Hertz > Reviews > Get Yourself a Goldmember-ship

Author's product rating:   

Available selection	Excellent
Customer Service	Friendly and attentive
Vehicle Quality	Excellent
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Lightning Fast to Your Car
Disadvantages:	Not the Cheapest Car Rental

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

When I travel I like to spend as little time as possible at the airport. Therefore when I get off of a plane I want to get in my rental car and on my way. I have tried many of the rental car companies in the US and Hertz seem to be the most efficient in getting me out and on my way.

Hertz #1 Club Gold

If you rent cars more than twice a year I suggest that you purchase a Hertz #1 Club Gold membership. For the price of £32 per year you can skip the check-in counter all together. You can simply make your reservations and when you arrive at the airport you can go right to your car. This saves the time and hassle of going to the counter. You also can earn airline miles for most major airlines when you rent as a #1 Club Gold member. If you end up renting many times during the year you will be sent car upgrade vouchers and free rental vouchers.

The Check-In

The check-in can not be easier. In most major airports you are taken to the Hertz lot via one of their yellow and black shuttle buses. If the airport actually has cars on the lot Hertz will be one of the car companies there. There are rental companies that are not on the airport premises or don’t offer shuttle buses. Be sure you check and make sure this is the case.

When you walk up to the bus, the driver will ask you if you are a Gold member. If you are they will take your name and it will be beamed to the rental lot. The staff will then prep your car so that it is ready to go when you get there. The shuttle buses are roomy and there is plenty of room for your luggage. I have rarely had to stand due to there not being enough room on the bus. I have also never waited more that five minutes for the shuttle.

When you arrive at the lot, Gold members are taken directly to a display board. Your name and the lot space where the car is located will be prominently displayed. The car is usually a two or three aisle walk away. The best part is that the walkways and cars are covered so even in inclement weather you stay dry.

The Cars

Hertz is in partnership with Ford so more than likely you will be driving a Ford product. Do not despair though; it is the entire Ford line so there are so fun rentals in there. There are four levels of cars available for rent: Economy, Mid-Size, Full Size and Premier.

The economy class car usually consists of the Ford Escort, Mercury Topaz or similar models. Upon occasion I have seen Toyota Tercels. If you rent this class of car there is very little chance you will be upgraded.

The mid-size class is the most commonly rented class. Models that typify the class are the Ford Taurus, Ford Mustang (non-convertible), or Ford Escape. I have on occasion seen a Nissan Maxima. This is the most commonly rented class so there is a good chance they will run out of cars in this class and upgrade you to full size.

The full-size class consists of cars like the Mercury Gran Marquis, the Lincoln Towncar and the Ford Expedition. The cars can be a little big for people that are used to driving a sub-compact car so if you are not comfortable with a car this size, let them know.

The premier class has some fun cars in it. Cars that I have driven out of the premier class are the Jaguar S-Type, the Ford Mustang Convertible and the Lincoln Navigator. You can get into this class of car more often than you think if you work the system properly. I have listed some tricks in the next section.

Neverlost

Neverlost is the Global Positioning System (GPS) that you can add as an option to your rental. The cost is a meager £4 extra per day. This is invaluable for cities with which you are not familiar. All that you have to do is punch in the address of where you are going to and it talks you through how to get there. I no longer have to print of a book full of Yahoo maps every time I leave town.

It also has great little extras like the nearest attractions or restaurant search. When my wife and I went to Seattle on vacation we decided we did not have time to drive to the attraction we had planned to see but we did have time to see one more thing before we headed to the hotel. We punched in nearest attractions and saw that Snoqualmie Falls was on the way back. We would have never have found this attraction if it were not for Neverlost. It also navigated us right to Vancouver, Canada without missing a beat.

The other reason I like getting this option is that they often run out of cars with this option so the only available option for them it to upgrade your service. I have been upgraded to a Jaguar, Navigator or convertible Mustang on many occasions due to the fact that they were out of Neverlost equipped cars in my class or the class above it.

Miscellaneous

There are three additional things to keep in mind if you are renting from Hertz. The first is the fuel purchase option. You can pre-purchase a tank of gas (petrol). The fuel is usually priced slightly below the market price and they encourage you to bring the car back empty. If you do not take this option you either have to get gas right before you return the car, thus slowing you down, or they will charge you for what is not in the tank. This is usually at double the market price so beware; this can add a huge amount to your final bill.

Secondly, if you are traveling with a child Hertz does an excellent job at providing car seats. When you arrive your car seat will already be installed and ours was marvelously clean. Those of you with children know this is no small feat. Just make sure you tell them ahead of time whether the seat should face forward or backwards.

Lastly, if you carry a gold or platinum credit card, chances are that your credit car offers some level of insurance for you car rentals. Make sure you find what this is before you go on your trip so that you don’t pay for this insurance twice.

Conclusions

I have been able to step off the plane and be in my car in as little as ten minutes with Hertz. At other rental companies where you have to stop at the counter I have had to wait as long as forty-five minutes to get into my car. Their prices are not the cheapest but then again, they are not the most expensive of the lot either. The time I save alone makes them a good value for the money.

As a last minute addition, Phil2001 has let me know that you lucky folks in the UK can get a #1 Gold Club Membership for free at www.hertz.co.uk. Thanks Philip.