Why aren't Dollar a partner?

[preiffer]

I picked up my car (as per this thread) yesterday - no probs whatsoever.

But then it dawned on me:

Rental partner for Upper Class ground transfers = Dollar
Rental partner for Virgin Holidays customers = Dollar

FC partners for Car Hire miles earning/spending = Avis/Hertz


Um...?[:?][?]

[Scrooge]

That is very strange,probably down to cost,whoever bid the cheapest on the contract get's it.

If Dollar were a FC partner, wouldn't their costs go up. Given the queues I saw at the dollar desk compared to the other rental companies, Dollar do enough to drum up the business (presumably on cost, volume and that they are VH and J suppliers) without having to be FC partners as well.

I guess the key question is whether they are partners in any other frequent flyer schemes...

[Nottingham Nick]

The Dollar contract with VH - mainly on the B&S routes - includes cars at heavily discounted 'leisure rates', that don't count towards Dollar Express' or other partner schemes.

If VS were to introduce Dollar as an FC partner, they would be inundated with complaints from VH customers when they weren't given extra FC points with their 'free' [:o)] car.

In fact, very few Dollar cars hired by Brits are booked at 'points earning' rates.

I seem to remember that similar issues has arisen in the past when people have tried to claim FC points for stays at partner hotels that are booked as part of packages through VH. Some of these special rates are also non point earning.

Nick

This is an interesting one...used Dollar with VH before and have indeed been frustrated by lack of FC miles, but have also used Hertz for a car in NYC. That gave 1000 FC miles plus a discounted rate, but the only problem was no 4x4s in that city location [:#]

Recently used AMEX to book the car for Boston, and they went with Dollar only for the fact they could provide the cheapest rate. Ok so FC miles earned as using AMEX to pay but obviously not 1000 miles. They did manage to provide a 4x4 though.

On a slightly different note, has anyone seen the article in the recent Auto Express, about US cars having to make at least 25mpg?! Oooh, that's gonna be a killer [:0] The last two times I've been to Orlando the weapon of choice has been a Dodge Durango with the 5.7L engine. That thing struggled to make 15mpg, never mind 25. Hey, but it was great for cracking kerb stones clean in half [:I], transporting the reptiles and crushing other cars [:o)].