How One AAA Member Made Traveling with a Toddler a Little Less Stressful with Hertz Gold+

Article overview

Hertz Gold+ status with your AAA Membership offers: No long waits and no surprise charges

• A better way to rent a car: Long waits and surprise charges are in the past

• An easy pickup experience: How Hertz Gold+ allowed this family to skip long lines and choose their car quickly.

• A streamlined return process: Dropping off the car was just as simple, with no need to wait or talk to anyone.

• The AAA advantage: How all AAA Members can access exclusive Hertz benefits, including discounts, waived fees and a free child safety seat. 

If there’s one thing Kristen Brown has learned traveling with her 2.5-year-old in tow, it’s that “you just never know what you’re going to get.” After having flown the previous year and experiencing traveling with a young child, Kristen, her husband, and their toddler set off on a family vacation from Detroit to Orlando.

In addition to making memories in Orlando, they hoped to arrive there without a meltdown from their toddler. Thankfully, Kristen, a AAA Member, was well aware of the exclusive AAA Member Benefits with Hertz rental cars. 

Read on for the informative story of how Kristen benefited from her AAA Membership, enjoying a smooth, stress-free rental car experience that set the tone for the whole trip.

A better way to rent a car

Kristen knew that renting a car was the best way to explore Orlando, but she was hesitant due to past hassles. She recalled previous trips where she was overcharged, stuck in long lines and found the check-in and check-out processes frustrating. This time, she wanted a different, smoother experience.

“When you're traveling, any sort of extra time spent in a line or having to deal with customer service is just not fun. I joined the Hertz Gold+ loyalty program for free with my AAA Member benefits and found it was a much better experience than previous companies I've dealt with.” 

Kristen “assumed the worst” traveling with her 2.5-year-old, and while the flight went well, he got a little upset during the landing. At that point, Kristen recounts, “we were just hoping to land, get out of the airport and get to our hotel as soon as we could. That's when I had the really great experience with my Hertz rental using the Hertz Gold+ program perks.”

The easiest pick up with Hertz

With their active toddler in tow, “we didn't want to have to wait in lines.” Once the family arrived at Orlando Airport’s rental car counters, they walked past the lines at all the other car rental companies, which were 10 to 12 people long. I couldn't have imagined having to wait in those lines with a young toddler who doesn't necessarily want to stand in line while we're traveling.

From there, Kristen shares the fun their son had helping choose the car the family would drive for their vacation, noting that he really enjoyed picking it out himself. He loves cars and trucks and picked a white vehicle because it was like their car at home. “The keys were already in the car, and we loaded our luggage and were able to get moving.”

They followed the exit signs to leave the parking garage, and a Hertz employee was positioned there to help with confirming the reservation prior to leaving the lot with the vehicle. Kristen says, “It was just a matter of — here's my license, and the Hertz employee said ‘You're good to go!’ And that was it!” In recounting how surprised she was at the ease, she asked the Hertz employee, “Oh, that's it? You don't need me to do anything else?!” And they replied with a smile, “Nope, you're good to go!”

Hertz benefits for AAA Members

Kristen had taken advantage of her AAA Membership by joining Hertz Gold+ for free and delights in the moment that it all ‘clicked’ for her. She had just arrived at the hotel on that first day in Orlando, after getting through the airport and picking up the car, and she looked at her husband in disbelief, having made it through the trip with ease, and said, “That went way better than I thought it would. Wow, we did it!”

The Hertz Gold+ streamlined return process

The return process was just as easy for Kristen and her family. “When our Orlando visit was over, we got to the airport, dropped off the car and I literally didn't have to talk to anybody or do anything. We just walked away, went through security and didn't think about the car after we left it in the lot.” Kristen reveled in the ease and simplicity of the process, “especially traveling with a toddler.”

Thrilled with the ease and convenience of her Hertz Gold+ experience, Kristen reflects, “happy toddler, happy parents, happy trip!” 

The AAA advantage

AAA Members can access the same ease and convenience Kristen benefited with their exclusive AAA Member benefits, including joining Hertz Gold+ for free and other stackable savings through the Hertz partnership.

Save big when booking through AAA, with exclusive AAA Member perks that include discounts up to 20-25% off base rates, waived young renter fees (ages 20-24), free additional drivers, a free child safety seat and so much more to help you vacation with ease!