Are you planning a vehicular trip? Do you need to rent a car?
Well, that’s a place to start. But the right car can make or break your entire trip. And when a certain car doesn’t fit your budget, you’d go with a cheaper option.
Nonetheless, it is still possible to get a better car at the same price. A car upgrade of sorts.
Keep reading to learn how to get a rental car upgrade for free.
Start with the Cheapest Car
One of the easiest ways to get a free rental car upgrade is by reserving an economy class car. This method is most effective in areas where these rental companies are in high demand because by the policy they are required to upgrade you if they don’t have the type of car you wanted on hand.
However, one can never know if this will work out. But it’s worth a try. Also, if an agent tries to hassle you for an upgrade payment (as they work for commissions).
This is illegal if your originally-reserved vehicle is in stock, and if it isn’t they are obligated to give you an upgrade free of charge.
Use Coupons
If you go online, you should be able to find car rental coupons. So before you book your next car, go on their website or a coupon aggregate, and check out the deals section.
In reality, most companies, like Budget, Avis, etc advertise their coupons directly on their website, so it’s not hard to find them.
Be Nice
When it comes to assigning a car, the power is in the eye of the beholder. In this case, it is the person who assigned the car to you.
Social engineering goes a long way, so if you’re nice to somebody, they are most likely going to be nice to you. How you treat them can make a world of difference. So if you’re trying to score a better ride, you might as well be nice.
Use Credit
Using credit is the first step to getting benefits from renting a car, such as insurance and free upgrades. Depending on your credit card provider, your benefits will vary.
The benefits can start with cutting the line, all the way up to free rental car upgrades. So if you have a credit card, make use of it. The better the car, the better the benefits will be. Try looking into upgrade your card for free as well.
On Loyalty
If you plan on using a company once, this might not be for you. But even then, signing up for the loyalty program can start to provide you with benefits right off the bat.
Not only do you get access to member-only deals, but you also earn reward points that go toward upgrades, free rentals, and much more.
You will also be able to choose your own car, and that goes a long way. If you’re a member of some other associations, that can be quite beneficial. Even Costco members get free upgrades.
Not to mention, a rental car club program can match your elite loyalty status with other brands – so if you are an elite at a hotel or airline, you will probably be an elite with the rental firm.
Airport Strategy
In order to drive the newest cars, you should always rent at the airport, because that’s where they hold their updated cars.
And in most cases, that’s where they start out before even being distributed across the city to the various locations. So for the newest, most luxurious cars, you should always start out at the airport and get what you deserve.
Just Ask
The easiest way to get an upgrade is to just ask. Even though this is about getting an upgrade for free, you can get an upgrade at the cost of a single dollar or a couple.
By asking about specials or upgrades when you arrive to pick up your reservation, you might score a better deal for an insignificant sum. That upgrade might not seem so bad when it only costs you as much as a bottle of water at the gas station.
Corporate Structure
Most modern enterprises have specific systems in place that provide their employees with benefits from various other brands, such as airlines, hotels, rental agencies, etc.
The system provides elite perks, such as deep discounts, upgrades, and tours – so make sure to check in with the department that takes care of these questions. Step over to HR and find out if you can receive rental car benefits by using the corporate code. You will be surprised, sometimes you get the best of the best.
How to Get A Rental Car Upgrade for Free
Now that we’ve covered the most effective ways for how to get a rental car upgrade for free. You can take this newfound information and employ its use when picking out your next car.
Remember, the best solution to the problem is the combination of the many effective approaches. So instead of picking one method for getting an upgrade, why not take on multiple and combine them for the most optimal result?
With these careful considerations in place, you are guaranteed to get better rates, free upgrades, and other perks that others don’t even know about.
As a matter of fact, if you’re looking for rental car agency coupons – check out more travel deals here.