Company: National
Status: Emerald
Location: MIA
Dates: 01/23-01/29
Reserved: Standard
Received: 2013 GMC Terrain
Price: $103.46-5.17 (discount code) +tax & fees=$162.95
Coupon used: Used corporate code (in my reservation it says Hilton Hhonors, and I think a 5% code.)
I had a very good experience with National, start to finish, quick and smooth.
Getting to the car rental area was very annoying, I left my wife and one of sons with the luggage in the airport terminal and took my other son (the 4 yr old) with me. I think it took about 15-20 minutes to get there. You have to go on a bunch of moving walkways and then you finally get to a shuttle that takes you to the rental area. Anyone that has to take their luggage with them makes the process that much harder. My son was a real trooper about the walk/run (it was late and didn't want my wife to have to wait). At one point he said "abba why do we have to walk so much my feet are getting tired". (Mind you this is at 10:30pm).
Once we got there though, it was a breeze, I saw there was no line (no one) by national (I came equipped with a bunch of reservations, sixt, hertz, enterprise, and national), so I went up to the counter gave them my reservation and she told me to go down to the 1st floor. When I went to the 1st floor I gave my reservation papers to someone there and he told me to go pick any car in the second row (since I am an emerald member). I asked someone there to help me choose the best car and got a 2013 GMC terrian, which fit my wife and two kids with car seats and our luggage and double carriage comfortably. I forgot to bring my son's booster and she was nice of enough to give me a booster with charging and just told me to bring it back after I pick up my wife and drop it off with anyone by the exit. The drive was comfortable and in 6 days I only used half a tank. (it had a eco setting not sure if that had anything to do with it).
Upon returning the car I was going to drop my wife and kids off by the terminal so they don't have to do the long walk and shuttle, but missed the Delta terminal and was going to go around when we decided to see if they would drive us to the airport. Lucky for me when I got there I asked one of the agents and he kindly told us that he could take us. Also I was supposed to fill up the car to full (as I opted out of the fill up service they offer when you first rent the car) and sadly waited till the last minute so when I got to National I had only a half a tank, when I told him that I didn't fill up the tank, he calculated the gas and told me he has to charge me their rate which is $5.08 per galleon (so it came out to $45), I had no choice and told him okay, but then he told me to give him a minute and when he came back to take us he said since we were a nice family and didn't complain, he gave me a discount on the gas. (I can't tell you how much since it's not the norm at all, so I wouldn't recommend taking the chance, and please don't quote me because it was totally unofficial, better fill up before, I just got lucky). He took us to the terminal and even helped with the bags so I tipped him for all his help and kindness.
All in all I had a very good experience and was very happy with the service. I hope this wasn't a fluke and look forward to renting in the future from them.
