Car rental rates during the pandemic

[Happy Dude]

It is indeed @MooTime. I booked through Webjet and would not have even known about Enterprise otherwise. If I have a good experience, I'll be looking at them, Alamo and National in the future.

 

[Happy Dude]

I've noticed that rates are coming down and a sense that normality is not far off. I think that once confidence in international travel grows (ie fewer people travel domestically) reasonable rates will return. Until then, look at this cough from Europcar:



To be fair, the others are offering in the $700-$850 range. But even that's too high IMO.

 

[SYD]

I've noticed that rates are coming down and a sense that normality is not far off. I think that once confidence in international travel grows (ie fewer people travel domestically) reasonable rates will return. Until then, look at this cough from Europcar:

View attachment 283544

To be fair, the others are offering in the $700-$850 range. But even that's too high IMO.

Same car and dates and I can see ~$400 from EC using an employee discount rate. Similar quote from Avis on a Corp rate.

I do find EC can throw up some really whacky numbers if not logged in or no offer code/promo number. Almost as if to scare off the occasional renter?

 

[Flashback]

Keep in mind the reason for high prices is nothing to do with people coming back to travel, but the fact that they sold off lots of cars during the pandemic........ and it's difficult to replace due to the chip shortage.

 

[VPS]

A story in the UK times today - I did this in the UK a few years ago when I returned the car a day early of my two weeks and they wanted to charge me more. I convinced them that they didn't but probably helped by the fact I was standing right in front of them and they had stuffed up the booking previously


✉ I booked 14 days’ car hire with Hertz for August. However, British Airways (BA) cancelled my outbound flight and booked me on one a day later. I tried to reduce the car rental by a day, but was told that it would cost an extra £384. I’ve tried to speak to BA to ask for reimbursement, but its call centre has extended waiting times and its Twitter help appears to be a bot. My travel insurance won’t cover me in this situation. I’ve now rebooked, but it seems unfair that I’ve had to pay nearly £400 more through no fault of my own. Any suggestions?
Adele Harvey

Flight cancellations are causing havoc for travellers, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t have any joy from BA even if you could get through to it; in this situation airlines are not responsible for “consequential loss”. Your only hope was some goodwill from Hertz, but it will not budge. “To offer our customers competitive rates and to manage our fleet we have minimum and maximum day rental rates in place,” it said. “This means that the longer a customer rents a vehicle for, the lower the daily rate will be. However, this only applies when customers keep the vehicle for the intended rental length, and this is clearly outlined in our terms and conditions, which are available on our website and by scanning QR codes at our rental locations.” Your only option is to cancel your rental booking, if you can do so without charge, and look for a better deal on your new dates — the UK broker Zest Car Rental is a good place to start (zestcarrental.com).

 

[Happy Dude]

Keep in mind the reason for high prices is nothing to do with people coming back to travel, but the fact that they sold off lots of cars during the pandemic........ and it's difficult to replace due to the chip shortage.

On the basis that I can actually get a car now, I'd say the fleets are being restocked. The speed is indeterminable and yes they're not immune to those forces plaguing the car industry. That's the supply side.

Prices are also responding to demand and I'm speculating that domestic demand might drop as international travel increases leading to a return to prices we've become accustomed to. But, equally, an influx of overseas travellers may fill any gap and keep demand high.

 

[Happy Dude]

Same car and dates and I can see ~$400 from EC using an employee discount rate. Similar quote from Avis on a Corp rate.

I do find EC can throw up some really whacky numbers if not logged in or no offer code/promo number. Almost as if to scare off the occasional renter?

Wow. Care to share how one might obtain such rates? Preferably without a career change

EC are doing a fine job of scaring off renters of any frequency!

 

[Flashback]

Autoslash is worth using. Once you've made your booking, put the details into their booking monitoring service. It saved me $800 on a recent US rental.

 

[theblank]

Rental prices dropping significantly in UK/Ireland for July 2022 in recent weeks. definitely pays to book a free cancel one and keep checking.

Autoslash is worth using. Once you've made your booking, put the details into their booking monitoring service. It saved me $800 on a recent US rental.

my experience is Autoslash dont include the extra cost for 'insurance' CDW etc that we foreigners require in USA, becuase locals are usually covered with their house insurance.

 

[Flashback]

Rental prices dropping significantly in UK/Ireland for July 2022 in recent weeks. definitely pays to book a free cancel one and keep checking.


my experience is Autoslash dont include the extra cost for 'insurance' CDW etc that we foreigners require in USA, becuase locals are usually covered with their house insurance.

I always have a standalone policy anyway so one thing you want to do is exclude insurances.

 

[JohnK]

I've noticed that rates are coming down and a sense that normality is not far off.

And Thailand going the other way.

I was checking 13 day rentals in Chiang Mai for September and Thai Rent a Car had Mitsubishi Xpander under $600.

Now no longer available and most SUVs with most car rental companies close to $1000.

Did find Honda BRV for $540 with QEEQ so grabbed it quick before that goes up too.

 

[theblank]

Kinda on topic.

Sixt at Dublin Aiport ripped me off by added a Euro 16 fee for returning to a different location - but i didnt.

They kind of have 2 rental car locations at the airport, one connected the terminal (across the airbridge above carpark), and another off terminal a KM or 2 away with the usual shuttle bus. All rentals pick up and drop offs are done at the offsite location, and only after hours returns are done at the terminal, and i guess maybe VIPS.

So I drop the car off at the offsite location, exactly where we picked it up. On getting a copy of the invoice after accidentally noticing the wrong amount on the credit card, i see this
Check in: Dublin Airport
Return: Dublin North
Flexi Return fee: Euro 16

So they consider that as i did the check in paperwork at the airport desk, but returned the car to the rental lot, they charge for returning to different location - YET it was the location where i collected the car from.

Every person that hires a car from there would be subject to the same fee, whats the bet that most dont notice, as they dont automatically send a confirmation of the final amount charged. Nice way to bolster the bottom line.

Just another reason to love Car rental companies.

a stern email has been sent.