Primary Rental Coverage Archives - Your Mileage May Vary

Credit Card Review: Chase Sapphire Reserve

While I have many credit cards, the majority of them don’t get used on a regular basis. Occasionally they’ll get pulled out of the drawer when I get a specific bonus offer or if I need to use it to buy airfare so I can get a free checked bag, but there are only a few cards that earn an everyday spot in the wallet.

I recently realized that while this card has stayed in rotation since I’ve had it, I never wrote about all of the benefits the card provides.

I’m speaking of the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Here’s my review of the card that shook up the travel credit card market when it was introduced in 2016 (The card, not my review). You can also check out my articles about how happy I was when I finally got the card or why I decided to keep it past the first year.

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Our Experience Renting From Sixt Rent A Car in San Antonio

We recently returned from a long weekend trip to Texas Hill Country visiting Austin, New Braunfels and San Antonio. While we usually fly into Austin airport, this trip it made more sense for price and schedule to fly into San Antonio. It had been several years since we’d visited and I’m happy to report there have been many positive changes, at least when it comes to renting a car there.

I checked Autoslash and found the best price for our rental to be with Sixt Rent A Car. I was familiar with the company because they have locations in Orlando around Disney World but I had never rented from them before. The main reason for that was their locations were usually off-airport, requiring a shuttle bus to and from the rental car location. The only time I’ll use an off-airport rental is when there are no on site rental locations.

In San Antonio, that’s no longer a problem. Continue reading “Our Experience Renting From Sixt Rent A Car in San Antonio”

Should You Pay For The Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) When Renting A Car?

It’s easy to forget that when you rent a car, you’re “borrowing” a vehicle that costs tens of thousands of dollars from a major corporation. When renting it, you expect the car to be in great condition with no dents, dings or scrapes on it. So what happens when the car is damaged during your rental? Even if it wasn’t your fault, the rental car company is, of course, going to expect you to pay for the repairs. Rental car companies know that fear of getting a large bill for repairs makes you an easy target to purchase the “insurance” they will sell you for just a few dollars a day.

We’ve already written about the excessive charges for gas and the markup on tolls that car rental companies charge. Why would we believe that all of a sudden car rental companies will sell you insurance at a reasonable price? It’s not that the coverages they sell aren’t necessary, because they are. It’s moreso you may already have coverage that makes buying their insurance unnecessary. Knowing what coverage you already have allows you make an informed decision ahead of time. I’ll also share a trick that lets you avoid the hard sell at the counter. But first, what is the car rental company trying to get you to buy?

Most of the information listed below only applies to cars rented in the United States. Rentals in other countries have different rules and restrictions. Please note I’m not an insurance agent nor expert so I suggest reading the policies including, but not limited to the parts about policy limits, deductibles and exclusions.

Continue reading “Should You Pay For The Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) When Renting A Car?”

Credit Card Review: United MileagePlus® Explorer

Most of the co-branded credit cards for airlines will give you benefits just below those of the most frequent flyers. This is one reason why I never feel the need to go for any type of status with airlines. There’s one airline credit card that gives you certain perks but then puts restrictions on those perks that makes them feel like an imposition instead of a courtesy. I still keep this card because having it is better than not having it. Continue reading “Credit Card Review: United MileagePlus® Explorer”