Leading car hire comparator advises of sell outs and increased rental prices for 2010
Award-winning vehicle hire comparator Carrentals.co.uk is claiming that the restrictions on vehicle rental stock seen this year across some of the most in-demand holiday destinations in Europe is set to carry through to next year and maybe beyond, with the financial crunch constricting cash flow to car rental companies for fleet expansion.
2009s busiest car rental seasons saw destinations such as Malaga, Alicante and Valencia selling out rapidly, forcing travellers to find other ways of exploring their destination. Less amounts of vehicles is not the lone factor resulting in the shortage in cars though. www.carrentals.co.uk has revealed that some of the rental agencies featured on its website increased prices by up to 96% for car rental in the 12 month period between summer 2008 and summer 2009.
Destinations with the biggest price vaults during 2009 include Gibraltar Airport, which saw an increase of 8.16* a day (up 65%); Alicante Airport, which saw prices rise by 11.23* a day (up 87%); and Toulouse Airport, which saw an increase of 23.07* a day (up 96%).
Gareth Robinson, managing director of www.carrentals.co.uk, says: The recession has heavily impacted upon fleet sizes this year, with car hire companies having been unable to increase the number of vehicles due to lack of funding from banks. Without the banks investments, companies have been forced to cope with a limited supply of vehicles, which has restricted availability in many locations and in turn seen prices increase across the board a trend that is set to continue in 2010.
With the effects of the global recession, fewer car hire bookings were transacted throughout 2009, with car rental companies hoping lower fleet availability would suffice, but despite the strict economic climate, bookings have remained healthy through peak seasons leading to regular complete sell outs.
Commenting on the situation Owen Coles of easyCar says: General expectations are that the economy will improve in 2010 and as a result we are expecting an increase in the number of transactions. However, with the instability of the financial climate, it is not yet clear as to how easy it will be to obtain funding for fleet expansion.
We are likely to see further examples of restricted vehicle availability as fleet sizes in 2010 will generally be the same as this year, so we are anticipating shortages, some of them acute, in the peak periods. Car rental companies will therefore be forced to focus on a shift from growth to margin protection and service improvement.
Renters are being warned to reserve their vehicle hire well ahead to guarantee a good deal, with Carrentals.co.uk now offering car rentals for February half term at Faro Airport from just 14** a day, from 13** a day at Athens Airport, from 14** a day in Tenerife South Airport and from 12** a day at Palma Airport.
Gareth Robinson adds: We would advise travellers to book as far in advance as possible in order to get the best deals and vehicle choice. Using a comparator site customers can gain an overview of the different options available, making sure they are securing the best available price.
www.carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Budget, easyCar, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 9,000 locations worldwide.
To compare the latest car hire deals visit www.carrentals.co.uk. *Price increases are based on individual examples from companies featured on Carrentals.co.uk. **Prices based on seven-day rental from 13 February 2010 and are subject to change
About Carrentals.co.uk
Carrentals.co.uk was launched in February 2003 and grew to become one of the UKs leading online car hire companies by 2006.
In 2007 the company re-launched its site to create the first major online price comparator in the travel industry. Using the latest technology the Carrentals.co.uk site now searches up to 50 different car hire websites, providing an impartial comparison of the best prices available in over 9,000 locations.
Websites searched include Alamo, Budget, easyCar, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Opodo, Sixt and Thrifty, with the Carrentals.co.uk site quickly comparing prices and allowing customers to refine their search by car type.
The Carrentals.co.uk site also features over 5,000 pages of travel information in a mini-guide format.
In 2008 Carrentals.co.uk was voted Best Car Hire Website in the Travolution Awards. To book or for further information visit www.carrentals.co.uk
Volcanic Ash Goes On Making Times Hard for Car Hirers - 16 April 2010 – As the clouds of volcanic ash from Iceland go on making times hard for tourists away on holiday, award-wining car hire website Carrentals.co.uk has warned travellers to get hold of the .. (233 Views)
Worry-free car rental with Car-hire-insurance.co.uk -
October 2009 - When hiring a vehicle in the UK or abroad, more and more people are turning to Car-Hire-Insurance.co.uk for fantastic, cost-effective cover and ultimate peace of mind.
It’s an all- .. (201 Views)
CareerTV and HireVue Partner for Video Technology -
About CareerTV:
CareerTV is the nation’s leading career video website and has the largest collection of recruitment videos online. We help students and young professionals lea (196 Views)
Fitness Franchise Hires Freeman and Carpenter as Development Directors - HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. – March 4, 2010 – Fitness Together Holdings, Inc. has hired two development directors to oversee franchise growth across the country for Fitness Together, a one-on-one personal .. (154 Views)
Van and car hire rental is where the smart money’s heading - As the economic downturn bites, businesses and individuals are finding ways to make their money work harder and smarter.
For businesses, one increasingly popular cost saving method is van rental o .. (150 Views)
