mahasamatman

Just the highlghts from the email, with better URLs...

snic

Of course they got the expiration date wrong...

*********

Dear snic,


Season's Greetings. As a valued Mileage Plus Premier Executive, United and Hertz are pleased to offer you a complimentary one-year membership in the Hertz #1 Club Gold® program. It's the fast and easy way to rent a car from Hertz.

Hertz #1 Club Gold. Now you can get on with business even faster. Hertz #1 Club Gold benefits include speed, expedited service, and extras designed with Mileage Plus elite members in mind. At over 40 of the world's busiest airports, there's no stopping at any counters. And, at over 1,000 locations around the world, simply go to the specially designated Gold counters, show your driver's license, and pick up your keys.

To receive your free membership in Hertz #1 Club Gold:
($60 enrollment fee waived through February 28, 2008)

Click on the Register Now button below.
Enter your Mileage Plus number to validate your 2007 elite status.
Please have your driver's license number and credit card available to complete your enrollment.
Enter your corporate discount (CDP) number on the Hertz #1 Club Gold enrollment form. If you do not have a CDP number, you may use the United Airlines CDP number 62455.



Earning Mileage Plus Miles: Once enrolled, log into your account under My Profile, select Affiliations, and enter your Mileage Plus number. You will then be able to access your Mileage Plus number and add it to your reservation when booking online to earn base and bonus miles for all qualifying rentals. For all other Hertz reservations, you will need to provide your Mileage Plus number at time of reservation.

2008 Elite Offer
As a Mileage Plus elite member, you can also earn up to 4,000 bonus miles per qualifying Hertz rental, from January 1, 2008 through February 28, 2009. Details

United and Hertz look forward to enhancing your travel experience, and to welcoming you to Hertz #1 Club Gold!

Upon completing your registration, you may use the Hertz #1 Club Gold® number provided to make reservations. An acknowledgement email on your status will be sent within 24 hours.

boggs

1K gives 5 Star status.
I am not familiar with Hertz, I usually rent with Emerald Club, is this any good?

TravelManKen

Great gift for me ^ I used to be a President's Circle member of Hertz, then switched over to National for the last several years. I became very unsatisfied with National after renting as many as 135 days in 2005, only to find out that they treat their elites just barely a step above any customer off the street. However, my experience at Hertz was always excellent and I was considering a return in 2008 - this just sealed the deal for me.

FlyinHawaiian

Probably best asked and answered in the Hertz Forum, please.

Here's an overview of the Hertz status levels.

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=446104

No word on if GS memebers will be offered Hertz Platinum...

lucky9876coins

FWIW a 2P family member got the offer too, so it's not just for 1P's and 1K's.

flyinryan

Nice gesture from Hertz and United, but sadly lost on me.
Hertz already comped me to 5* earlier this year, and I can honestly say that Hertz is a garbage rental company, and there is zero difference between #1 Gold and #1 Gold Five Star.
I can further state that 50% of the time, there is no appreciable difference between #1 Club Gold and Guy Who Walked In Off The Street. Were it not for corporate policy, I would have told Hertz to take a flying leap long ago.

But - those 2000 UA miles for a rental are looking pretty good...

tealeaf99

It looks like GS got the same offer as 1K:

Season's Greetings and Happy New Year. Exclusively for our valued Global Services members, United and Hertz are pleased to offer you complimentary membership in the Hertz #1 Club Gold® program and an upgrade to Five Star premium renter status. It's the fast and easy way to rent a car from Hertz.

noah

A nice gesture to be sure, but like others I already have Hertz 5* status so lost on me.

A few things to point out:
- Hertz maintains their own loyalty program, Hertz #1 Club Gold. You need to choose between earning points in their program OR UA MP Miles. You can not earn both.
- One of the primary benefits of 5* status is a 10% bonus on #1 award points; clearly this is not useful if you are earning UA miles
- To maintain Hertz status, or to achieve PC (Presidents Club) status you need to credit your rentals to their program and not MP

My success rate on upgrades this year as a 5* is limited at best, and as far as I can tell only marginally better than any other Gold member. Still, their selection of cars is IMHO far superior to the other rental agencies.

mahasamatman

But note that the offers are different. The 1P offer is only for one year; there's no limit specified for 1K or GS. And only 1K and GS seem to get Five Star.

UAL1KFLYER

The best benefit to be 5* is the fact that there are no Blackout dates! Also, the car upgrades are usually more frequent.

exerda

From what I understand, though, Hertz pretty much never takes away #1 Club Gold status and only charges the first year. I know I got it as a company benefit one year, where the company paid the then-$50 fee, and Hertz has never asked for another dime.

Five Star is OK in that you often get a 1-class upgrade in car, though given gas prices, I sometimes turn those down if on personal travel and the u/g puts me in a gas guzzler.

Too bad as a current #1 Gold 5* member, UA didn't offer to comp me to President's Circle with Hertz. They sent me the same 1P offer others have reported... when I already have it, and UA knows it if they bothered to check with Hertz at all before sending the offer.

exerda

This last bit is not IME. I have always credited to MP and have renewed 5* all three years I've had it. As it only takes ten rentals in the calendar year, it's not all that tough to achieve with any business travel at all (though I did last year do a rental at DCA on 12/31 to maintain it!)

rjque

Same here. I have never credited a single rental to Hertz's program and have managed to maintain 5* status. In general the best value per rental lies in electing WN Rapid Rewards Credits. There is always a double credit offer going and there are also regular quadruple credit promotions. I don't often fly WN, but the tickets make great gifts.

Back on topic, this 1P also got the offer. It's a good offer for those who only rent occasionally.

mcgahat

Ok, first, does anyone actually pay for Gold with Hertz? This is ok but I dont get treated any better as a 5* than when I was a regular Gold.