Giveaway: National Car Rental Executive Elite Status

by Gary Leff

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

  2. Contest Entry = With executive status I would make sure when visiting my uncle in Florida that I had a car with a trunk big enough to fit his wheelchair! This always seems to be a huge hassle at the rental car counters for me.

  4. If would be spectacular to be able to choose my own car, I’m the guy always bartering for a better vehicle.

  5. Giving consumers a choice enhances the travel experience. We too often get told what to do or get given something we don’t want or need. This allows us to be part of the designing our travel for what we need

  8. I rent National cars at IND every other weekend to see my wife. Executive Elite status would benefit me with better choices. Great offer!

  12. I enjoy reading your site and thank you for the chance to participate in this give away. Business has increased for me and I find my self in the final quarters of this year and next having to travel extensively. This would make it far less taxing and more enjoyable. Plus I am looking to make a change from my current rental company. So lets hope. Thanks

  14. I would like to travel more domestically to visit family around the country and having this would be a huge plus when traveling!

  17. This award is WEAK! I hope I dont win. If the randomizer chooses me, donate this to a sad little mid-level manager who dreams of a stupid title. At least this way, he can be an “Executive Elite” somewhere in his world: if not his job, then at least with his car rental agency.

  18. The bigger selection of cars means that I can choose a reasonably-sized car that still fits 3 car seats when I travel with the family.

  21. I’ve always wanted to rent a convertible, but they are always to expensive. Having status would make that doable, perhaps several times a year.

  22. I like the pick your car option, but only if the cars available are not all tiny little compacts, as was my experience in Newark years ago.

  23. I would pick a car with best mileage everytime I will be doing long-haul driving!

  25. Nice giveaway! Having lost my Executive (non-elite) status this year missing it by 2 rentals…this would be great! Thanks 🙂

  28. I like National as rental company but when i select a car it would be nice to know if Sirus Radio is included- either by posting or some other means. Obviously, you can look at the radio but the last time I rented, it said it had Sirus but when i got in I found it was limited to only 1 news station-the others had been blocked.

  30. I’m curious to see what even greater benefits can be had from executive to executive elite.

  31. There’s more than a few who pick from Executive Aisle instead of Emerald Aisle and just drive out.

  32. Hertz just awarded me Five Star Status, but I have already switched my allegiance to National. Getting Executive Elite Status would keep me with National. Please don’t let me go back to Hertz 🙂

  34. my only suggestion for National would be more specific vehicle info on the cars offered in each category at each location for the Emerald and Executive Aisles.

  37. Renting a car with National so far has been awesome. Having free rentals after only 5 would be a great improvement. I would like to see my free rentals tax free.

  38. I’ve married myself to Hertz for no particularly good reason other than Gold status. I’d love to give National a shot!

  40. Heading to HNL/KOA in a few weeks. Would love to have the expanded options that executive elite offers!

  44. It would be nice to be able to check available cars for a location online, to have an idea of what cars might be there to choose from before you arrive.

Comments are closed.