Executive Club News • November 2014
The benefit of Zip drives
Garry Thornton
Senior marketing manager, Zipcar
The Executive Club’s new partnership with Zipcar means you can now collect Avios on all bookings. But what are the other benefits of being in a car club? Garry Thornton, Zipcar’s senior marketing manager for the UK, explains it all
What are the advantages of booking a Zipcar?
Our service is based around convenience and flexibility. Zipcars are in city locations and available 24 hours a day. They provide city dwellers with an alternative to owning a vehicle: independent UK research says that each car club vehicle takes around 17 privately owned cars off the road. We’re also more cost-effective.
What benefits are there for Executive Club Members?
You can collect 1,000 Avios when joining Zipcar for the first time, and for every reservation receive 50 extra Avios. Regular promotions will enable you to collect bonus Avios on bookings – so keep a lookout on the Executive Club hub. It’s restricted to our European markets in the UK, Austria, Spain and France at the moment.
How do the flexible rates work?
In the UK, our hourly rates start at £6, charged up to a nine-hour booking. Beyond that, the 24-hour rate kicks in (from £54), which offers even greater value. If you made a booking for 28 hours, then you’d be charged the 24-hour rate plus four hours. In Europe, the hourly rate is from €6-€8, depending on the country.
What if I wanted to hire a car for a week?
In the UK, we have a Monday to Friday rate (£35 a day), and a seven-day rate (£42 a day).
Zipcar’s innovative app makes the hire process flexible and convenient
Do I have to pre-book?
Yes, but you can extend reservations. You can also book as little as two minutes ahead or up to six months ahead. Weekends are busy, so it’s worth booking earlier for those slots – the same applies to Christmas.
How do you access the cars?
You can either unlock it with your Zipcard or use the app. When you’re done with the rental, you leave the keys in the car and use the Zipcard or app to lock it. The vehicles ‘live’ in their own bays, so parking space is guaranteed.
What else can I do with the app?
Make bookings, or even honk the car’s horn if you’re in a car park and can’t find it. The app lets you see exactly which car you’ve booked and will tell you the precise cost.
Is there a fee for joining Zipcar?
The annual fee is £59.50 in the UK, €60 in Austria, €59 in Paris, and €45 in Barcelona. These all include 24/7 roadside assistance and access to our member services team, who can also unlock the vehicle remotely if you’re having problems.
Where can we expect to see Zipcar in the future?
Europe is the big growth area for us. We launched in Paris in September, and have a few other European countries on our radar – so watch this space.
Collect 1,000 Avios when you sign up to Zipcar