It’s a common question for frequent travelers: Are National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car loyalty programs the same? Many renters find themselves choosing between these popular car rental companies, especially when considering reward programs. Both National and Alamo are part of the Enterprise Holdings family, which also includes Enterprise Rent-A-Car. This shared parentage often leads to confusion about their loyalty programs. While they are related, understanding the nuances is key to maximizing your car rental benefits.
To clarify, National and Alamo do not have the same loyalty programs, but they are connected under the umbrella of Enterprise Holdings. National Car Rental boasts the Emerald Club, a program known for its expedited service and reward options geared towards frequent business travelers. Alamo, on the other hand, offers Alamo Insiders, a more straightforward discount program focusing on providing members with savings on rentals.
Image showing Alamo and National car rental signs at Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport, illustrating the co-location of these Enterprise Holdings brands.
Enterprise Holdings has recently demonstrated its customer-centric approach by extending the terms of its loyalty programs, including both Emerald Club and Alamo Insiders. In a move announced during a period of global travel disruption, Enterprise Holdings extended loyalty statuses for a full year. This meant that elite status earned previously was extended, providing continued benefits to loyal customers even with reduced travel.
According to Randal Narike, Executive Vice President, Global Mobility and Customer Experience at Enterprise Holdings, this decision was made to acknowledge customer loyalty during challenging times. “While travel has waned, customer loyalty hasn’t,” Narike stated, emphasizing the company’s appreciation for its members and their desire to ensure benefits remain available when travel resumes.
This extension mirrors a broader trend within the travel industry, where airlines and hotel chains also prolonged loyalty program statuses in response to global events impacting travel. For instance, Delta Air Lines was among the first major U.S. carriers to extend its SkyMiles program, with competitors like American and United following suit. However, not all car rental companies adopted this approach, as major competitors like Avis Budget and Hertz did not announce similar extensions at the time.
Adding further value to their loyalty programs, Enterprise Holdings also implemented a rollover of qualifying rentals. For National’s Emerald Club, this meant that rental activity from one year could contribute to earning elite status in the next. For example, if a member had completed some qualifying rentals towards elite status but didn’t reach the threshold in one year, those rentals would count towards the next year’s qualification. This feature, also adopted by Delta Air Lines, was not widely offered by other travel operators, who often opted for reduced qualification requirements instead.
In conclusion, while National and Alamo operate distinct loyalty programs – Emerald Club and Alamo Insiders respectively – they share the backing of Enterprise Holdings. The recent loyalty program extensions and benefit rollovers demonstrate a unified approach to customer appreciation across the Enterprise Holdings brands. Understanding the specific benefits of each program allows renters to choose the one that best aligns with their travel needs and maximize their rewards within the Enterprise ecosystem.
