UPDATE: How I strategically booked a rental car for 110 days straight
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with current car rental elite points earning. It was originally published June 5, 2020.
I have not owned a car since moving to Manhattan 13 years ago.
That’s normally great. Subways, buses, taxis, Uber and Lyft — plus plenty of walking and biking — have all made my urban life possible.
When we have needed to escape the city on a weekend, my family has turned to Avis, Hertz and National.
Then came COVID-19 and a completely-reshaped existence in New York City. For weeks, my wife and our daughter were locked away in our apartment, only leaving for brief walks around the neighborhood. Our whole lives were within a mile or two of our home.
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Now, as New York’s stay-at-home order is about to be lifted and the number of new coronavirus cases has dramatically declined, we wanted more mobility.
This summer will be unlike any other we have faced. No camp or day care. Museums, restaurants, theaters, zoos and other activities are closed. And while we love New York’s parks, they can quickly become too crowded for comfort in an age where we are still social distancing.
It was time to get a car.
Read more: Credit cards that offer elite status for car rentals
And here is where the dilemma came in. We didn’t want to buy or lease a car because, at some point hopefully sooner than later, life will restart and we won’t want the cost or hassle of owning one in Manhattan. There was the option of buying out somebody else’s lease for a few months but there were some hidden costs and the hassle of registering the car in our names.
I thought about renting cars just on the weekends, but summer rentals in Manhattan can be $300 or more. Each week, I would have to go to the rental location, wait on line, get a new car and then fill it with gas before returning it. Plus, in the age of coronavirus, there is an added risk with every new rental.
Finally, we plan to rent a home or two this summer instead of our normal flying vacations. Weekly car rentals were costing $1,000 — or more — and my normal trick of renting outside the city wasn’t yielding any lower rates.
Read more: Five steps to a perfect car rental
Then I realized that renting a car for nearly four months would provide a much lower rate. It was still $3,700 after taxes for the entire summer but lower than any of the other rentals and none of the long-term commitments that a $200-a-month lease would offer.
(Yes, owning a car just for two years would be almost cheaper but parking in Manhattan is a long-term challenge and garages cost more than monthly lease payments. Right now, my work-from-home lifestyle and the lack of a daily commute means that I can move the car when required for street cleaning.)
Insurance was my next big challenge.
My wife and I have already have liability insurance for those who don’t own cars as part of our larger insurance coverage. But we needed collision insurance.
Typically, I rely on my credit cards for this. However, the fine print limits that insurance typically to 31-day rentals.
Read more: Credit cards that offer car rental coverage
I set out and booked cars with Avis and Hertz for 110 days. (None of the other companies came close on price.)
Avis told me that I would have one reservation number but actually four separate rental agreements or contracts. I didn’t have to return the car between contracts but would get a call asking me for the mileage. This meant that it would be my car for the full 110 days but treated as four rentals to let me get the credit card insurance coverage.
Each month, my credit card would be billed for that rental contract.
If I had bought collision insurance through Avis, it would have come out to an extra $1,000 for the rental period.
Read more: Your points, miles and loyalty guide to Avis
Hertz wasn’t as clear.
A call to the national reservations line told me that it was up to the local rental office to decide how to issue the contract. In these situations, they would either do agreements for 30 or 61 days. So I contacted the local office — twice by phone and once in person — and couldn’t get a clear answer any of those times. Hertz was $2 cheaper a day for my 110-day rental, but without knowing exactly how the agreement would look, I decided to rent with Avis.
As a President’s Club member, I was given an upgrade to a full-size car: a brand-new Nissan Altima with just 59 miles on the odometer. It isn’t as pretty as the BMW 5 Series Hertz once upgraded me to, but it does the trick and is easy to parallel park on the street.
I’ve got the car until the middle of September and will report back on what type of loyalty points I end up with from Avis.
Update: My first month of the rental is over, my credit card was charged for those four weeks and I’ve switched over to the next contract. Avis awarded me 830 points for the monthly base rate plus a 415-point bonus for my President’s Club status. Collecting car rental points isn’t usually lucrative – many travelers in the points and miles communities will get airline mile promotions. Avis awards a minimum of 100 points for a rental, making these 800 points for the entire month seem like an even worse value. In the end, I might be able to redeem the points for one or two free days. You can learn more about redeeming here. But again, this was a “pandemic rental” and in times of crisis we sometimes do irrational things.
Related: Complete guide to Avis
Our family trips used to almost always start with a plane. Now, we are getting to explore everything our region has to offer. We have day trips planned for local hikes, beaches, farms and other socially-distant outdoor adventures. It’s not what I envisioned for this summer but I’m excited for these new discoveries.
Related: Everything you need to know about rental car elite status
Photo by Austin Neill via Unsplash
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Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.