Rapid Travel Chai

The Hertz free promo for Club Gold is still active until September 30, and the membership fee is waived until December 15 (register here). 500 points come with registration which can be used for a free weekend day full-size rental, which then gets a one class upgrade.

In some markets this may seem trivial, but in a market like New York it is great value. This past weekend The Rapid Traveler and Mrs used the 500 points for a 1-day rental from Newark (EWR) to head down to Princeton. The Club Gold line was empty and the options with upgrade were either a RAV4 or a Lincoln. Those familiar with New York know Lincolns and their driving habits from car services that complement taxis. Driving one seemed preposterous, and a pain to park, but boy was it fun to see otherwise aggressive Tri-State drivers steer clear of the Carchai Service. Smooth cruisin’. The cost for the day would have been nearly $150 (even about $100 for the cheapest economy car), but with the points the total hit was $8 for some unavoidable taxes plus gas money. And no dealing with NJ Transit.

Carchai Service at Princeton Doubletree

Oh, and Palace of Asia in next door Lawrenceville has superb Indian food in an elegant setting, as confirmed by Consultant-Runner Super Friend. Also a location in Philadelphia.