National Car Rental has returned their promotion in combination with American Express, offering their Emerald Club Executive status for any Amex Platinum card member that sign up/upgrades with the promo link.
This is a designated promotion for Amex Platinum members they receive as part of the cards benefit portfolio and it’s possible for existing members to upgrade their status as well through this link (link is generic and card membership isn’t verified).
You can access the status upgrade promotion through the National website here.
Executive Enrollment for American Express Platinum Cardholders
As an American Express Platinum Card® Member, enroll to receive complimentary Emerald Club membership with Executive tier status. Once you’re enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling the car company directly, using your concierge service, or by booking online.Executive tier members are able to choose their own car from the Executive Selection℠ area, which features full-size and larger car classes, receive automatic upgrades1 when a full-size through luxury car is reserved, earn a complimentary rental day after 6 qualifying rentals2, and opt to receive airline miles or hotel points from one of National’s partners3. Subject to availability. Terms and limitations apply.
When you enter the enrollment screen you can either sign in or open a new account:
After upgrading the account the status is reflected instantly:
These are the benefits of National Executive Status:
- Choose Rewards — Choose from Free Rental Days, frequent flyer miles or hotel rewards. Redeem your free days around the globe.
- Priority Service — Get expedited services when renting in Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean
- Earn With Enterprise — Rent at participating Enterprise Rent-A-Car locations to earn Free Rental Days and higher status with Emerald Club.
- Emerald Alerts — Receive helpful email reminders to give you the rental information you need exactly when you need it.
- Drop & Go℠ — With convenient email receipts, just drop off your car and go (if your car has not been damaged during the rental).
- Emerald Aisle Access — Choose any Midsize car in the Emerald aisle Area and only pay the Midsize rate (in US and Canada).
- Faster Free Rental Days — Earn 1 rental credit for every qualified car rental. Free Rental Day = 7 credits.
- No Second Driver Fees — Never pay extra when family members and business associates do the driving.
- Upgrades in Europe — Enjoy a free one car class upgrade (subject to availability at time of rental) at participating locations in the UK, Ireland, France, Spain and Germany.
- Special Offers — Receive exclusive members-only discounts and offers through our seasonal emails.
The best benefit is undoubtedly the Emerald Executive Aisle Access where National keeps premium cars for members to pick from.
Yesterday a friend of mine picked up another 4 week rental in the midwest and I upgraded his account a few hours prior to pickup. He got lucky and was directed to the Executive Aisle where a nice BMW 330i was waiting which is certainly better than the Nissan Versa, especially at a price of $1400 a month.
Conclusion
This is a decent promotion and I consider National to be one of the best car rental providers in North America, however remember that it is originally designed for Amex Platinum members though with this generic link and no card check in place anyone can enroll.
Last year there was a short term promotion where you were actually able to get Executive Elite status through a random Amex promotion but this campaign was quickly discontinued.
There are the Terms and Conditions for this campaign:
Benefits given to Platinum Card Members are subject to each car rental company’s terms and conditions, including age restrictions, and require enrollment to receive benefits. Platinum Card Members must be affiliated with the Platinum Program codes. Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® is a registered trademark of Hertz System, Inc. Minimum rental age is 25 (exceptions apply). For Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, upgrades are subject to fleet availability at time of rental. Standard rental terms and conditions apply. Payment must be made using the Platinum Card from American Express. Platinum Card Members are required to enroll in Avis Preferred Club, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards and National Emerald Club Executive memberships to become a member. National collects Frequent Flyer Tax Recoupment Surcharge to cover the federal tax on the cost of the miles awarded at the time of rental. Discount applies to base rate only. Taxes (including GST), other governmentally authorized or imposed surcharges, license recoupment/air tax recovery and concession recoupment fees, airport and airport facility fees, fuel, additional driver fee, one-way rental charge, and optional items are extra. Renter must meet standard age, driver, and credit requirements. Advance reservation required. May not be combined with other discounts. Availability is limited. Subject to change without notice. Blackout dates may apply. National’s Emerald Club and its services require a signed Master Rental Agreement to be on file. Please note that the Car Rental Privileges program available to Platinum Card Members is a separate program from the Premium Car Rental Protection insurance product offered by American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. and underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
