by Gary Leff on April 25, 2026
News and notes from around the interweb:

• Hertz seems to have a problem selling too many car reservations for the number of cars they actually have. I’ve shown up myself and found no cars (in fairness, I’ve had that this year with Avis also). Here’s the line in Reno, with no cars.

  

  And here’s a $25 credit to a top elite customer after they complained about having to wait 2 hours for a rental upon arrival at midnight.

  

  Here’s a line for a top elite at Dallas – Fort Worth as well. But no one got arrested, so progress.

  

• TIL LAX is hemmed in by the Endangered Species Act

  At one point, LAX planned to expand the airport right into the coastal dunes. Potential plans included expanding the airport’s runways and adding a golf course at the north ends of the dunes. That changed in the 1970s, when the El Segundo blue butterfly was found for the first time on the so-called “LAX Dunes.” The Endangered Species Act was passed just a few years later, and the butterfly was named as one of the original endangered species protected by the law. Los Angeles World Airport’s natural resources team has spent much of the years since then working on a recovery plan for the butterfly, which includes a restoration area spanning more than half of the former Surfridge footprint.

• Aman will open Amansanu, in Texas Hill Country less than 90 minutes from Austin.

• The pre-2018 Richard Tyler uniforms are still better than what we’ve seen since.

  Take a Tour of Delta’s New Uniforms
  by
  u/CactusBoyScout in
  delta

• Maybe birth tourism is actually good – in that it screens for the right people – as long as it’s not too easy to do .

  Re: birth tourism: these are parents sufficiently conscientious that they go to great inconvenience to secure an advantage for their unborn child 18 years in the future. This sort of low-discount-rate parent is likely to produce a child who is a large net positive for America.

  — Alex Godofsky (@AlexGodofsky) April 1, 2026

• We absolutely do know that Waymos are safer than human drivers

  

And here’s a $25 credit to a top elite customer after they complained about having to wait 2 hours for a rental upon arrival at midnight.

Here’s a line for a top elite at Dallas – Fort Worth as well. But no one got arrested, so progress.

We absolutely do know that Waymos are safer than human drivers

9 Comments
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel – a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the “World’s Top Travel Experts” by Conde’ Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
More articles by Gary Leff »
Birth tourism good? Sure, for the family and not for the American people. The parents are dishonest, manipulative and self-serving.
Not gonna ‘yuck’ anyone’s ‘yum,’ but… if you’re one of Hertz ‘best customers’… then, dawg, you a masochist.
Hertz HNL is also a repeat offender for not having cars when you arrive. President’s club offers no advantage either.
I waited 55 minutes in the counter line of 15 customers at BNA a few weeks ago. It was clear they had few or no cars. When I reached the counter I was granted the privilege of upgrading from my pre-reserved midsize SUV to a full size—at a reduced rate of $40/day instead of the normal $100/day. I got a “we can’t do that” when I suggested they waive the upgrade fee. Because I needed to get moving I just said okay. When walking to the car lot, the counter line had grown to 62 customers. I mentioned to the folks at the end of the line they may be waiting several hours. They were not very happy! I was assigned Hertz by Hotwire. That won’t happen again.
And before they turn you away with no car, they charge you for that scratch their system detected on the car you didn’t get. So glad none of my travels require car rental.
Not sure why anyone would use Hertz at this point
Had this occur now twice in 2026. Presidents Circle empty, line standing around for any car.
I rent cars all the time and you would be surprised how often this happens.
I’m Hertz PC (via IHG and VX) and gave up renting from them years ago. Never had a single rental with some kind of problem (no available cars when i arrive, getting charged bogus fees, neighborhood locations being closed when i arrive at my reservation time), and they were always exacerbated by their atrocious customer service. Status means nothing to them. I’m perplexed how they still have customers.
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Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel — a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the “World’s Top Travel Experts” by Conde’ Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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