I have always been intrigued by Hertz President’s Circle status. However, I think my days holding this elite level with Hertz are numbered. With many of my rentals failing to actually credit for elite status, I have recently been spending a lot of time chasing them in order to get credit applied. This week’s travels would have me passing through Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. While I usually get better experience in the United States, how would my experience rate for this Canadian destination?

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This post is one chapter on a winter work trip within Canada. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status, Air Canada Aeroplan Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. For parts of the trip, please see this index.

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My Experience Renting as Hertz President’s Circle Member at Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

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As I have previously written about, I’ve maintained Hertz President’s Circle status for the past several years as a result of some heavy work travel. One of the primary benefits of Hertz President’s Choice is the Ultimate Choice aisle where you get to pick any car in the aisle and go. The marketplace has standardized this feature across many of the major rental companies in this space.

At times, I’ve gotten some pretty terrific upgrades that have included upgrades into Mercedes SLK Convertibles…

…and even a great brand new Volvo V60 station wagon with less than 4,400 kilometres on the clock.

About Hertz Gold Plus Rewards:

Since this space is about loyalty programs, Hertz offers a loyalty reward program called Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. The program is primarily designed to keep your driver’s licence, credit card and insurance preferences on file to allow for quicker rentals that allow for bypassing the legal formalities of the rental counter in many locations and allow you to get out on the road faster.

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards also offers the ability to earn Hertz Gold Plus Reward points. While we didn’t typically get a lot of value from car rental points, they’ve recently delivered outsized value from travel when car rental prices escalated during the pandemic when many Hertz locations reduced their vehicle fleets, driving up car prices.

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards offers three tier levels of Gold, Five Star and it’s top tier President’s Circle. It’s around the Hertz Presidents Circle level where the benefits get interesting.

Hertz President’s Circle Benefits:

Hertz’s highest tier level is Hertz President’s Circle. Hertz Presidents’ Circle offers the following benefits:

• Upgrades: Guaranteed
• Hertz Gold Rewards points earning: $1 = 1.5 points
• Hertz Ultimate Choice: Widest Selection
• Dedicated Hertz Reservation Line

With reward redemptions starting at about 950 Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points, you’ll need a little bit of spend in order to get a free rental.

About Hertz Ultimate Choice:

My favorite feature of the Hertz rental experience is the Hertz Ultimate Choice feature found at airports where Hertz Gold Canopy service is offered.

Hertz Ultimate choice offers the ability to “pick from the best car in our newest fleet and go”. Airport locations in the united states offer the best versions of this, but there are select locations that do offer a great experience.

Typically, there is a sign board that designates the lot, along with a convenient monitor that indicates the location of your car. Dependent on the size of the lot, there is a correspondingly large zone.

There is also typically a sign information board that sets out the location of your car, in addition to any messages. Dependent on the size of the station correlates to the size and number of renters on the sign.

As a Hertz President’s Circle member, and as long as you rent an intermediate class car or better, I was able to choose any car in the aisle. As a result, there is usually something pretty good kicking around the lot.

There are odd times when you get stuck with the usual boring junk, but it’s better than nothing. There are often a few compact Sport Utility Vehicles parked around, and usually a Dodge Charger or two.

This leads me to my most recent experience renting from Hertz at the Montreal International Airport.

My Experience at the Hertz Montréal International Airport

I arrived into the Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on an Air Canada Business Class Winnipeg – Montreal flight. As a result of snowfall that day, I was running about thirty minutes behind, as a result of the late arrival of the aircraft.

Finding the Rental Car Kiosk:

I was trying to catch up with some work colleagues for dinner that had arrived on a flight about ninety minutes earlier. As a result, I wasn’t looking to waste any time.

The car rental area in Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau is located quite a walk from the actual airport itself. After getting land side, I ended up crossing the arrivals zone and walking the green walkway which was intended to lead me to the rental car kiosks.

