With different rewards for different types of travelers, the Budget rewards system is a bit of an atypical loyalty program.
Even with the rise of ride hailing, car rental companies, like Budget Rent a Car, remain a staple of business trip itineraries. From hauling presentation gear to events to simply getting around your work travel destination, car rentals won’t be disappearing anytime soon. For frequent renters, you may benefit from one of the many Budget rewards options.
Budget offers a basic loyalty membership known as Fastbreak, a business-tailored program, and a network of international partnerships. Let this article serve as your guide to Budget rewards.
Budget Fastbreak
First up in Budget rewards is Fastbreak, their loyalty program built for all travelers. In short, anyone that experiences déjà vu every time they wait in line at the Budget counter will benefit from a Fastbreak membership. Perks include:
- Expedited service on vehicle pickup and return
- Special savings offers
- Budget Bucks
Budget Bucks are sort of like the Budget version of a traditional points system. More bookings earn more rewards to be redeemed on future spending. However, whereas other loyalty programs allow you to cash in points on partner purchases, like at hotels or airlines, Budget Bucks are only for Budget.
That doesn’t mean the car rental service doesn’t have friends in the travel industry. Stay tuned for more info on partner rewards.
Budget Business Program
For road warriors, Budget offers a work traveler-exclusive business program. Geared towards big corporations and small companies alike, a business membership includes:
- Complimentary Fastbreak membership
- A percentage off rental rates
- The chance to earn rewards on rental days
- The ability to apply for a Budget credit card
If your company requires a considerable amount of ground transport on business excursions, the Budget Business Program is recommended over a simple Fastbreak membership. Saving time at the counter is great, but saving money on your rentals is even better – Budget business expands opportunities to conserve dollars through exclusive discounts and rewards.
If you need it, the option to get a Budget credit card exists for members of the business program. It’ll make expense tracking easier, and you can get cards for multiple team members.
Budget Partners
We promised more intel on Budget partners, and it’s time to deliver. If you’re a member of a partnered brand’s loyalty program, you can use your Budget rentals to acquire points. A sample of the hotels and airlines that work with Budget are:
- Hilton
- Wyndham Resorts
- American Airlines
- Alaska
- Delta
- Emirates
- United
- Air New Zealand
Each partnership operates a bit differently, with hotel points or frequent flyer miles earned on the amount of rental days, dollars spent, or individual bookings with Budget. You can explore more airlines and hotels plus the specifics on each partnership on Budget’s international site.
Flying with select airlines may also earn you a discount on a Budget rental. If you happen to be on a flight with one of the below, save your boarding pass for when you pickup your vehicle:
- Adria
- Pegasus
- Jazeera
- Air Austral
In this day and age, car rentals may not be for all work travelers, but they are necessary for certain types of trips. If car rentals appear on your expense reports multiple times a year, it’s worth it to enroll in a loyalty system like the Budget rewards memberships or their partnered programs.
Business Travel Life
Business Travel Life is an online resource supporting the road warrior lifestyle. We give business travelers the tools they need to maintain their wellness and productivity when traveling. The topics we cover include business travel tips, travel workouts, healthy travel hacks, travel products, general travel tips, and industry trends. Our goal is to make business travel a healthier experience – and to make healthy travel practices more accessible to all road warriors.
