In the latest of promising industry developments, Hertz and Etihad have signed a three-year contract to offer a “seamless air to road luxury travel” experience, bringing Etihad customers money-saving deals and benefits. The partnership will integrate Hertz and Etihad’s technology platforms so travellers can conveniently book rental cars through Hertz’s dedicated microsite for Etihad customers, etihad.com as well as Etihad’s call centres and retail outlets.

In terms of perks, Etihad Guest loyalty program members will get access to exclusive offers on etihad.com on top of receiving 500 Guest Miles with each rental. Meanwhile, Etihad’s Pearl Business Class passengers will receive a 15% discount when renting luxury vehicles from the Hertz Prestige Collection, while Diamond First Class guests will receive complimentary access to the top level of Hertz #1 Club, the President’s Circle.

We did a quick check to see the level of discount that may be on offer – a 3-day hire from Melbourne Tullamarine airport showed the following rates:

• Economy Car (Toyota Yaris hatch): Hertz direct A$195.58; Via Etihad A$154.67 = 21% savings
• Standard Car (Toyota Camry sedan): Hertz direct A$217.63; Via Etihad A$189.97 = 12% savings

Not bad.

This is a first in terms of the depth of integration between an airline and car rental company and we’re glad for those who are in the position to take advantage of its effects. Kudos to improving customer experience. Lets hope this motivates more such partnerships to develop so we have more access to better deals.

Introductory Offer: All Etihad customers renting a car with Hertz by April 30, 2011 will have the chance to win a luxurious package of two return Etihad flights to either Europe or Australia, five nights’ 5-star accommodation at Relais & Chateaux, and the use of a Hertz Prestige Collection vehicle for five days to explore the open road.

Links:
Etihad Airways
Hertz (Etihad partner information)

Related posts:

1. Car Hire Discounts from Partner Programs

Significant changes are on the horizon for Qantas Frequent Flyer members. A new exclusivity agreement means that from 19 November 2010 onwards, members will only get car hire discounts and perks when renting with Avis and Budget. So for anyone that favours Hertz or Thrifty, you’ll still be eligible to collect points for rentals that are completed by 18 November 2010, but after that, no more.

This move is supposed to be beneficial. QFF says it will allow them to offer a higher level of offers from their exclusive partners, thereby maximizing savings for their members. However, the obvious major drawback is that we are now limited to a choice of only two car hire companies instead of four.

As a sign of goodwill perhaps, to kick things off, all Australian car rentals three days or more from Avis or Budget that are picked up by 31 October 2010 will earn you an extra bonus 1,000 points on top of the usual points. Below we’ve listed the promotional codes you’ll have to enter to receive this bonus:

Bonus 1,000 Extra Qantas Frequent Flyer Points

Avis coupon code: MPPA074
Budget coupon number: MPNZ010

Let’s just hope QFF wrings out enough goodies to compensate for our lost options.

If you’re looking for a deal, don’t forget to check our collection of other car hire coupons and discounts from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty.

Related posts:

1. Frequent Renter Programs: Is There A Winner?
2. Car Hire Discounts from Partner Programs
3. Car Hire Coupons & Discount Codes Galore

Feeling lucky? We’ve discovered an opportunity for you to drive a sweet sports car for the weekend!

All you’ve got to do is give your most convincing spiel in 300 words on just why your weekend would be tremendously improved with a sports car. So dust off your creative brain and submit your best entry by 10 September 2010.

The top 3 winners will be picked and informed on 20 September 2010 – 1 winner for each of NSW, VIC, and QLD. The NSW winner gets the Audi A5, VIC the BMW coupe, and QLD the Porsche.

Don’t forget to tick the box for “Sign up to receive information from DriveMyCarRentals.com.au and Hotels.com” – that’s the small catch – for your entry to be valid.

This contest is only open to Australian residents.

Enter the competition here

Good luck!

Related posts:

1. Qantas Frequent Flyer Goes Exclusive With Avis & Budget (Promo codes inside)
2. Private Car Rentals: Drive Your Neighbour’s Porsche

Deal coupons from the various car hire companies tend to blur together given how similar they can be. For example, you often have a choice of 3 or more companies at a time offering free upgrades.

