WHY IT RATES: Travel agents looking to save clients some money during their next business or leisure trip should look deeper into National’s enhanced One Two Free Promotion.—Donald Wood, Breaking News Senior Writer.

National Car Rental, through its award-winning Emerald Club, is launching its annual One Two Free promotion. The promotion offers registered Emerald Club members one free rental day for every two qualifying rentals.

Each free day covers base rate (time and mileage) only. To help members earn free days faster, this year's promotion offers additional promotional points to members who utilize National's newly updated mobile app to expedite their rental process with Emerald Checkout, which allows renters to scan any vehicle on National's Emerald Aisle, confirm their rental options and accelerate their checkout using a Virtual Pass. The "One Two Free" promotion begins today with an earning period through February 28, 2019, and a redemption period through June 13, 2019.

As a premium brand serving frequent travelers around the world, National has also expanded this year's promotion to include Australia and New Zealand, while adding new promotional bonus point earning opportunities to registered members who become "world travelers" by completing rentals in three different countries.

"Each year, National offers the 'One Two Free' promotion to our Emerald Club members in appreciation of their strong loyalty, so we're excited to expand the program into more of the countries in which we do business," said Rob Connors, vice president of brand marketing for National Car Rental. "And because we recognize that technology is a critical part of the travel experience, this year we're offering more opportunities for customers leveraging National's app to enjoy and experience free rentals faster."

Emerald Club members can register for the promotion at www.emeraldclubpromos.com/12Free2018. Free days earned for qualifying rentals through "One Two Free" are awarded in addition to a member's chosen rewards earnings (frequent traveler miles/points or rental credits).

Each qualifying car rental completed during the "One Two Free" promotion is worth 300 points. A free day is then awarded once a registered Emerald Club member earns 600 points. During the "One Two Free" promotion, bonus points can be earned through other activities, including:

—Using National's mobile app to book rentals while earning unlimited points (75 points per completed rental).

—Completing three qualifying rentals (a one-time bonus of 100 points upon completion of the third rental).

—Completing any five bonus opportunities available through "One Two Free" (one-time bonus of 75 points upon completion of fifth bonus opportunity).

—Purchasing and adding Sirius XM Satellite Radio service to a qualifying rental (one-time bonus of 300 points).

—Renting any size vehicle in Latin America and the Caribbean (one-time bonus of 300 points upon completion of a rental).

—Renting any size vehicle in Europe (one-time bonus of 300 points upon completion of a rental).

—Utilizing the Emerald Reserve service – which accommodates members who require a specific car class, such as a convertible, SUV, minivan, etc. – at participating Emerald Aisle locations in the U.S. and Canada (one-time bonus of 25 points upon completion of a rental).

New this year, Emerald Club members can earn even more bonus points by:

—Completing rentals in three different countries to become a World Traveler (one-time bonus of 300 points).

—Using the Emerald Checkout through the most current version of the National app for rentals at participating locations in the U.S. and Canada (50 bonus points for each use).

New customers can join National's Emerald Club at www.emeraldclubpromos.com/12Free2018 in order to be automatically registered for the promotion. There are no fees to join, and members enjoy expedited service at airports and free upgrades in National's "Emerald Aisle," an exclusive section of the lot where members can select any vehicle as long as they reserve a midsized car. Members can also use the innovative National app as a single point of contact to manage all aspects of the rental experience from reservation to return. Everything from profiles to rewards can be tracked, and at select airport locations, app users can view real-time inventory and hold a specific vehicle while they are on their way to pick it up.

Registered Emerald Club members may track and redeem earned free rental days through "One Two Free" between today and June 13, 2019, by visiting "My Activity" page on the "One Two Free" website by visiting www.emeraldclubpromos.com/12Free2018. No more than three Free Rental Days may be redeemed for each rental reservation. In the spirit of the speed and convenience of the Emerald Club rental experience, the serialized coupon code for the Free Rental Day coupon can be found on "My Activity" page within 48 hours of earning a free day. The Free Rental Day coupon is valid on compact through full-sized vehicles in all promotion regions.

For more information, reach out to your local travel agent.

SOURCE: National Car Rental press release.