Hertz Matching Any Rental Car Rate This Month

We write the following without any sponsorship or apart from any financial incentives:

Hertz is one of our favorite rental car companies.

Well, not so much some of their franchises (especially in Africa, the Caribbean and Central America) that use the Hertz name but seem to operate independently of Hertz standards. But in the United States, Canada and Europe Hertz consistently offers excellent cars and runs a fruitful loyalty program. At their airport locations, Hertz also tends to have the most convenient check-in counters and vehicle drop-off points—if you’re an experienced airport car renter you’ve probably noticed this.

Maybe it is because of our pro-Hertz stand that this travel deal stood out to us: For the month of January 2011 Hertz will match any competitor’s rate as part of the Hertz Ultimate Challenge.

As with all such offers there is significant fine print:

• The deal is only valid inside the United States.

• You must have proof of a reservation from a national rental car company. (If your cheapo deal is from a less well known company you might want to bring proof that they are “national”).

• Said reservation for a competing rental has to be for a week or a weekend. Eg. a Tuesday through Thursday rental wouldn’t qualify.

• Most significantly: You can’t book your Hertz car through their Ultimate Challenge in advance. You have to show up at the counter and hope they have an available car. Generally, Hertz is well stocked with vehicles but can run out during special events and busy travel times.

If you are able to navigate that fine print Hertz will have another bonus for you: a $50 voucher for a future rental. See the Hertz Ultimate Challenge web page for details.

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