BUT when it comes to the Gold Coast, we’ve gotta say, Thrifty’s one up on everyone else. They have some fantastic deals no one else offers. We checked, double checked, and indeed they are the Real McCoys – you can truly save if you intend on going to theme parks or other attractions that require entrance fees. Remember to double check all terms and conditions.

The Escape Pass Packages

Who?
These packages are a must-check for those interested in visiting TWO of Sea World, Warner Bros Movie World and Wet ‘n Wild Water World, and need to hire a car.

What?
These offers bundle a two-day car hire (adding on more days is possible) with a number of Escape Passes. An Escape Pass allows one to visit TWO of the three theme parks over a THREE-DAY period. The packages vary in terms of size of car and number of passes included. Larger cars are bundled with more passes.

• 2 x Adult Escape Pass and 2 day Economy Manual car hire for $238 – Check this deal
• 2 x Adult and 1 x Child Escape Pass and 2 day Economy Auto car hire for $326 – Check this deal
• 2 x Adult and 2 x Child Escape Pass and 2 day Compact Auto car hire for $415 – Check this deal
• 2 x Adult and 3 x Child Escape Pass and 2 day Intermediate Auto car hire for $504 – Check this deal
• 2 x Adult and 4 x Child Escape Pass and 2 day 8-seater Van Auto hire for $643 – Check this deal

We found the final prices are about $10-20 more than those listed above. Still, they present a real bargain.

Benefit?
You’ll save almost the full value of one adult Escape Pass – that’s about $119.99! Not too shabby. And our little side note: If you aren’t fussed about which theme parks to go to, get the most value out of the Escape Pass by choosing Dream World and Sea World (the standard adult entrance fee is $75 for each of these vs. Wet ‘n’ Wild which only costs $55).

Catch?
You’ve got to visit your two selected theme parks over a 3-day period. And most of these packages include child passes – so naturally, you need to have kid(s) to take advantage of them.

The Discount Booklet

Who?
For those who the Escape Pass is not appropriate but still want to visit the theme parks and/or check out other Gold Coast attractions and activities. A three-day minimum car hire is required.

What?
You’ll get a discount booklet from Thrifty which includes all sorts of vouchers valued at over $500. Among them you’ll find:

• Buy 1 Get 1 Free adult entrance ticket for Movie World
• Buy 1 Get 1 Free adult entrance ticket for Sea World
• Buy 1 Get 1 Free adult entrance ticket for Wet ‘n’ Wild
• Buy 1 Get 1 Free – 18 Holes at Putt Putt Golf Gold Coast
• Buy 1 Get 1 Free Paradise Jetboating ‘Broadwater Adventure’
• 20% Off entrance tickets for Wildlife Currumbin Sanctuary for up to 6 people
• And a bunch of other goodies

Get more information on the Discount Booklet

Benefit?
If any of these booklet’s activities are on your to-do list, you’ll be bagging some sweet savings.

Catch?
You may be tempted into doing more activities simply to take advantage of the vouchers! But hey, you’re on vacation after all.

Other Coupons and Deals

If these aren’t applicable to you, don’t worry. Check out if you can find other more generic car hire coupons that do.

Related posts:

1. Gold Coast Airport-Surfers Paradise Public Transport
2. Gold Coast Airport – Best Independent Car Hire Companies

Do you find yourself thinking that you have too many cards in your wallet, too many different loyalty programs and too many point schemes to consider? If so you probably feel you waste hours trying to understand the offers, when you would rather be planning the more enjoyable parts of your holiday.

Car hire is one such area, so we’ve taken a closer look at types of loyalty program tie-ups and point schemes you can find at Australia’s five major car hire providers – Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty.

There are two very different aims when considering programs and points associated with car hire. First is getting the best deal possible and second is getting the most out of that deal.

Getting the best deal possible

There are typically four types of discounts offered by car hire companies. These include:

• Coupon offers, which are the large majority of the offers and change frequently,
• Standing percentage discounts based on your membership to a particular organisation,
• Loyalty discounts which are provided only to the most loyal and high-use customers, and
• Corporate discounts, provided to companies and businesses.

