Avis Preferred Plus Benefits: What You Actually Get and What Changes Your Experience

Avis Preferred Plus is a mid-tier status level within the Avis Preferred loyalty program — the free membership program that Avis uses to reward repeat renters. Understanding what this status actually unlocks, and how meaningful those perks are in practice, depends heavily on how and where you rent. Here's a clear breakdown of what Preferred Plus offers and the factors that determine how much value you'll actually extract.

What Is Avis Preferred Plus?

Avis structures its loyalty program in tiers. Avis Preferred is the entry-level membership, available to anyone who signs up for free. Preferred Plus sits in the middle of the tier structure, above base Preferred but below the top-tier Preferred President's Club. Reaching Preferred Plus typically requires meeting a rental or spending threshold within a calendar year.

The tier exists because Avis — like most loyalty programs — rewards frequency. The more you rent, the more the program treats you as a valuable customer, unlocking progressively better service features and perks.

Core Benefits of Avis Preferred Plus Status

Faster Pickup — Skip the Counter

One of the most tangible perks at the Preferred Plus level is expedited pickup. At participating locations, Preferred Plus members can bypass the rental counter entirely and go directly to their assigned vehicle. This matters most at busy airport locations where counter lines can stretch 20–30 minutes during peak travel periods.

The degree to which this works smoothly varies by location size, staffing, and demand — but the infrastructure is built around making the counter experience optional.

Vehicle Upgrades 🚗

Preferred Plus members receive complimentary upgrades when available. In practice, this means if a vehicle class above your reservation isn't occupied and isn't already committed to another reservation, Avis may assign you a better car at your reserved rate.

The key phrase is when available. This is not a guaranteed upgrade on every rental. During high-demand periods — holiday weekends, major events, peak travel seasons — upgrade inventory is thin. During slower periods, upgrades are more common.

Dedicated Customer Service Line

Preferred Plus members typically have access to a dedicated phone line with shorter hold times and agents trained specifically for loyalty members. For travelers who need to modify reservations, handle billing issues, or resolve problems quickly, this is a real operational benefit rather than a marketing checkbox.

Bonus Avis Points

Preferred Plus status usually comes with an accelerated points earning rate compared to base Preferred membership. Points earned through Avis can be redeemed for future rental days, making frequent renters compound their benefits over time.

The value of points depends on how often you rent and what redemption options are available to you at the time.

Guaranteed Car Class

Avis Preferred Plus members generally receive a guaranteed car class — meaning if you reserve a specific category, that class will be available even if your exact vehicle isn't. This is a meaningful protection against the frustrating experience of arriving at a location and being told your reserved class is sold out.

What Determines How Valuable These Benefits Are to You?

Not every Preferred Plus member gets the same experience. Several variables shape the practical value of the status:

Booking directly through Avis — rather than through a travel aggregator or third-party platform — is generally required to receive the full benefit stack. Third-party bookings often exclude loyalty perks entirely, even for high-status members.

How Preferred Plus Compares Within the Tier Structure

Base Preferred gives you the expedited pickup at many locations and basic point earning, but no guaranteed upgrade or dedicated support access.

Preferred Plus adds the upgrade eligibility, faster customer service access, and bonus point multipliers.

Preferred President's Club — the top tier — typically adds guaranteed upgrades (not just when available), the widest vehicle selection, and the highest point multipliers.

The jump from base Preferred to Preferred Plus is meaningful primarily for travelers who rent frequently enough to care about upgrade availability and customer service speed. For occasional renters — a trip or two per year — the practical difference may be small.

The Role of How You Pay

If you're renting with a travel rewards credit card, the benefits can stack 🧳. Many travel cards offer their own rental perks — primary or secondary collision damage waiver, bonus points on car rental purchases, or status matches with rental programs. Whether your card's rental benefits layer on top of Avis Preferred Plus perks or replace some of them depends on your specific card's terms.

Some premium travel cards also offer complimentary Avis Preferred Plus status (or even President's Club status) as a built-in cardholder benefit — which changes the calculus entirely if you're evaluating whether the status is worth pursuing independently.

The Gap That Matters

What Avis Preferred Plus delivers in the abstract is well-defined. What it delivers to you depends on how often you rent, where you rent, how you book, and what other benefits you're already carrying through a travel credit card.

A road warrior renting 15+ times a year through airport locations will find these benefits compound into real savings and friction reduction. An occasional leisure traveler renting twice a year may find the status feels largely symbolic. And someone carrying a premium travel card may already have status extended to them without any additional pursuit required.

The program's value isn't one-size-fits-all — your rental habits and existing credit card benefits are the variables that determine where on that spectrum your actual experience lands. ✈️