Million Mile Secrets Reader Joe tweeted:
Does the authorized user on a World Elite MasterCard enjoy the car rental agency status upgrade for Avis and Sixt? Thanks!
Good question, Joe!
If you are the primary cardholder of a World Elite MasterCard, you are eligible for free rental car elite status with Avis, National, and and Sixt!
Unfortunately, authorized users will NOT get elite status with these participating rental car companies.
Don’t Cheat Yourself Out of an Upgrade! You Qualify for Rental Car Elite Status If You’re the Primary Cardholder of a World Elite MasterCard
I’ll tell you about each participating elite status program, as well as how to qualify.
Free and Easy Elite Status With These 3 Rental Car Agencies!
You can get great travel benefits if you’re the primary cardholder of a World Elite MasterCard, like:
Discounts and upgrades on select airlines
Personal travel advisor
Access the Luxury Hotels & Resorts portfolio, with perks like complimentary breakfast for two daily
Another terrific perk is complimentary elite status with participating rental car agencies!
Avis Preferred Plus
If you are a World Elite MasterCard cardholder, you can receive up to 20% in savings on each Avis rental. You will also get complimentary membership to Avis Preferred Plus, which will give you:
Complimentary upgrades (when available)
Special Avis Preferred Plus number for reservations and customer support
Exclusive monthly email offers
Eligibility to earn Avis Preferred Points. Receive 25%-50% more points for every qualifying dollar you spend
You Must Book 12 Rentals or Spend $5,000 in a Calendar Year to Qualify for Avis Preferred Plus. That Is, Unless You Have the Right Cards!
National Emerald Club Executive
As a cardholder of a World Elite MasterCard, you can receive up to 25% savings on rentals at National Car Rental, as well as a complimentary 1-year Emerald Club Executive Service membership (NOT Executive Elite).
Emerald Club Executive membership comes with:
Ability to choose any car (Full-size and above) in the Executive Area for the same price as the Midsize rate
Earn 1 rental credit for every qualified car rental. Receive 1 free rental day after earning 6 credits
Guaranteed free upgrade when you reserve using the Midsize rate
Drive Away in a GUARANTEED Higher Class Car When You Hold Emerald Club Executive Status
Sixt Platinum
World Elite MasterCard members can enroll with Sixt to receive a Platinum Sixt card, which comes with benefits like:
Up to a 15% savings on Sixt rent a car / rent a truck with a complimentary Platinum Sixt Card, (otherwise available after renting 10+ times per year)
Preferred reservation priority and the convenience of special counters/parking lots at select airports/stations
Complimentary upgrade to the next higher car group at locations worldwide (subject to availability)
Complimentary 92 miles additional mileage for Sixt luxury cars
Complimentary car seat upon request, based on availability at location the day of rental pickup
Sixt Rents Luxury Cars at More Affordable Prices
Is It a Good Deal?
If you like the idea of priority service and free upgrades, this is a great deal! But the savings MasterCard Travel Services boasts about are probably less impressive than they sound.
That’s because there are LOTS of ways to get big discounts on car rentals, including websites like Hotwire, and booking through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Or book with AutoSlash, a free service that tracks your car rental reservations for price drops, and re-books you if they find a lower price!
How to Qualify
I couldn’t find a conclusive answer for whether or not authorized users on a World Elite MasterCard are eligible for this benefit while reading each rental car’s Terms and Conditions (or even MasterCard’s, for that matter!)
But after speaking with multiple MasterCard travel agents, ONLY the primary cardholder can receive elite benefits. And the primary holder can NOT book a reservation for someone else to pass along the perks.
Here is a list of World Elite MasterCard credit cards that will get you on your way to rental car elite status:
Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard
JetBlue Plus Card from Barclaycard
Citi Prestige
Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard
Barclaycard Hawaiian Airlines World Elite MasterCard
Bank of America Virgin Atlantic
Note: You also qualify for elite status with Avis and National if you hold The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Even if you don’t have a World Elite MasterCard, you can still benefit from signing-up for car rental loyalty programs! You can earn free rentals, reduce your waiting time, even earn airline miles!
And be sure to check out the rest of my series on how to find cheap car rentals!
Bottom Line
If you are the primary cardholder of a World Elite MasterCard, you are eligible for elite status with participating car rental agencies, like Avis and Sixt!
But authorized users are NOT eligible. And you can NOT book reservations for others in order to share the benefits with others.
Even if you don’t have a World Elite MasterCard, there are still plenty of reasons to sign up for car rental loyalty programs!
Have you taken advantage of the complimentary elite status of your World Elite MasterCard?
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