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Customers complain as car rental firms cut back

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:25:21 +0100

U.S. car rental companies have been hit from all sides by the weak economy, and road warriors are feeling the impact when they pick up their vehicles.

Instead of getting a vehicle with low mileage and that intoxicating new-car smell, even frequent renters are being assigned older, road-weary cars.

"Once a month I'll get a car that has more than 20,000 miles on it," said Dan Hemmati, a management consultant from Washington, who rents a car every week. "Some of these cars are in really poor condition - stains on the upholstery, or the 'check engine' light is on. Even if you go in and try to switch, they'll tell you that's the best car they've got."

Executives at the car hire companies acknowledge their aging fleets, saying they face an unprecedented set of challenges: declining demand, tight credit markets that make it difficult to buy new cars, and a depressed market for used cars.

"The used-car market is so weak it would've been cost-prohibitive for us to sell into that market," said Richard Broome, a spokesman for Hertz, which on Tuesday reported a fourth-quarter loss as sales fell 16 percent.

Hertz and its competitors have been responding to the downturn by reducing the size of their fleets and cutting jobs. They have also been negotiating deals with a greater number of automakers, pursuing new opportunities like the car-sharing business model used by Zipcar, and holding on to vehicles longer. Hertz, for instance, now keeps cars in service for 20 months instead of 16.

"You really feel it in the performance of the car," said Jeremy Coyle, a payroll consultant from Hoboken, New Jersey, who recently rented a Chevrolet Impala that shuddered at 60 miles an hour.

Chris Brown, executive editor of the trade publication Auto Rental News, said that companies used to sell vehicles before they'd been driven 20,000 miles but are now keeping them up to 30,000 or even 40,000 miles.

"The industry in general is going through some contraction pains," Brown said, citing staff cuts and stricter enforcement of policies like return times as two other changes that have affected the rental experience.

A JD. Power & Associates survey of customer satisfaction with the car rental experience, released in November, found the average score declined for the second straight year after gradually increasing since 2003.

That survey was conducted before an industrywide round of layoff announcements in the past few months: 2,200 positions eliminated at the Avis Budget Group, 4,000 at Hertz, 400 at the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group and 2,000 at Enterprise, a privately held company that also owns National and Alamo.

"For Enterprise to lay off people is very, very exceptional, while the other companies have traditionally done it over the years," said Neil Abrams, president of the Abrams Consulting Group, which advises car rental companies.

Abrams said the industry had been responding to the most difficult downturn he had seen in 33 years. He estimated that demand for rental cars was down 10 percent to 15 percent from a year ago, while the industry had reduced the size of its fleet by more than 15 percent. Yet he said companies still managed to raise rates. In his weekly survey of midsize car rental rates at 10 major U.S. airports, the average rate in late January was $78.58 a day, compared with $59.76 a year ago.

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Rent a car at Lisbon airport

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:41:23 +0200

The city of Lisbon is known for its charisma. Its warm climate and atmosphere offer the best conditions to discover the city. Right next to the river Tagus you find the Torre de Belem, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The other emblematic monument is the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
The well-known Fado is the traditional music of Lisbon. Fado is the noblest and authentic product of the Portuguese folk culture. Only half an hour from Lisbon is the Costa da Caparica, the longest sand beach in Europe. The 30 km long beaches are covered by beautiful eucalyptus, pine trees and acacias.
The best way to reach this beautiful coastline, that has so many things to discover, is to rent a cheap car at Lisbon airport. Lisbon airport is the most important one in Portugal and located at one of the big ring roads, about 8 km outside the centre.
Visit the seven hills of the city, the small paved side streets or the medieval districts and the well-known small city of Sintra with its palaces. 25 km west of Lisbon on the Atlantic coast are the famous resorts Estoril and Cascais, where Kings and aristocrats used to spend their holidays or their exile during the 2nd World War.
Book online to get the best prices for a car hire in Portugal and discover this wonderful country.

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Cheap car hire in Alicante

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:47:45 +0200

Alicante with its beautiful boulevard and pleasant shopping street, is one of the most well-known towns on the Costa Blanca. The Costa Blanca in Spain attracts a huge number of visitors each year. The coast of Alicante and the Costa Blanca owes its name to the beaches stretching for several kilometers and attracts many sun worshippers and pleasure seekers. Alicante is one of the fastest-growing cities in Spain. The local economy is based upon tourism in the beaches from Costa Blanca coast and particularly the second residence construction boom which started in the 1960s and reinvigorated again by the late 1990s. Alicante Airport outranks its Valencian counterpart, being among the busiest airports in Spain along with Madrid, Barcelona, Palma and Málaga and keeps expanding. It is connected with Madrid and Barcelona by frequent Iberia and Spanair flights.

If you think you will need car rental on Alicante we recommend to book before there are no more vehicles left. Make sure that you check the terms and conditions of the insurance, some companies who offer car hire on Ibiza may apply an insurance excess or a young driver surcharge. We offer car rentals in Alicante airport or your resort on the Costa Blanca.

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Economical car rental at Pisa airport

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:25:06 +0200

Pisa is a historic town in Tuscany, near the mouth of the Arno river. Once a city of political and cultural importance, Pisa is now most famous for one of its architectural masterpieces, the Leaning Tower. Pisa Airport is named Galileo Galilei after the town's most famous citizen, and is little more than a mile outside the town. The airport has its own railway station with trains to Pisa and Florence. Pisa is very accessible from other parts of Italy. The town is on major trainlines connecting with Rome, Florence, Genoa, Milan and Naples. The main railway station is called Stazione Centrale, and is about twenty minutes walk from the centre where you can get a rental car to go directly from the station to the Campo dei Miracoli.
The best way to visit the town is renting a rental car at Pisa airport or in Pisa downtown. We work with different car hire companies in Italy, well-known companies and we offer economical car rental at Pisa airport.

The city of Pisa is worldwide famous for its inclined tower situated in Piazza del Duomo, which can be accesible in a rental vehicle because there is a parking near Porta Nuova. If you contact us, our staff will inform you about a car hire at Pisa airport and what is the best deal to hire a car. You can get a quote in our website and book on-line during all day. Sometimes, we offer a discount for all our customers and you will enjoy our wonderful rates.

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Cheap car hire Olbia, Italy

Wed, 21 May 2008 11:06:24 +0200

The island of Sardinia (Italy) is well-known anywhere in the world by its colorful landscape. At the airport of Olbia there are many car rental companies. Olbia offers a wide variety of historic sites like the old town with the ancient Roman city. Olbia is located northeast of Sardinia, where most tourists arrive at the international airport to collect their rental car. In Sardinia there are many romantic places with typical Italian atmosphere. Spiaggia di Porto Giuncu is one of the most beautiful beaches of Sardinia, with crystalline waters and white sand. The island Serpentara with the small dune Cala Pira worth a visit. In the Costa Smeralda, very close to Olbia you will find unique beaches and a beautiful port. Sardinia is after Sicily the largest island in the Mediterranean with car rental companies offering cheap car hire at Olbia airport and many other locations on the island. The Italian coast is only 190 km away and the Tunisian about 180 km. The neighboring island of Corsica (France) separate the 12 km from the Strait of Bonifacio.

Sardinia is very sparsely populated, therefore, exists within a high proportion of uncultivated areas. The coast has wide sandy beaches and large dunes alternating with cliffs of strange forms. In the more than 1800 kilometers of coastline, it is not difficult to find small dunes and endless white sand beaches. You can rent your car at the airport of Olbia and other cities on the island to visit the many historic sites on the island with your rental car and discover the diversity of Sardinia.

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