Avis offers same with Avis Preferred

Seconded

Also anyone can sign up as preferred online to get past the lines.

This is my go-to

I used Enterprise for a while but got sick of their in your face "customer service" approach that's really just designed to try to sell you more options. I've been happy with Avis preferred and in most places I can get into my car very quickly.

Enterprise also has sloooow dropoff

They always have to inspect the car and make you wait while they do. This is fine at a local office, but a pain when you're at an airport.

Never experienced that

But getting into a car was dumb - having someone in a suit walk you out, walk around the vehicle with you, pretend to care why you're in town, ticking thru all the upgrades and protections. Just give me the damn car and stop asking me how my experience was!

Yep, they did that too *

And Avis Preferred is free

I'm not sure why everyone isn't either Avis Preferred, Hertz Gold Plus, or in the National Emerald Club. And unlike airlines, you get the same benefits as everyone else upon joining. There are no "elite" levels.

Nobody but business travelers book directly through

the rental car companies. Everyone uses Hotwire, Expedia, Costco, etc., where you don't get to pick your company.

you mean, everyone but sophisticated travelers? *

We have booked through Costco and we can see

who we are going with before pulling the trigger.

You can also attach your rental program info

If you're Avis or Enterprise etc they allow for you to attach your info so you get credit as a member of that particular company. I often look at Costco at least to compare.

funny but for whatever reason

I never book with a Costco, Expedia, Kayak, Orbitz. I use them all for price aggregation but always book direct from the source.

Hate buying trips through packages.

Exactly. I use them for comparison shopping only

There are sometimes wild price differences on rental cars in the same city at the same time, so it's always worth looking, but I get the price and then I book at the source.

That has bupkes to with being in the programs

You give them your membership number, and you get all the benefits.

Also, booking through the services doesn't get you discounts that you can't get directly from the rental companies.

Sure, but if you rent a car once or twice per year, and

those rentals are spread across 5 or 6 different companies, then most people don't see any benefit from membership because they will never accumulate enough rewards to get any free rentals. I'm guessing most people either aren't aware of or forget about the ancillary benefits.

You really stumble through life thinking that your I Phone

has all the answers.

Well then they must like waiting in line

Because filling out the application takes shorter than waiting in line for a single rental, and you have it for life.

Free rentals aren't the point. Saving time is. Cripes, Hertz had ads on it 30 years ago. You know, O.J. running through the airport to rent his white Ford Bronco from Hertz?