Sixt Australia car hire offers status match, Velocity points
The German giant puts pedal to the metal in Australia and is eager to make tracks on its competition.
By Matt Lennon, March 17 2022
Car hire colossus Sixt is a familiar sight at airports and on the roads in Europe, the UK and the Americas, and now it’s joined forces with the NRMA to launch in Australia.
To help gain traction in a market crowded with established car rental firms, Sixt is offering a status match against rivals Avis, Europcar, Enterprise and Hertz, as well as becoming Virgin Australia’s latest partner for earning Velocity Points behind the wheel.
The group is also betting big on EVs, with the Tesla Model 3 and MG ZS compact SUV headlining its 16,000-strong fleet.
Sixt Australia is also considering a local rollout of its Sixt+ subscription model, where frequent drivers effectively rent a car for 30 days at a flat rate.
It’s a lot to take in, so here’s the rundown on Sixt Australia.
In this article:
Sixt Australia is the NRMA’s new car rental partner
Sixt catapulted into Australia as the new operator of the automobile club’s car rental arm, replacing longstanding partner Thrifty.
This immediately gave Sixt an estimated 13% share of the car hire market, with 160 locations for its nation-wide fleet of 16,000 vehicles ranging from cars to vans and trucks.
That includes over 130 electric vehicles available at airport and city depots in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane Perth, Canberra and coming soon to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, backed by around 3,000 public EV charging stations across Australia.
“We’ve seen great traction for electric vehicles across corporate and retail customers,” Sixt Australia Managing Director, Matthew Beattie, tells Executive Traveller.
Sixt Advantage Circle loyalty program
The Sixt Advantage Circle rewards program is free to join, with every member starting at the basic and substantially benefit-free Express tier.
Progression to the higher tiers is quite easy.
Sixt Advantage Circle Gold status is yours after only three rentals, unlocking rewards such as a 10% discount, free additional drivers and other “exclusive offers”.
Sixt Advantage Circle Platinum status requires a total of ten rentals and delivers a sweet spot of practical perks such as free vehicle upgrades, more substantial discounts, VIP parking spaces to returning your vehicle and a dedicated Platinum service counter.
Sixt Advantage Circle Diamond is an invitation-only tier, but at this top rung of the loyalty ladder you’ll enjoy a guaranteed upgrade to the next category of vehicle a 20% discount on rentals and priority phone reservations.
Sixt Australia’s Advantage Circle status match
Your status with the loyalty programs of any of Sixt’s rivals is your ticket to a status match with Sixt Advantage Circle.
Sixt Advantage Circle Gold status will be matched against
- Avis Preferred
- Europcar Privilege Club
- Enterprise Plus Gold
- Hertz Gold Rewards
Sixt Advantage Circle Platinum status will be matched against
- Avis President’s Club
- Europcar Privilege Elite, Executive or VIP
- Enterprise Plus Platinum
- Hertz Five Star or Hertz President
It’s worth noting that Velocity Gold and Platinum members automatically receive Hertz Five Star or Europcar Privilege Executive status, which in turn can be your fast-track to Gold or Platinum status with Sixt Australia.
Click through to the Sixt Australia website to apply for your online status match to Advantage Circle Gold or Platinum – however, at the time of writing the Sixt status match for Australia has not been activated and is restricted only to members within the UK and the USA.
Earn Velocity Points with Sixt Australia
Six Australia has joined Virgin Australia’s roster of hire car partners through which you can earn Velocity Points for every dollar ‘of eligible spend’ on your Sixt rental.
How many points you earn depends on your Velocity status:
- Velocity Red members earn 3 points per $1
- Velocity Silver members earn 4.5 points per $1
- Velocity Gold members earn 5.25 points per $1
- Velocity Platinum members earn 6 points per $1
The Sixt+ subscription model
Sixt Australia boss Matthew Beattie tells Executive Traveller the company’s Sixt+ car subscription program is being evaluated for introduction in Australia, potentially this year.
Sixt+ is aimed at longer-term renters who need more flexibility than short-term ‘by the day’ car hire provides.