I would end up walking halfway through the garage, eventually taking a left, then another right to get to the centrally located rental car kiosk rows. All major car rental companies are located within the kiosk area.

Upon getting inside the kiosk area, Hertz was located at the far right end of the counter tops. When I arrived, there was a small group of people lined up at the counter. I suspect these were in efforts to try to change their car rentals to all wheel drive vehicles, as the city had received thirty centimetres of snow that day.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait in that line since I was a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards member. A pop up banner directed me to bypass the counter and head straight for the island kiosks located somewhere in the parking lot.

I hopped outside and ended up doubling back towards the right, in efforts to locate the Hertz kiosk. I ended up walking about four parking rows, until the Hertz kiosk became apparent.

There was no one lined up at the kiosk and no attendant obviously on site. After entering the kiosk, a man appeared quickly to process my reservation.

My paperwork had been pre-printed and was ready to go. The Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau location does not have Ultimate Choice, and their highest level of service is Gold Counter. This meant that there was no browsing the aisles to select a vehicle of choice, as you might find in an airport with Hertz Ultimate Choice.

The Vehicle: A Current Year Toyota RAV4

I had booked an intermediate vehicle. Hertz President’s Circle status offers a guaranteed upgrade. Today, that translated into being assigned a brand new Toyota RAV4 with 36,000km on it.

Despite renting in Quebec, the vehicle had Ontario Licence plates on it. The vehicle had 4 winter tires on it, something that I appreciated.

It is worth mentioning that the Province of Quebec makes it mandatory for cars to have full winter tyres on them between December 1 and March 15. Hertz charges a $3.05 a day “Tire Management Fee” for this service, regardless of whether you are renting during the winter months, or the summer months.

The vehicle was clean and full of gas. I hooked up my Apple Car play to the vehicle through a USB and self navigated myself to the Courtyard by Marriott Montreal Brossard, where I was staying for the week.

I had no issues with the vehicle during my four day stay, and I actually enjoyed driving the little SUV around for my meetings.

Returning at Montreal International Airport:

After a week at the Courtyard by Marriott Montreal Brossard, it came time to head home. I was scheduled to depart on an Air Canada Business Class Montreal – Edmonton flight for my next adventure.

I located a Shell gas station in Lachine, Quebec in order to gas up the car. I didn’t notice too many gas stations near the airport. Since I was arriving to the airport at 6 AM, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to get stuck with a closed gas station.

When I arrived to the airport’s return at about 6:10 AM, I was expecting a roving attendant. It turns out that the Hertz office didn’t open until 7 AM. As a result, there were about thirty cars stacked up in the return bays. I just picked a lane, took some photographs of the condition of the vehicle, and located the key drop box which was adjacent to the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards parking lot rental kiosk.

I usually don’t like using key boxes to return cars as it usually takes forever to get your invoice closed. In this case, I recorded the mileage and gas tank level and placed it in the rental envelope. Fortunately, Hertz Montreal was prepared for the amount of cars. I received my final invoice by email about ninety minutes after I’d dropped it off.

Unfortunately, I had issues getting my Hertz Gold Plus Rewards to credit. As of seven days past the rental, the points haven’t turned up in my account. I sent a Missing Points Request through the hertz website and was informed that it would take up to seven days to look into the matter. Fourteen days have long past and I still haven’t received any credit whatsoever.

My Thoughts on Hertz President’s Circle at Montréal International Airport:

While I’ve previously had high expectations of Hertz President’s Circle Ultimate Choice, I’ve learned to taper those expectations.

While I received a small upgrade, the service was pretty transactional. The car I received was in great condition, but i can’t be bothered having to chase rental car companies for loyalty points. The whole purpose of loyalty is to make those transactions easier; when I have to chase them, it leaves a negative feeling in my emotions.

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If you have visited Hertz Montreal, did you get assigned a reasonable vehicle that met your expectations ?

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