Start your research by checking the available car hire coupons, which we’ve scoured each of their websites to compile for you, and in discount books such as the NRMA guide or Entertainment Book.

With your vouchers and codes ready, contact the car hire company. Mention to them any airline, auto club, hotel program and credit card group that you are associated with. Even if you are unable to get a discount, you can record the details for future point collection where applicable. Some providers only accept these details at the time of reservation.

Discounts may also be available as a result of membership with some international airline frequent flyer programs. All discounts are subject to providing proof on check-in.

Earning new points or miles

Each car hire provider is partnered with a large number of airlines and other companies allowing you to earn points or miles as you drive.

Australian Frequent Flyer Programs

Qantas offer three points per dollar spent on time or kilometre expenses (excluding GST, insurance and other such costs) with Avis, Budget, Hertz and Thrifty. This is extended with Avis and Hertz to provide 700 points for any international hire you make through these companies.

Virgin Blue is connected with Europcar and Thrifty only, offering a number of points between three and five per dollar spent based on your Virgin Blue Frequent Flyer membership level.

Australian Banking Options

Through Westpac Altitude and Qantas American Express, points may be earned by renting your hire car through Budget.

International Airline Partners

Every airline is associated with at least one of the major Australian car hire providers. However, there are so many airlines with differing reward points options that it is recommended that you contact your airline and ask who their car hire partners in Australia are and how it works.

If you have multiple frequent flyer rewards cards, you may need to compare the deal you receive. Make sure that you check whether the number of points is provided per dollar spent (as both the main Australian airlines do), per day (e.g. AAdvantage, United Airlines and Air New Zealand) or per rental, which is provided by most of the other airlines including the Australian airlines for international rentals.

Getting the best out of your booking

1. Check for discount car hire coupons.
2. Ask about discounts based on airline program, auto program, hotel program and credit card programs.
3. See if your international or local frequent flyer scheme is covered.
4. Compare each of your frequent flyer program offers to determine which is best, as you are only able to select one per booking.
5. If you are travelling on a corporate rate ask what points you are entitled to earn. Because the corporate rate is discounted, some hire companies do not provide any points or miles, while others provide a reduced number.

Related posts:

1. Frequent Renter Programs: Is There A Winner?
2. Hertz and Etihad Partner Up for Seamless Travel Experience
3. Qantas Frequent Flyer Goes Exclusive With Avis & Budget (Promo codes inside)

Are you driving in circles with your frequent renter program options but failing to get anywhere?

Loyalty programs are offered by all of Australia’s five major car hire companies, but at a glance it can be hard to determine if any are superior. So we set our research team to work to find you the answer.

What are the programs?

Each car hire company has its own branded frequent driver offer – Avis Preferred, Budget Fastbreak, Europcar Ready Program, Hertz #1 Gold Club and Thrifty Blue Chip.

Unfortunately the name is probably the most individual thing about them.  Each program will provide you with faster reservations, record your preferences and ensure that you have priority over other customers who are not part of their program.  With each, you will receive a card and a membership number.

Effectively by retaining your details on file, it speeds up the transaction time of both parties, thereby reducing administration costs over the long term.

Do they give me a discount for being a member?

The short answer is no.  The programs do not entitle you to a direct discount in their own right.  The best deal you can expect, as a result of being a member of their program is that you will be offered in most cases the best rate of the day. Being a member of the NRMA, an auto club, or Frequent Flyer program however may entitle you to a 5-10% discount depending on the car hire company. However, Avis and Hertz do offer the occasional member-exclusive offers like free days that can be better than the discount coupons available to the general public (Thanks Adam M.)

Most hire companies have a second or third tier of membership to which you cannot join, but must earn.  This is similar to a frequent flyer membership where you can only progress up to the next level by travelling a certain number of times and distances.  If you travel very frequently you may find yourself admitted to this group and therefore may become eligible for a greater level of priority, more upgrades and discounts.

Are there any other benefits of membership?

There are a few additional benefits to some memberships, which separate the quality of the programs.

Priority number
Avis, Hertz and Thrifty offer their frequent or priority members a dedicated phone line. The others direct you through to their standard reservation line which in some instances, particularly Europcar, can leave you waiting 10-15 minutes to be answered.

