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. How new is their fleet? One thing I look for in a rental is bluetooth connectivity for my phone. The last few Avis rentals I’ve had to go back in to swap vehicles because it wasn’t included. It would be nice to just pick one out on my own that has it.

  3. I was One of the 1st to belong to the Emerald Club. I still have a few of the upgrade certificates it came with. 1 One week rental, 2 3 day rentals, 100 1-class upgrades ( rent a sub-compact, use 5 upgrades, drive a CADDY!! ) and a One week rental in any time-share from RCI. All this for $100 BUCKS!!! Those were the days. It’s been downhill since. They want to make it better, they should bring that offer back.

  5. Being able to pick any available car I wanted would be the most amazing thing ever as a car guy who occasionally needs to rent a car!

  6. I’m a heavy renter and am very loyal to Avis, but would happily switch for better mileage earning. Too many times Avis locations tell me they don’t participate in the random promos.

  9. Executive elite would help as I need to move cross country this summer and don’t have a car…would be great to choose from anything on the lot!

  12. Avoiding the line and being able to select a SUV would be great when traveling with my kids.

  14. Choosing my own car would make my rental experience better, plus free rental after 5 rentals wouldn’t hurt either ;-D

  17. It’ll help keep me from having to give Hertz money. I love National – I wish they were a publically traded company because I would invest in National!

  25. Complimentary Sirius XM radio in all Executive aisle vehicles would be a great benefit! Thanks, Gary for arranging the giveaway.

  26. I had Executive status once, now just emerald club. For me, that would mean I could pick ANY car on the lot. PERK. Not just the ones that are on the emerald aisle. I want to point out that I tend to pick, smart fuel efficient vehicles. Often the ones on the executive section tend to be suv’s, but occasionally you find a gem.

  27. One thing that would make the car rental process easier is skipping the line to pick up my car. I promise I’m not shilling for National, but I love the idea of picking my own car, loading up, and heading out!

  28. it’s always good to get the nicer car at the same price. i have executive status, but not elite one right now. but it will be nice if they will put the hybrid cars in the executive selections.

  31. The best improvement for car rentals would be an option to have your gas refilled at true market prices at the exact quantity you use (no pre-purchase of half-tanks, etc.), after returning the car.

  32. Executive Elite rental car status would be the perfect antidote to relieve the stress from the delays and hassells of the flight experience

  34. I don’t use National that often. Would love to try it with the Executive Elite status.

  35. Rental car elite status would be great for all those moments when I need to dump a trunkload of dead hookers off in the wilderness.

  38. National is pretty much becoming my first choice. My strategy has been opening three windows – Hertz-Avis and National, and comparing. not only do I usually end up with National, but choosing the car I want is easy as possible and it is the only chain that I have never had a hassle with when returning the car. Here’s hoping!

  40. I am already an Emerald Club member and was able to use it for the first time this month in Lihue. I felt like a VIP. I can only imagine what Executive Elite status would be like. I’ll be taking a few more trips in the near future and would love to see what this would be like!

  41. To me, the one thing that would make the rental car experience more enjoyable is if you were able to some way see the cars scheduled to be on the lot 24 hours before kind of like Continental’s Flight status updates with Car type, #, miles driven and features.

  42. I use National for work travel and never really understood the differences/advantages for each program, so thanks for sharing. Would be great to go from emerald to executive elite.

  44. Executive elite status would make it easy for me to go straight to the aisle and pick the best car I want without waiting in line.

    And hope this will help me for upcoming trips in Hawaii island hopping and SoCal. Thanks!

  45. I’d enjoy the upgrades in car classes, which comes in handy for a little baby boy and his car seat. Thanks for doing this Gary!

  46. Elite Status would make it possible me to leave a smaller environmental footprint by getting a rental instead of catching a flight on the shorter trips.

  49. Erm. Enterting 🙂 I’d like to have a choice of any car on the lot. Helpful for trips with friends (nice car) versus one alone (fuel efficient).

Comments are closed.