For this EZ rental deal, a policy is in order
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Santo J. Aurelio forgot to pack something on a recent trip to Miami -- his auto insurance policy.
Looking on the Internet, the Arlington resident had found a good weekly rate on a compact car with a company called EZ Rent-A-Car. He didn't know much about the company, but the price was right.
At the counter in Miami, the EZ agent asked Aurelio whether he wanted to take the collision damage waiver coverage. Aurelio declined, telling the agent he had sufficient coverage through his own policy. But the agent demanded proof; he wanted a copy of Aurelio's policy. In other words, no insurance policy, no car.
Aurelio didn't want to run around the airport looking for another car, so he grudgingly took the collision damage waiver. At $15.99 a day, it eliminated any savings he had hoped to gain by renting through EZ.
"I've never had this happen before," Aurelio said. "I think it was a rip-off. Who carries around their insurance policy?"
EZ's policy appears to be unusual. I checked with several of the leading car rental companies, and representatives said they rarely ask for proof of insurance coverage. A Hertz spokeswoman said the company doesn't require proof except when the customer is renting a vehicle as an insurance replacement. An Enterprise spokeswoman said some states require companies to demand proof of insurance, but she said Florida is not one of them.
Eric Vasquez, a manager at EZ's Orlando office, said asking for proof of insurance coverage is standard policy at the company. "We're a small company. We're not like Hertz," he said. "We can't afford to have drivers uncovered."
He said many customers have their agents fax copies of their policies directly to the company. Coverage by a credit card is also acceptable, but Aurelio said the EZ agent never suggested his credit card (a Visa Marriott card that does offer insurance coverage) would suffice.
Christopher Goetcheus, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Division of Insurance, said it is rare for rental car companies to ask for proof of insurance coverage, but it is not illegal. He said companies can set their own policies on coverage.
To be on the safe side, sensible travelers dealing with an unfamiliar rental car company should probably ask in advance about any special requirements.
EZ Rent-A-Car could also do a better job of alerting customers to what they need in order to rent. Aurelio said no one mentioned the need for his insurance policy when he made his original booking. The company's website, however, under the heading of cash rentals and requirements, says customers must have proof of full insurance to avoid paying for the collision damage waiver.
Aurelio was unhappy having to pay nearly $112 for the waiver, but is resigned to the fact that it's too late to do anything about it.
"I guess I'll have to stick with Alamo and Hertz," he said.
Frequent-flier question
Mike Carroll of Marlboro wanted suggestions on the best way for his son to accrue frequent-flier miles as he visits his girlfriend in Salt Lake City over the next couple of years.
Carroll said his son may visit as frequently as every six weeks. Should he fly a single airline or get a credit card that will earn miles on a number of carriers, Carroll asked. He also wanted to know my opinion on Southwest's frequent-flier program.
There's no easy answer to these questions because it often depends on how you like to travel. I, for example, like to find the cheapest, most direct flight to my destination, so that means I don't tend to concentrate my flying with one airline. Moreover, sometimes Priceline and Hotwire have the best deals, and flights booked through them don't accrue frequent-flier miles.
Credit cards are another personal preference. I endorse concentrating as many purchases as possible on a credit card that earns you something in return, but I don't like to pay a lot in the form of annual fees for that privilege. Many of the cards that allow you to accrue miles that can be used on many airlines are expensive.
I plugged Boston-Salt Lake and Providence-Salt Lake into the Orbitz and Sidestep websites for late August to get an idea of who flies where. Out of Boston, many carriers serve Salt Lake, but only Delta flies direct. Out of Providence there were no direct flights, but prices were significantly cheaper. Southwest had the lowest fares, but to take advantage of them you had to endure layovers, including two stops on the return flight.
My guess is that Southwest would probably offer the lowest regular fares to Salt Lake. If you're willing to fly out of Providence (parking costs need to be figured in) and endure the many stops, it may make sense to focus your flying with that airline.
Southwest's frequent-flier program is different from what most other airlines offer. Instead of accruing miles, Southwest customers earn credits, one for each one-way flight. Accumulate 16 credits and you automatically receive a ticket valid for one year. The ticket can be used on any flight with space available, but blackout dates apply.
The downside to the Southwest program is that credits expire one year from the date they are earned. With most other airlines, points or miles last far longer.
Southwest also has no airline partners and relatively few hotel, rental car, and other partners. The Southwest credit card issued by First USA offers one credit for each $1,200 in spending and comes with a $59 annual fee. Southwest also has ties to the American Express rewards program.
For detailed information on frequent-flier programs, check out Insideflyer.com, Smarterliving.com, and individual airline frequent-flier sites.
Bruce Mohl can be reached at mohl@globe.com.
