Had to visit LEX for business and always use National Car Rental, so obviously I came in to get my…read morecar upon landing. This is a smaller airport, so you have to get your keys from a counter, not from the Emerald Isle. The young girl working here was very helpful and friendly, I told her I needed a larger SUV since I needed to carry lots of coworkers and she gave me an Expedition. The vehicle was nicely taken care of and in great working order. Checking back in was quick and normal as the other locations, as all I needed to do was leave it in line with all other vehicles being returned and walk away! Another nice National Car Rental experience!

First, back in July, I rented a Volkswagen Jetta that, when left to bake in the sun, produced a…read moreloud odor of marijuana; the customer wasn't too thrilled and wanted an exchange because the vehicle gave a headache due to the overwhelming odor. Plus, the customer heard a loud noise while we drove, which we discovered was caused by a piece of plastic under the engine dragging along the highway. Since I'm Deaf, I had no idea that it had been like that since leaving Lexington. He said it is called an engine shield that protects the engine compartment from road objects that could cause damage. Whoever serviced it didn't reinstall the screws to hold it securely. I ended up driving from Toledo to Detroit Airport to exchange it for a Hyundai Palisade. They discovered joints under the front passenger seat of the Jetta. What irritated me is that Marijuana is still illegal in several states, so I'm lucky that i wasn't pulled over for another reason. Upon my return with the Hyundai, the staff member for National who was checking in cars apologized when i mentioned it to him as to why i was returning a Hyundai when i rented a Volkswagen. Next, National at Bluegrass Airport is still my preferred car rental location because most vehicles are clean and have no noticeable damage. Still, it is vastly different from National Rental at other airports like Detroit, San Diego, and others. For example, at the above-mentioned airports, if you're with the Emerald Club and an executive membership, you go to the assemblage of vehicles under the Emerald Aisle on the left and the Executive area on the right, and you can select what you want to drive. However, National Car Rental at Bluegrass Airport has a limited selection, and you can't walk to the designated Emerald Aisle to select anything; you must go to the front desk because the rental area where the vehicles are held is not secure, meaning there is no gated area like at the other airports mentioned above. For my level, which is Executive level, it's supposed to be, "Choose any car (Full-size and above) in the Executive Area and only pay the reserved Midsize rate," yet again, there is no designated area. You have to go to the desk first; oftentimes, I'm stuck with a mid-size vehicle because everything is out at this location. I've even been told, "But we have you listed for a mid-size," "We only have a Honda Civic or a Kia K4," or "I guess we can give you an upgrade." Well, you're not giving me anything, but a weird guilt trip. Kia is perhaps the best person to deal with at the location. With her, I've had everything from a Genesis GV80, GV70, Mercedes CL, BMW X3, Jeep Wagoneer, Jeep Renegade, and recently a Honda Ridgeline, yet I had one staff member who wanted to charge me an extra $50 for a Mitsubishi Outlander. I've indeed rented all sizes of vehicles and often, but it would be nice to know that if i needed a full-size or large vehicle, it would be available to me; besides, what's the point of being an executive or executive elite if i can't use that option? Most recently, I used the app to rent at Bluegrass Airport and selected a full-size vehicle; however, they only had the compact K4 and Civic, so I canceled and drove my personal vehicle. Work can reimburse me for mileage.