Car Sales.
Hertz is growing its used-car business, which now has 42 locations in the United States. During the winter, the firm also began offering Volant skis as a reward for points earned in #1 Awards.
Budget, which introduced Perfect Drive last April with Calloway golf merchandise and frequent flyer miles as rewards, also is upping the ante, though still sticking to the golf merchandise theme. In its current promotion, it also is offering an Odyssey DF 660 Putter to any member who books four rentals between now and Sept. 30. Members also can redeem their points for 25 percent off the published rate of a rental car on an off-peak day.
The program, which is free to all renters who sign up for Fastbreak, Budget's express service, has more than 600,000 members. Budget offers a host of rewards, including skis, eyewear, packaged vacations (starting at 2,900 points), motorhome rentals from Budget subsidiary Cruise America, motorcycles and even cruises.
Members of both programs earn one point for each dollar spent. Perfect Drive is more generous in that extra charges, such as taxes and refueling, are included in the accrual, while Hertz qualifies only the dollars spent on the rate itself.
The other loyalty program in the car rental industry, National Car Rental's Emerald Club, which has been around since 1987, is offering more value to members thanks to the firm's new Odyssey automated system. "Odyssey has enabled us to expand and target our promotions," said Emerald Club marketing manager Kevin Sheehy. Through the end of May, members get 25 percent off weekend and weekly rentals and a 15 percent discount off one-way rentals. "Before, such discounts were in the 10 percent range," he said.
Members also can earn 2,500 bonus miles in Northwest's World Perks program if they join the airline's World Club, and they have first dibs at two newly designed cars in the lot, the Buick Regal and Oldsmobile Alero.
Also, Emerald Aisle, the express service available to all Emerald Club members, recently has expanded into Canada with a location in Vancouver. In May, Emerald Aisles also will open in Columbus, Ohio, Huntsville, Ala., and Knoxville, Tenn.
In addition, National recently began offering Club members a choice of vehicles at London Heathrow, the first location in Europe to provide that service.