Car Rental Promotions for 2010

Back in June of 2009 we posted about the Avis / Delta promotion where you could earn 5,000 miles for every 4 day Avis rental or 2,500 miles for every 3 day Avis rental. Then we also saw the Budget 3,000 miles for every 1 day rental.

Here are my stats from the 2009 Avis / Budget Delta Promotions

27-4 day Avis rentals for (5000 x 27) = 135,000 Delta Miles
4-3 day rentals for (2500 x4) = 10,000 Delta Miles
2-1 day rentals for (3000 x 2) = 6,000 Delta Miles

Total Miles Earned in 2009 through Car Rentals = 151,000 Delta Miles

So as 2009 comes to a close we need to think of whats in store for car rental promotions in 2010. What car rental promotions are you considering for 2010?

New Smoke-Free Fleet from Avis

I don't know about some of you, but there's nothing worse after a long flight than hopping in a rental car that wreaks of smoke and bad deodoerizer. I was glad to see Avis's latest move to a completely smoke-free fleet. The policy goes into effect as of October 1, 2009 for every make and model. The company went as far as implementing a new inspection policy and $250 fee for smoking in one of its vehicles.

Hit a Grand Slam with US Airways

Earn hits with our partners and score bonus miles. It's that easy. You can earn up to 50,000 miles, 4,000 of which are Preferred-qualifying, so step up to the plate! It’s time to join the big leagues with some big league miles. Earn as many hits as you can between September 1 and November 15, 2009.

Here's how it works:
Register online
Earn miles with our partners

US Airways Credit Cards (earn 1 hit per card type – max of 5 hits)
Hotels (earn 1 hit for every stay – max of 6 hits)
Hotel transfers (earn 1 hit for every transfer – max of 6 hits)
Cars (earn 1 hit for every rental – max of 6 hits)
Other partners (earn 1 hit – max of 1 hit per partner)
Watch your miles add up

Not a Dividend Miles member? Join now.

Check out the link below to view the terms and conditions.

http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/help/promotions/GS09terms.aspx

Avis's Delta Promotion - Camaro 2-Day Rental = 3,000 SkyMiles

For those itching to drive the new Camaro, Avis has another promotion: Rent the new Chevy Camaro for 2 days and get 3,000 Delta SkyMiles. Although not as rewarding as the 5,000 miles offer for a normal 2 day rental I wrote about last week, it is a nice way to get a few thousand miles for taking the latest Camaro incarnation out for a little fun in the sun this summer.

To take advantage of this promotion when making rental reservations on Avis.com, add the following code into the coupon code box:

MUAA073 - Camaro 2 day rental --> 3,000 miles

The Details

The unmistakably confident 2010 Chevy Camaro is a marvel of engineering and design. It's all new - and you can rent it only at Avis. Now through August 31, 2009, SkyMiles members can now earn 3,000 bonus miles when renting a Chevy Camaro for 2 or more days. This offer is valid at participating airport locations in the United States. Mention coupon # MUAA073 and provide your SkyMiles number at the time of reservation or at the rental counter to receive your bonus miles. These miles are in addition to the base miles you receive every time you rent with Avis.

My Prescription

If you are willing to pay a premium to rent a car, then give the new Camaro a chance and take home a few thousand SkyMiles along with smiles this car is sure to generate. Could be one of the funnest and most exhilirating ways to earn SkyMiles yet.

Avis's Delta Promotion - 2,500 and 5,000 Miles

Avis currently has three offers of Delta miles to make Avis your rental car company of choice. Two of the offers have been available since March but a recent offer may change your rental car routine for a few weeks. The most recent offer from Avis is for 5,000 Delta miles for a 2 day rental! A great offer! The offer is valid until the end of July 2009 and can only be used 5 times so act now to take advantage of this offer.

Maximizing the Benefits of this Promotion

In addition to the 2 day promotion, Avis currently has Delta promotions of 3 days (2,500 miles) and 4 days (5,000 miles). Great offers in their own right but not nearly as generous as the newest offer.

Here is my plan to maximize miles: For the next two weeks I will change my 4 day rental that was earning me a generous 5,000 miles a week into two 2 day rentals that will earn me 5,000 miles per rental for a weekly total of 10,000 miles. Amazing!

Now, with my one remaining week I am going to wait until the next-to-last week of July when I need to stay an extra day on my business trip. That week I will get a 2-day rental followed by a 3-day rental to meet my 5-day rental need. Combining the two rental offers I will be able to earn 7,500 miles during the 5-day rental week instead of 5,000 miles that I could earn with either the 2-day or 4-day offer.

If you have a weekly 5-day rental need I would recommend the 2-day and 3-day rental combination that will net you 7,500 miles for 5 weeks. Since the promotion can only be used 5 times this is the optimal solution to maximizing your miles.

The icing on the cake is that these promotional miles are in addition to the 500 Delta miles you already earn with Avis. For the two weeks I will have two 2-day rentals that will be 11,000 miles for the week. That is some mighty good cake.

The Details

To take advantage of these promotions when making rental reservations on Avis.com, add one of the following codes into the coupon code box:

MUAA088 - 2 day rental --> 5,000 miles

MUAA132 - 3 day rental --> 2,500 miles

MUAA133 - 4 day rental --> 5,000 miles

My Prescription

Once I have exhausted my five 2-day rental offers I will revert back to my 4-day, 5,000 miles rental routine for the remainder of the year. Until a better offer comes along for earning airline reward miles I would recommend you do the same.