Rental Car News I'm Excited About
Enterprise Rent-a-Car's Plus program is finally a points-accruing program!!
I am a HUGE fan of Enterprise. Up until now, the fact that they didn't have a points program was the only downside of being a loyal Enterprise customer in my book. Before it was just a card you got in the mail that let you cut the line, so this is really an excellent (and long over-due) improvement.
Why do I love Enterprise? Lots of reasons:
They're almost always the cheapest (but they often don't show up on Expedia/Travelocity/etc. searches, so you actually have to go search on Enterprise.com);
On top of the low rates, you can always get great coupons through Entertainment book;
90% of the time they'll give you a free upgrade without you even asking for one (we one time went from an Chevy Aveo to a Volvo S40!!). And then if you tell them you didn't want to spend that much on gas (bigger car), they'll often also cut you a break on your tank level;
When I was not yet of standard car renting age, they always had the lowest under-25 fees (e.g., $5 in Vegas compared to $20-25 with the other companies);
FANTASTIC customer service. Everywhere I've ever rented. Period. There's absolutely no contest.
I know people who have had HORRIBLE rental car experiences in the past (::ahem, Emily::), and it's just not worth the gamble in my book. These rental companies have you on the hook--credit card number and all--and they will get the money they want from you, rightfully or not. Enterprise always treats me right, and they have secured themselves a customer for life!