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Avis Rental Cars:Avis has long been recognized as one of the leading car rental comanies for both business and leisure travelers. I have used them many times, especially when I traveled for a living in the late 1990's. Recently I was looking at their rates for cars in California for a family vacation and was surprised at how expensive their fees were out of some airports compared to Alamo, National and even Hertz. Overall, my experience with Avis has been positive, but I guess I never really compared them to anyone else when I was doing my business travel since I wasn't actually paying the bill. Their Preferred Club was a great perks program at the time and to this day I am still a member. Avis operates at over 2000 locations worldwide and you will find their services at almost all major airports here in the United States. They partner with major hotel chains and airlines to get you reward points and perks much faster.
Renting with Avis:When it comes to actually renting a car, we prefer to login on to Avis.com and use the website as a starting point. You can quickly make a reservation using their online tools or you can check their "best offers" section with discounts and rate reductions at certain locations. They rent subcompact, compact, intermediate, standard, full size, premium, convertible, and luxury cars along with minivans, passenger vans, and SUVs. You can select from cars like Ford Mustangs, Pontiac Solstice, Corvettes, Silverado trucks and more. Not all car types are available at each location so be sure to check when making your reservation. When you book online be sure to have your AWD (Avis Worldwide Discount) code ready to punch in and any other coupons or promo rates. Many of the cars now offer GPS navigational systems so you can get directions to anywhere you want to go with voice instructions as well. If you choose to call in your reservation, dial 1-800-331-1212. As for off-site locations, they will save you money if you don't mind the hassle of getting to them versus easier renting at airports. A few words of advice when renting - don't get the additional insurance options they offer since your car insurance policy probably covers it or your credit card may provide coverage as well. Check with those 2 sources before you spend and extra $10/day for nothing. As for filling up the gas tank, you have the option of pre-paying for the whole tank of gas which means you can bring the car back on empty and get your moneys worth. Some people say they will get gas before returning to the airport and that is the best choice if you can remember to do it. Otherwise, you will be paying a huge premium for gas (something like $6/gallon) if you forget and Avis has to do it for you.Coupons and Discount Codes:One thing that is understood amongst savvy travelers is that you should NEVER pay pull price for a rental car. With all the travel comparison sites like Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbitz, you can find rates that are competitive. Also, there are lots of discount rates, coupons, and promotional codes that you can enter on the website when reserving your car that will save you 10, 20, even 30% on some rentals. They are good for free weekend days, upgrades, bonus airline miles and more. Our favorite site for Avis coupons is at http://www.mousesavers.com/avis.html, they update it often with the latest coupon codes and AWD #'s. Wal-Mart customers (basically everyone) get 20% off all rentals. If you go to Avis.com you can signup for their newsletter with e-coupons you can print out and other special deals.Avis Preferred Club:Avis is one of the few rental car companies that has frequent rental clubs for both business and leisure travelers. The business clubs include Avis Preferred Service and Avis First. You get things like free upgrades, skip the long lines while checking in, and the newest cars with GPS systems. For individual renters, try the Avis Wizard Number program which gives you faster reservations and more chances at discount rates. Avis does an excellent job with retaining customers and keeping them loyal through their frequent renter programs.
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