Priority service
Priority service is offered by all the providers. However in the cases of Avis and Hertz, this means no stopping at the counter at all within the main Australian airports, allowing you to simply proceed to the car.

Other features
Hertz goes one step further than the other car hire companies, in that they have a ‘no additional driver charge’ feature which is applicable on all their cars and provides a discount to gold members on the rental of infant or child seats.  In addition, they offer their own points reward program so you can still achieve points even if you are not part of one of their affiliated frequent flyer programs.

Joining the program

Each programs is free to join, except Hertz, which is only free to Australian residents.  The forms simply need to be downloaded from the website, completed and returned.

Be aware when selecting any preferences on your application form that this information will be automatically used on all your future bookings with that company.  Should you need to change a preference, you will need to contact the company to update your details.

A final word

Because all the providers are similar, the choice of your hire car company is likely to come down to individual cost and features at the time you wish to travel.  The only time this would not be the case is when you travel very frequently, then aiming for one of the memberships such as Hertz which offers an upgrade after 10 hires in one year, may be worthwhile.

There is no reason not to join multiple programs given they are free.  The only investment is your time to complete the information required.

Finally frequent renter programs do not have to mean another five cards in your back pocket.  Each provider confirmed that as long as you have your number available you do not need to physically provide your card. So if you choose to join multiple programs, save your wallet from exploding by creating one card with the names, program numbers and phone numbers on it.

Links

Avis Preferred Service
Budget Fastbreak
Europcar Ready
Hertz #1 Club
Thrifty Blue Chip

Related posts:

1. Car Hire Discounts from Partner Programs
2. Qantas Frequent Flyer Goes Exclusive With Avis & Budget (Promo codes inside)

We’ve updated our Winter Car Hire Guide for 2010. All you need to know about who and where to rent from! Have a look see and enjoy tearing up the slopes! Yeehaw!

Time’s a-ticking so pay attention: Europcar’s Earlybird Special offers 10% discount if you place your booking by 11 June 2010!

Related posts:

1. Driving Rental Cars to the Snow
2. VIC Public and School Holidays 2010 / 2011
3. NSW Public and School Holidays 2010 / 2011

It’s ready! We’ve worked to gather all the car hire coupons, discount codes and deals from Australia’s Big Boys of Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty.

Now all you have to do is check our car rental coupons page and presto, everything in one place. No more opening five windows and jumping around, having as much success comparing the specials as a goldfish trying to master trigonometry.

And we’ve even filtered out the duds (trust us, there are duds). We only list the offers that actually give you extra benefits. Often these companies promote so-called specials of “great daily rates” or “waived fees” which are in reality already reflected in the search results of comparison sites without you having to punch in a coupon number i.e. they don’t make any difference at all. But not the ones we’ve handpicked: make a booking with them and you will truly get a deal you would have missed out on otherwise.

And do share with us and help out your fellow hirer if you come across a hot deal we may have missed. In the meantime, we will continue to avidly hunt down any and every worthwhile special.

Related posts:

1. Qantas Frequent Flyer Goes Exclusive With Avis & Budget (Promo codes inside)

From Thredbo to Perisher, Falls Creek to Mt Baw Baw, comes the oft-asked question: Are you allowed to drive your rental car up to the snow?

In their standard terms and conditions, the Big Boys of Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty do NOT allow you to take any rental cars above the snowline or to any area that requires the use of snow chains during the winter season (June-Sep/Oct). If you do, you will be fully liable for any and all damages to the car. However, selected branches of the various companies do offer you the option to purchase additional “snow cover” insurance. Also, keep a look out for special winter deals that may already include the snow cover on some vehicles.

To make your life easier (that’s what we’re here for after all), we’ve compiled your options for you.

Winter 2011 Car Hire Guide for NSW and VIC

Snow cover is usually only available at selected branches. Always double check for your required pickup location and the exact details of the offer.

Related posts:

1. Snow Snow Snow! Winter 2010 Car Hire Guide is here!
2. Inter-City Driving Distances and Times
3. Car Rental Insurance USA: Guide to CDW & SLI