United Airlines axes partnership with Hertz, ends free status match
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
United's MileagePlus loyalty program is losing its set of wheels.
The airline is cutting its partnership with Hertz on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021, taking away one benefit of earning Premier elite status with the airline. In a statement confirming the move, a United spokesperson shared that:
"We continue to evaluate and update cardmember benefits and remain committed to providing rewards that add value to the travel experience – while our Hertz status benefit is ending, we're working on adding a new, comparable car rental benefit soon."
United's tie-up with Hertz has historically awarded Premier Platinum and Premier 1K members with a complimentary status match to Hertz's top-tier President's Circle, while Premier Silvers and Premier Golds received mid-tier Five Star status.
Additionally, primary cardholders of United Club Infinite Card and legacy United Presidential Plus Card will no longer enjoy complimentary President's Circle status.
Premier members who've already matched their status will continue to receive the Hertz benefits through Dec. 31, 2022, and no additional action is needed to maintain your status.
Further, United MileagePlus members and Chase cobranded credit card holders used to receive bonus miles if they credited their Hertz rentals to the United loyalty program. This bonus ranged from 500 miles per rental for regular members up to 1,250 miles — valued at $16 according to the latest TPG valuations — for those with Premier Platinum status or higher.
It wasn't immediately clear if this benefit was getting cut, too, but we reached out to United for more details and will update the story when we hear back.
For some United Premier members, losing access to Hertz's top-tier status will certainly sting. You'll no longer receive guaranteed upgrades, accelerated points earning and a wider selection of car choices when you're renting with Hertz.
United is already teasing a new car rental partnership coming soon, though, so it hopefully won't be much longer until the airline reveals the details.
Losing United leaves Hertz with just one major airline partner, Delta. The Atlanta-based carrier continues to offer its Medallion members free status matches to Hertz. Medallion Gold members can match to Five Star status while Platinum and Diamond members can match to top-tier President's Circle status.
To take advantage of this status match, just head to the Hertz page on Delta's website and enter your SkyMiles and Hertz credentials. The match may take a few days to process, but you'll be eligible for the full range of Hertz elite status benefits once it's complete.
Additionally, primary cardholders of The Platinum Card® from American Express can take advantage of a handful of benefits when using a special corporate code found on the Hertz website. Some of these perks include complimentary upgrades, a four-hour grace period on returns and a free additional driver.