E ffective as of today, November 1, 2014 — and with an advance notice of one day — the United Airlines MileagePlus frequent flier loyalty program is no longer a participating partner with National Car Rental and its Emerald Club frequent renter loyalty program.
Patsy Rey — who is the director, loyalty program for National Car Rental — sent the following e-mail message to members of the Emerald Club frequent renter loyalty program yesterday:
Dear Brian,
Effective November 1, 2014, United Airlines MileagePlus® is no longer a participating partner with National Car Rental® and the Emerald Club® program. Due to this change, MileagePlus award miles have been discontinued as a rewards option for future rentals.
Because you have chosen to earn credits toward free rental days, this change will not affect you. If you have any questions about your member benefits or rewards options, please review your profile online.
Thank you for your business. We look forward to serving you soon.
Well, so much for giving advance notice — one day, wow — but it really does not matter to me, as I credit my car rentals in the Emerald Club frequent renter loyalty program towards free days of renting cars in the future while avoiding paying any surcharge of crediting car rentals to the frequent flier loyalty programs of airlines.
Unless you use your car rentals from National Car Rental to keep your frequent flier loyalty program accounts active or to top off those accounts with a minimal amount of miles, you may want to instead credit your car rentals to the Emerald Club frequent rental loyalty program towards free rental days…
…but be aware that although rental credits remain valid so long as you retain your membership in the Emerald Club frequent rental loyalty program, free days will expire on December 31 of the year following the year in which they were earned or immediately upon cancellation or termination of membership in the Emerald Club frequent rental loyalty program.
Note that for qualifying vehicle rentals greater than seven consecutive days, you will receive one additional rental credit for every four additional consecutive days of the same qualifying vehicle rental.
Additional information — including rules and conditions — pertaining to the Emerald Club frequent renter loyalty program of National Car Rental is found here.
