Credit card perks can be pretty confusing, given that some are determined by the bank, and some are determined by the issuer. Certain types of cards (for example, Visa Signature, World Elite Mastercard, etc.) have a consistent suite of benefits.
Continue reading: Free Car Rental Elite Status With World Elite Mastercard
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Is the US airways card a master card world elite? Don't have my new one on me so can't even remember if its a MC or a visa. How about the old Chase Ink Bold that was issued as an MC? Thanks!
Is it possible to combine the World Elite Mastercard Hotel Benefits (i.e. $100 stay credit + breakfast at select properties) with the Citi Prestige 4th Night Free benefit?
Bit of topic but can you book hotels through world elite to get the free breakfast, upgrade, etc and use the citi prestige to get reimbursed the 4th night?
Thanks for pointsing this out. Do you know if the benefit is restricted to primary cardholder, or does it include authorized users? I have a "World Mastercard" (The USAirways card, soon to be the Aviator Red), which is a step below "World Elite". My wife has a Citi AA Gold-level card that was for some reason upgraded to World Elite shortly after she received it. I'm an authorized user on that one.
Except these elite car rental memberships are not worth the paper they are written on - literally. Suddenly car rental companies have realized they can "lock in" customers by giving them elite status. The result is far more promise than delivery, probably becasue of way to many elites. If you have the card anyway - sure get the status, but don't let it influence your decision to get the card one way or the other.
@ Grover’s Bathtub -- I could be mistaken, but I believe an authorized user should be eligible for the benefits.
@ turgutbey -- I could be mistaken, but I think the old Ink Bold was a World Elite. The US Airways Card is a World MasterCard.
If your mastercard has a silver mastercard logo, it's a world elite. Citi Prestige, Barclay Arrivals+, and Citi AAdvantage Executive are some examples of world elite MCs. 🙂 My Ink Bold is a Visa Signature but I think the previous Ink Bold I had might've been a MC...don't remember if it was world elite though.
Note that renting from Alamo, Thrifty and their ilk is often cheaper than any Avis/National/Hertz discount you could ever get, though the Big Three do often have decent rates during non-business renting times, e.g., weekends. Equally often, they don't.
On the other hand, life is truly too short to rent from anyone who makes you stop off at the counter and wait in line each time. That's actually worth a premium. Having a shuttle bus that runs frequently is also a "must have." That's worth a premium, too.
On the other topic, at least a few Barclays Red cards are World Elite. A friend just got his last week, and "World Elite" is on the back. Like most, mine probably won't be. Sigh.
So Lucky, will you be using your Citi cc's over your CSP knowing that it has "primary coverage?"
I had used this promo last year by registering w/ my Barclay's NFL WMC. Yes, WMC. It worked and I used my CSP when renting yet I still received the benefits.
@ mommafrica -- There's no requirement to actually use a Citi card in conjunction with these World Elite MasterCard benefits, so I'll likely continue to use my Chase Sapphire Preferred for car rentals.
Ben,
Thank you for this tip. My Barclay's US Airways Card is a World Elite and I just called for the National benefit and it worked! I had just lost my Executive Elite with National and this got it back for me. Their link to make this happen is currently down, but the MC rep said she would sign me up for the benefit in a couple of days when the link was repaired. The MC service rep was fantastic!
Thought I'd point out that in the case of National, you may want to reconsider if you already have a corporate rate in your profile. I signed up and got the World Elite benefits but then realized that it wiped out my corporate rate information. I called National and they told me that I could only have one or the other, corp rate or World Elite rates. World Elite rates were almost twice what my existing corporate rates are so I had them change it back.
How do you obtain the National Executive Status through the MC World Elite? I signed up and was only awarded the rate. The MC rep was of no help either...
@ Kyle -- Maybe hang up and call again? They should be able to do it by phone.
@lucky - i was able to confirm you CAN book mastercard elite rates (which is higher than Best Available rate) and combine it with the 4th night free benefit. What bugs me is Mastercards' elite rates are higher while Visa Signature hotel rates. The Visa rates are more closer to the Best available rate
I have a world elite Master card and will be travelling in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Do you know if my credit card covers the CDW on a rental car. This is the extra collision insurance that most car rental companies suggest I get.
Do you by any chance have the Chase Sapphire Preferred? If so, tat will be the best card to use, unless Ireland says different.