Compact cars popular rental

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Car Rental News - 29/05/2008

 

Fuel costs have made compact cars the preferred rental

One of the most popular ways to travel today is by renting a compact car. Compact cars have become so popular that it is becoming increasingly difficult for rental companies to keep them in stock, even promoting larger vehicles and offering significant discounts on rentals of full-size cars.

Increasing fuel surcharges and rising airline fees mean more travelers are driving instead of flying, enjoying the escape from airport queues to get away stress-free. The shift in travel trends means that drivers who don’t make advance bookings are often left with larger vehicles that guzzle gas and end up costing a fortune.

Enterprise recently offered a 50 per cent discount on weekend rentals at participating locations in America, resulting in an severe shortage of compact cars available for rent.

Budget Rent-A-Car has noticed a similar trend. The manager of the company’s central reservations centre in Los Angeles, Abraham Rodriquez, said that many locations are having trouble keeping up with the demand for compact cars. “We’re bringing in more small cars,” he said.

Last week, National Car Rental tried to encourage drivers to rent midsize and full-size cars by introducing last-minute specials for rentals from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Large sized vehicles are available from $19 and $20 a day, compared to $27 a day for the economy sized car.

Particularly this summer on peak travel days, drivers are advised to book early to secure good rates for small cars and avoid paying for big gas tanks.

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