Under The Hood - 1996-04-08
<H1>Under The Hood</H1> <H4>On the Net</H4>
Avis and Thrifty Car Rental have opened World Wide Web sites on the Internet. Avis' site features fleet information and photos, a global directory of travel agencies, special car rental offers and maps. Users can book cars through the site via e-mail. The address is http://www.avis.com. Thrifty's site (http://www.thrifty.com) includes a list of cities where Thrifty operates, overseas reservation numbers, promotional information and answers to commonly asked car rental questions. The company plans to add an e-mail reservation function in the fall.
<H4>Car Companies Expand Overseas</H4>
Budget Rent A Car has signed an agreement with Kopesma Car Rental to be its licensee at four new locations in Malaysia: at the airports at Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan and Johore Bahru, and in downtown Kuala Lumpur. Budget also opened its first location in Bangkok in a joint venture with a local car manufacturer, finance and securities company, and conglomerate of 200 Thai consumer-goods companies. Called Worldclass Rent a Car Ltd., the group plans to open more locations in Thailand over the next few years.
Alamo Europe has opened up shop at Brno airport, its second in the Czech Republic. It has a fleet of Skoda and Opel cars and is closed weekends.
<H4>Alamo Rewards Frequency</H4>
On March 11, Alamo Rent A Car launched True Blue, a free rewards program open to all customers. For one- and two-day U.S. rentals, customers earn one point for every dollar spent with Alamo; for rentals of three days or more, they earn two points for every dollar. Outside the U.S., customers earn 25 points for every rental day. Customers who rent an Alamo car as of March 11 automatically have a computerized account set up in their name; once they've earned 1,000 points, they receive a membership kit, quarterly award-point statements, priority service and special offers.
Fifteen hundred points earns one free day in a midsized car; 2,000 points, one free weekend in a midsized car; 3,500 points, a free three-day rental in a full-size car; 5,000 points, a weekly rental of a full-size car; 8,000 points, a weekly rental of a minivan or premium car; and 12,000 points, a weekly rental of a luxury car. Points can be redeemed beginning July 1. After accumulating 6,000 points, members attain Premier Member status and qualify for additional benefits, including an automatic 25 percent point bonus on every rental.
<H4>Avis Adds Services</H4>
Want to anticipate a flight delay before it happens? Check out the one-page printed weather forecast for 34 Avis locations in 24 U.S. gateway cities. The forecast, which is displayed at the counter and on airport shuttle buses, also includes a three-day extended forecast for the city and a list of cities where flight delays are possible. The service is provided by The Weather Source, a Trussville, Ala.-based supplier of national weather forecasts, and is faxed every day at 7 a.m. to Avis locations including Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare and Miami. On Call, the company's round-the-clock assistance program, is now available to renters in Portugal, Spain, Britain, France, Germany and Italy. Renters calling a special toll-free number can find out how to locate the nearest English-speaking doctor, obtain an eyeglass prescription from their optician back in the States and track lost baggage. Since March, Avis has been offering cars equipped with satellite navigation systems at Houston Intercontinental Airport. There is no extra charge, and it's available in Cutlass Ciera and Oldsmobile '88 models.
<H4>More Perks</H4>
Frequent flyer members can now earn 500 bonus miles on Hertz rentals in Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean. Between April 15 and June 15, renters earn double miles on weekly rentals from Hertz at those locations. Participating airlines include American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, Alaska Airlines and British Airways. Thrifty is offering a certificate for 500 frequent flyer miles in American Airlines' AAdvantage program to customers who park at its airport locations in Chicago for five days or more; in Dallas, for those who park at least four days; and Tulsa, for travelers who park four times for at least two days each. Members of Payless Car Rental's Championship Club can now redeem their completed cards for Mobil Oil prepaid gas cards, a Marriott Hotel Cheque or a free weekly rental.
<H4>Hertz Goes Off-Airport In Phoenix</H4>
In mid-February, The Hertz Corp. opened a $5 million car rental facility at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, located a mile from the main terminal. The complex features more than 140 #1 Club Gold canopy stalls. Hertz is continuing to operate counters at the airport terminal; renters are conveyed to and from the facility by courtesy shuttle buses.