Free Car for a Week in Germany, Austria

Lufthansa is offering a free Avis rental car for one week to passengers who fly round trip from the United States to Germany or Austria.

The offer is good until March 31. For example, flights leaving from LAX can be Sunday through Thursday, but not Friday or Saturday. Return flights from Europe can be any day.

To qualify, two people have to fly together. No “special saver” fares are valid, though passengers can still qualify for the car when buying advance-purchase tickets.

The car reservation, which is done through Lufthansa, must be made at least two weeks prior to departure.

Rental cars can be picked up at the airports in Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna and 15 other German and Austrian cities. The carrier gives passengers a car coupon to present at the Avis counter. People also have to show their Lufthansa tickets.

The offer includes unlimited mileage and the value-added tax (VAT) in both Germany and Austria. Also, there is no drop-off charge for returning the car to a different Avis station than where it was picked up--as long as it’s in the same country.