In the year through November 2014 I had rented cars 24 times with Europcar. I don’t have the exact figure for the last 4 years but it must have exceeded ~60 times.
A few days ago I received the email below from Europcar Loyalty Programs announcing me that I had been granted the Privilege Elite VIP card (the highest in the scale, see below).
Europcar’s email with the news of being granted the Privilege Elite VIP card.
See below the different cards in the Loyalty Program:
Europcar’s fidelity program cards.
See my response to that offer:
My response to Europcar’s email.
I am pretty sure this letter will not trigger any change in Europcar’s commercial policy. But I wanted to show them how much I value their commercial policy.
Side note: since November I moved houses. I have not cared about notifying Europcar about the change. That card will be lost somewhere. I don’t care. That is my fidelity and loyalty to Europcar.
On the other hand, I am also fairly sure that at some point Sixt will charge me a similar stupid concept, I will then move to another company, no problem.
The Blog by Javier 
Well, unusually, today the same company that you work for booked me with Sixt at Barajas instead of the usual Europcar. And these days that company makes me pay and claim it back in my fees. Fine, bt I told Sixt that in that case I wanted to pay to remove the excess – like I do at Europcar. Sixt’s response – “no, you can’t do that on your rate.” “But I’m happy to pay to do it – otherwise I’m going to have to pay myself if I have a bump.” “No!” “But….” “No.”
And then…”would you like to add GPS, child seat, extra driver….”. “But you just said I can’t change the booking.” “This is different.”
So basically I slightly like Europcar at the moment. But in fact I hate all car rental companies, and mobile phone companies, and anyone else with business models based on screwing the customer.
Hello Kieran,
that’s hilarious. I have been in Barajas, too, yesterday and today. On Monday morning, when picking the car at Sixt at about 8:20 I was indeed offered the extra insurance coverage… which I understand is what you were denied! I guess we were made the same kind of booking by the same people… indecipherable.
Are you based in London, Madrid or TLS? We could have lunch one day you are around TLS.
Javier, regarding insurance, in case you do not know it, the trick for comprehensive excess free insurance is not to pay the renting company insurance which is very profitable for them but subscribe separately an insurance online (there are several companies offering insuring rented cars) that will cost you much less. This is what I did last time I was over in Spain and I made sure the insurance covered travelling between Spain and France
Javier, I live in London but with a desk in Barajas, visiting at least every second week, sometimes more. Lunch would be great – dinner even better in view of the, ahem, limited options at Barajas. I guess you don’t come so often – drop me a line if you are here anytime.