Giveaway: National Car Rental Executive Elite Status

As promised last week, I’m giving one lucky blog reader National Car Rental Emerald Executive Elite status.

As I mentioned, I have Executive status with National myself (but not ‘Executive Elite’).

National’s unique selling proposition is its ‘Emerald Aisle’ where Emerald Club members pick their own car. Just cruise the aisle and pick the one you want from that area of the rental lot, it’s not just about picking the car with the lowest miles or the most prestige on offer but sometimes you want a bigger car for more people or a smaller car for easier parking.

It’s much nicer than getting assigned a car you don’t want, and then queueing for a rental counter agent to beg to be switched to something else. Much faster, too.

Emerald Club <I?Executive members get to pick from the ‘Executive Aisle’ which tends to have a greater, broader selection of better cars.

Here’s a comparison of National’s elite levels.

  • Executive status is earned after 12 rentals or 40 rental days. Regular Emerald Club members earn free rental days every 7 rental credits, Executive members earn free rental days after 6 credits and their free days are valid on a full size car not just a midsize.

  • Executive Elite is earned after 25 rentals or 85 rental days. Every 5 rental credits earns a free rental day, valid for any car that’s available. Executive Elite members also get guaranteed reservations with 24 hours notice. And in practice the treatment received is better than the published benefits, or so Executive Elite members tell me.

Want Executive Elite status for a year?

  • All you need to do to enter is leave a comment to this post, either how you would make use of rental car elite status or what one thing would make the car rental experience better for you?

  • Only enter once. Anyone leaving more than one comment will not be eligible to win.

  • I will draw a winning comment at random using random.org

  • The contest will remain open for entries through Friday, April 29 at 6pm Eastern.

This is a giveaway, I don’t get anything by offering it, all interpretations of rules are mine and it isn’t mean to be a strict terms and conditions just a friendly gesture to benefit readers. If you have a question, please don’t post it as a comment here since you only get one entry! Instead email me.

Enter away, good luck on Executive Elite status, and thanks for the giveaway opportunity, National!

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. There is nothing better then picking your own car! I promise to make good use of of the Executive elite status, and will choose wisely.

  2. Executive Elite status would be beneficial as I could earn free rental days faster, and better service never hurt anyone:)

  3. Elite status would mean I might be able to choose “best” as well as “cheapest”.

  4. I have been enjoying Elite status—I am curious to see what Executive Elite would give me.

  5. National has a fantastic model of the ‘Get in-Get out’ via Emerald Aisle but getting an Executive Elite status would make National my solo rental car company. This is a fantastic give-away Gary.

  6. Executive elite status would make it easy for me to choose National over Avis, where I have elite status.

    Plus I love that with National you don’t have to ever wait in a line. Just go straight to the car.

  7. I would use elite status like this to justify my avoidance of Priceline for rental cars!

  8. I would love the status because I am a big guy, and love the flexibility to pick a big car.

  9. I’d rent a convertible for a Sunday and take my 3 girls for a long country drive to find a homemade ice cream store.

  10. I’m sick of Hertz assigning me cars with 47,000 miles on them. Need motivation to switch to National.

  11. Often renting a “green” car is pricier than a gas hog of the same size. I would love to be able to choose a car that gets awesome MPG’s and is good for the environment at the same time.

  12. Executive Elite would be nice because I would get to choose the types of cars I prefer to drive.

  13. I would use it to give National a try — usually rent from Hertz or Avis — if I like them might switch entirely…

  14. National is my rental agency of choice and I have maintained Executive status for the past few years. I am always traveling very short notice so the 24-hour guarantee would be very helpful. In addition, I love being able to use free rental days for family vacations and accumulating them faster would be great for the family.

  15. I have an upcoming trip across the US coming up – choosing my own car would make it even better!

  16. I’d like to see some kind of indication of how much rear seat space is left after you install a child safety seat, particularly if you put the child seat in the middle position. Can you still use the outboard seats for real people?

  17. I’d use the status for work travel, but I’d enjoy it because it would help with my goal of a free vacation!

  18. Looking use the membership during a trip to Maui. Maybe get nice rental for cheaper price.

  19. Executive Elite status would make it fun renting a car because I could choose my own car!

  20. I could add this to my elite hotel and airline portfolio and be elite all the way across the board.

  21. Choosing your vehicle type is important depending upon the trip you are taking, for long trips, an XM-equipped vehicle is nice, for urban trips, a smaller car is easier to park

  22. I would like to see National offer earned free upgrades to elite members to luxury vehicles, not just to the biggest regular car. Most of the time, I do not want a large car, I want a nicer car.

  23. Easier car rental returns for elite customers at airports with onerous off-site central rental facilities. The bus ride to some of these central rental car sites, e.g. Phoenix, is ridiculous.

Comments are closed.