Say you're booking a car in the U.S. You see a space on the online reservation form inviting you to

Times are undoubtedly tough for rental car companies, who struggle to cope with high oil prices and the related fallout. But it's hard to feel sorry for them as they charge travelers absurd fees. An especially annoying surcharge you may not be aware of is for frequent flier mile redemption.
Say you're booking a car in the U.S. You see a space on the online reservation form inviting you to enter your membership number in your favorite frequent flier program. It seems like you're being offered a free way to pocket frequent flier miles, which can eventually be cashed in for a plane ticket.
For instance, Hertz assesses a frequent flier surcharge on rentals in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico that earn miles on specific U.S. airline programs, says a company spokesperson. While the surcharge varies, on many airlines it is $.75 per day with a maximum of $5.25 per rental. america west airline reservations For some airlines, america west airline reservations such as American, the surcharge is approximately $.06 per day.
Now one dollar a day may seem like small change to some people, but the fee is offensive in principle. If you travel fewer than 50 miles a day on the road, you're essentially paying two cents a mile to buy miles. Yet the average value of frequent flier miles is less than two cents.
The surcharge was not clearly disclosed on most of the agency sites we checked. So travelers using these sites don't realize that what they're effectively doing is buying frequent flier miles instead of earning them for free.
The surcharge is, of course, just one of many you need to keep an eye on as you book a rental car. Alamo charges a fee if you return a car early. Thrifty charges a $25 daily fee for drivers ages 21 to 24. And so on.
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