A flat monthly payment covers 30 days rental of a single vehicle, inclusive of registration, comprehensive insurance, servicing and repair, with the option to swap your car up to once a month.
Beattie also hinted at Sixt Australia joining forces with a rideshare operator such as Uber, Didi or Ola to add ride-sharing capabilities within the all-encompassing Sixt smartphone app.
07 Mar 2022
Total posts 65
I got a status match last month, now they offer VA points which is some benefit to consider as well, Sixt has taken over from Thrifty Car Rentals with NRMA.
Downside is due to covid the rental prices are all over the place from different companies and most aren't taking my AMEX Metal until you turn up to the counter. Currently you can't pick one car rental supplier for a 12 month period just like trying to stay loyal to one airline, it's impossible.
07 Mar 2022
Total posts 65
If you have any questions we will always be happy to help.
18 Jul 2018
Total posts 36
Don't think they are ready yet? If you go through the status match system it only allows country of residence US or GB.
Also VA doesn't show in the loyalty program partners yet for me; only VA Atlantic.
I've reach out to them already so if they reply they'll have my first booking in May; keen to give them a go.
11 Sep 2015
Total posts 225
The Velocity website link in the article works for me, details the Sixt Australia points earning.
Status match: yes, looks like somebody at Sixt Australia forgot to add AU to the list of eligible countries!
07 Mar 2022
Total posts 65
@Oliver_adl
Try this email address ( [email protected] ), send a copy of Europcar card, Hertz card, Qatar platinum etc.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
18 May 2016
Total posts 7
Always good to have a new player and keen to earn Velocity points there, but I'll be cautious with Sixt. In 2018 I hired a Mercedes A180 (small hatch) from Sixt in Norway and was hit with the full excess of 10000kroner (Au$1800) for a few extra scratches on one of the wheels.
Fortunately I had travel insurance, but you can imagine the fight I had to try to get Sixt be reasonable with their charges (they wouldn't) and with the travel insurer to pay up the unreasonable charge (they eventually did after 4 months and a LOT of "encouragement" from me that I would hold them to their contract conditions or go public if they didn't).
I found out after the event that that this is standard practise for some hire companies to take the full excess even with the most minor of damage. Punishing clients who don't pay for their exorbitant daily insurance I suppose. It will be interesting to see the extent of this kind of behaviour in the post-Covid period where hire cars are fewer and more expensive.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Feb 2011
Total posts 3
the status match system it only allows country of residence US or GB.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2561
Just a note on the Sixt Advantage Circle status match: as noted in the article, despite this status match being promoted on the Sixt Australia website the status match is currently restricted to members within the UK and the USA (based on a non-localised version of the relevant web page). We're told Sixt is now working to rectify this ASAP :)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Oct 2018
Total posts 1
Great post, thank you! I was a loyal Thrifty Blue Chip member for 15 years and had no idea about the changeover until when booking Thrifty took me to Hertz. So have used SIXT 3 times this month now on my interstate business trips and so far so good, they just need to get their version of Blue Chip up and running ASAP to save time when picking up. Prices seem reasonable and the MG vehicles drove way above my expectations. The EV MG is the perfect tool for business day trippers or overnighters (max), just enough range and no need to fill up on petrol! Highly recommended.
21 Mar 2022
Total posts 4
Priced 5 day hire Thursday to Tuesday Melbourne and it was more than double Hertz rates I get thru partnership program.
$853 MG small SUV and no express pickup compared to $394 Nissan X Trail with a $ rebate back to me on top.
07 Jan 2011
Total posts 53
What's the partnership program?
21 Mar 2022
Total posts 4
Suprisingly Amway has partnership deals with Hertz that are really valuable . Also serious savings with Huddle Car and Home Insurance (Real) and GoLoans Home loans and car finance. LIterally save me thousands a year
15 Dec 2017
Total posts 10
Tried to book for an upcoming trip to Gold Coast but realised that their airport pick-up counter closes at 4pm. There are multiple flights arriving after 4pm. I wonder if they are really only interested in corporate travel and not leisure.
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