2.8K
I was very pleasantly surprised yesterday when I arrived at the Avis DEN airport location to pickup my $19.99 per day intermediate car. Instead of a “Chevy Cruze or similar”, I was greeted with a brand new BMW 528i! I previously had Avis Chairman’s status back from 2007-2011, but was downgraded to Avis First in 2012. I still received the royal treatment in Denver though, receiving this car without having to pay the normal $148.99 rate…
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10 comments
Very nice!
bet your cc insurance wouldn’t cover you if you happen to have an accident… value over 50K
@eagertraveler – Good point, thanks for drawing attention for other readers.
Very nice ride indeed. Thanks again for the ride over from the airport.
Nice, but… consider… AVID probably did not do it for YOU; more likely, they were out of other cars and still wanted to keep your booking. @eager’s point is a good one, but we don’t know ho w you deal with insurance or the infamous ‘damage waiver.’ Still a nice set of wheels. And, as I add to almost any response about car rentals, in some (most) cities, one is well advised to rent from an off-airport location when possible. Some don’t have the time and some don’t care about the cost, but… Most airport operating municipalities add a substantial tax/fee for on-site rentals. Do your homework and find a same-brand agency that is off airport property and save a bunch. Not valid in all cities and your mileage may vary. In some locations, it can mean $10/day. When possible, take public transit from the airport to the nearest off-site rental agency and save big bucks. In most domestic cases, it is usually less than 15 minutes. At least consider it and, at the very least – KNOW what fees/taxes/surcharges you’re likely to get hit with in every city that you visit. The most current example is Portland, OR (PDX). You can rent any kind of car at the airport, but Multnomah County adds a terrible tax to each day’s fee. A better choice is taking the Light Rail (Red Line) off the airport property and connecting with a rental agent that is not subject to those fees. The rental company’s will tell you where their agents are located and provide directions. I know of THREE within 10 minutes of the airport and the walk is less than two short blocks. Walk two blocks for a $10 discount – PER DAY? I will. Many other cities have similar situations.
Ha! I don’t think you’d have obtained that BNW for $9.95/day, but…
I used the off airport trick at LAX to save $100 over our 10 day stay. The off airport is literally right around the corner from the airport. The hours were shorter but we are able to drop off the car at the airport location with no change in the costs.
Cook – good tips, but doesn’t relate much to this blog post.
Wow…I have been an Avis First Preferred as well as Presidtential Plus member over the past several yrs. never got that upgrade,
Congrats on the surprise upgrade! I’ve always liked the BMW i series since seeing a show on them a number of years ago. They’re kinda like the Mac of cars.
Dave
That’s pretty nice – I just rented a “BMW X1 or similar” in Bordeaux. Apparently as close to “similar” as Avis Bordeaux has in France is an Opal Insignia. What would “similar” be in the US? A Mercedes or Audi?