Alamo car rental discount coupon

MINNEAPOLIS - Target has gone national with its new Target Travel Club, posting it on its Web site and mounting a nationwide marketing effort.

The move follows a seven-month test that began in February in 75 stores in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

The club charges an annual fee of $29.95, which is promoted as being less than half the standard membership fee similar clubs charge.

Key benefits offered are:

* 50% off rooms at 2,100 participating hotels, motels and resorts;

* 25% off meals at participating restaurants;

* 5% rebate for every $100 spent booking travel arrangements through its travel agency, Travel Inc., Atlanta;

* A book of coupons worth $39 off selected Target store products ranging from toothpaste to popcorn;

* Road trip routing service, such as AAA offers, including a list of participating hotels and Target stores along the way;

* A monthly partnership offer, such as a $15 coupon for renting an Avis compact or van for at least three days in October.

For airline fares and rental car rates, however, the Target Travel Club offers no discounts. It offers only the best available rates that members could book on their own.

To promote Target's private label credit card, the Travel Club also allows members to credit 1% of their spending to help a school of their choice.

To promote the club, Target posted application blanks and advertisements in the 75 test stores. But in order to join and order travel services, customers must call a toll-free number, (800) 794-9879, which operates 24 hours per day to answer member questions.

The Target Web site only lists membership advantages and the toll-free number for joining, providing no means of interacting with the travel club, such as booking reservations on line or sending e-mail.

Participating Travel Club partners include: Alamo, Avis, Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruise Line, Superclubs, Hyatt Vacations, Delta Vacations, Best Western Hotels, Bush Entertainment and Colonial Williamsburg.

To prepare for its national launch, Target engaged the telemarketing services of Melse Marketing, Orlando, Fla. Since July, Melse has signed up about 500 members. The number of members Target landed during its Western test remains undetermined.

Travel Inc., holds the master travel agency contract with Target and has subcontracted with regional travel agencies around the country. National marketing efforts will include advertising in consumer magazines, such as Women's World.

Target also is promoting the concept of giving travel services as gifts.