Background:

My friend and I wanted to rent a car for the day after the completion of my cruise so I could go around the city before my nighttime JetBlue flight. I rented from National Car Rental as my AMEX Platinum Card grants me National Executive Status. You can also gain up to Executive Elite status via a status match program utilizing your hotel status.

As an Executive or Executive Elite, you get Executive Area Access where you can choose any car (Fullsize and above) in the Executive Area as long as you book a mid-size (in the US and Canada). I wrote about being under 25 and not being allowed to rent from the Executive Aisle, but now that I am 25, I don’t have to worry about that anymore. One perk of getting older, I suppose!

National Car Rental Fort Lauderdale:

Once you arrive at the Car Rental Center in Fort Lauderdale, Emerald Club members can proceed straight to the lot and they do not need to check in with a representative. Emerald Club members can proceed to choose a car from the Emerald Aisle, while Executive and Executive Elite members can choose a car from the Executive Area. We arrived around 10am on a Monday morning.

National Car Rental Executive Area:

On my last rental at Newark (EWR), the Executive Area wasn’t anything special, with mostly just large trucks and full-sized vehicles.

But at Fort Lauderdale (FLL), there was actually quite a nice selection. We first passed by a Mustang.

National Car Rental Executive

Fort Lauderdale Executive Area: Mustang

Then there was a large assortment of Full Sized SUVs, as well as Minivans. There was a Cadillac which was tempting. Additionally, I spotted an Alfa Romeo Stelvio, but someone had already snagged it. I really wanted to try out that car!

National Car Rental Executive

Fort Lauderdale Executive Area

As I was searching, an attendant was pulling up to park a luxury midsize SUV, the BMW X3. Keys were in the car, so we quickly snatched that, and off we went to the exit!

National Car Rental Executive

BMW X3

The BMW X3:

I’m quite familiar with the car as a family member has it, but this one was a new model with only 1,500 miles on it which was nice. Certainly, a nice car to cruise around the city with for a day! And, a nice substantial upgrade from booking a mid-size car. The only thing that I could nitpick on is that it would have been nice if the outside of the car was cleaner.

The Verdict:

Overall, National Car Rental Executive Aisle at Fort Lauderdale (FLL) had a good selection. We had a great time with the new BMW X3, and hopefully next time I can try out that Alfa Romeo!

 

Have you rented from the National Car Rental Executive Area before? What car did you get? Comment below!

 

Cheers,

Ty

Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!