Author

Charlie Graham

Rent Sure
Rent Sure

Rent Sure | Safe and Flexible Car Rental Bookings

by Charlie Graham
written by Charlie Graham

Rent Sure

AutoRentals.com is proud to present its Rent Sure series.  Renter considerations have made decisions even more complex during this ongoing pandemic.  Whether the focus is on renting a car in the safest way possible, ensuring that the auto rental reservation is flexible to accommodate any unexpected change in plans or even locking in the best available rate (or, most likely all three!), it is more important than ever to be sure in your rental car booking.

Of highest concern for many is if the rental car and interaction with staff is safe and clean.  Rental cars are a natural socially distant transportation option.  The relative control and knowledge of the space the renter will be occupying provides a level of comfort throughout the rental period.  Additionally, car rental companies have raised the bar in implementing enhanced cleaning procedures for the vehicle and further processes for the physical office and staff.  And, to the pleasure of renters, the convenience of a contactless pickup and drop-off process has grown in popularity.  

But, what if plans change unexpectedly due to illness, restrictions or other external factors?  Travel companies across the globe have instituted a host of customer friendly and flexible reservation options.  Most include the ability to cancel travel plans and receive a full refund.  Car rental companies are no different.  In fact, rental car bookings have traditionally been the most flexible among travel options and that has now extended to almost all types of reservations and timeframes.  Renters can feel confident in their reservation knowing that if their plans change, so can their reservation.

Car rental reservation flexibility and booking requirements has historically affected pricing.  With some level of fluctuation in the market always present, rental car rates can change, especially as the pickup date approaches.  Trends and other factors are pointing toward this change being an upward action only this year.  AutoRentals.com believes that 2021 may bring rising car rental prices because of limited fleet, pent-up travel demand and the potential difficulty for fleet managers to quickly access new vehicles to keep up with demand.

To recap:

  1. Feel safe in the cleanliness of the rental car.
  2. Enjoy the flexibility of a car rental reservation.
  3. Book your car as soon as possible to lock in the lowest rates as they may start to increase.

Get started today by searching the widest car rental search results on AutoRentals.com!

Rent Sure
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Additional Savings from Avis and Budget
Recent Car Rental News

Anniversary Sale Continues | Avis and Budget Added

by Charlie Graham
written by Charlie Graham

Our 8th Anniversary celebration continues this week with discounts from top car rental partners.  And, Avis Rent A Car and Budget Car Rental have joined by offering up to 10% this month.

The discounts from Ace, Dollar, GreenMotion and Routes are still automatically applied when you search on AutoRentals.com. 

To access the exclusive discounts from Avis and Budget follow the instructions below!

  1. Start your search on AutoRentals.com.
  2. Wait for the results to load with the most comprehensive car rental options.
  3. If the special is available, look for the Apply Savings button.
  4. Click Apply Savings.
  5. Look for the applied discounts and your lowered prices!

See below for some examples for both your desktop computer and mobile device.

Apply Savings Matrix
Click on Apply Savings on Desktop Searches
Savings have been applied for Budget Car Rental on desktop

*10% off rate special available with Budget Car Rental for all lengths of rental.

*10% off rate special available for Avis Rent A Car for weekly and and weekend rates only.  Mid-week daily rentals are discounted at 5%.

 

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AutoRentlals.com 8th Anniversary
Recent Car Rental News

Save this month with AutoRentals.com!

by Charlie Graham
written by Charlie Graham

We’re celebrating our 8th Anniversary this month and many of our partners are helping us celebrate by offering discounts off their already low prices. Check out these savings from top brands!

Great News!  These discounts are automatically applied when you search on AutoRentals.com!  No codes needed, just look for these top brands and start saving!

Dollar Car Rental
Check out this offer from Dollar and save 10% on all rentals picking up before December 15, 2020. Dollar offers great rates for airport and neighborhood rentals and has relaxed restrictions when renting with a Debit Card making it easier than ever.  Search for Dollar Car Rental here.

Routes Car Rental
This Canadian rental car company with offices throughout the United States as well has partnered with AutoRentals.com to offer 10% off rentals picking up by December 15, 2020 as long as they are reserved before October 15, 2020. Check out same rock bottom prices from this top notch rental car company.  Search for Routes here.

Ace Rent A Car
With over 350 worldwide location and in operation since 1966, Ace Rent A Car provides rental car options in some of the most popular locations in the world. And, now, you can enjoy an additional 8% off low prices for pickups throughout the month of October if booked by October 17, 2020.  Search for Ace Rent A Car here.

GreenMotion
This UK headquartered company has grown quickly in recent years and now has a presence at some major airports in the United States and worldwide. Look for additional discounts on GreenMotion rentals, 10% off, if reserved by October 14 for travel dates all the way until May 30, 2021!  Search for Green Motion here.

Grab these great, exclusive offers quickly before the booking window expires!

*10% off rate special available with Dollar Car Rental has been applied on searched rates.  Save 10% off the base rate* of your next Weekly or Weekend car rental. Book NOW for rentals through December 31, 2020.
*Discount applies to Pay Later base rates only. Taxes & fees excluded.
Twenty-four (24) hour advance reservations required.
This offer is redeemable at participating Dollar locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Offer valid for a rental minimum of one (1) day for a Weekend rental and five (5) days for a Weekly rental.
Blackout periods may apply.
Offer may be cancelled, modified, or altered at any time without prior notice.
Offer valid on all car classes except Manager’s Special.

*10% off rate specials available with Routes Rental Car in select cities except Richmond VA (RIC). Reservations must be made by October 15th, 2020 for travel between September 16th, 2020 to December 15th, 2020. All rentals must be returned by December 15th, 2020 to qualify for the discount.  Discount cannot be combined with any other promotional offering. Prices are subject to availability, can change without notice and exclude taxes and fees.

*8% off rate special available with Ace Rent A Car has been applied  on rental cars reserved by October 17th, 2020.

*10% off rate special available with GreenMotion has been applied  on rental cars reserved by October 14th, 2020 for travel dates to May 30, 2021. 

 

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AutoRentlals.com 8th Anniversary
Recent Car Rental News

Happy 8th Anniversary to AutoRentals.com!

by Charlie Graham
written by Charlie Graham

Everyone can use something to celebrate, so let’s celebrate the 8th anniversary of AutoRentals.com going live!  In October 2012, the website was launched to provide the very best car rental search, comparison and booking experience.  AutoRentals.com has accomplished that feat by powering more than 73 Million rental car searches since and will continue to improve and serve more customers each year.

By partnering with the widest range of car rental partners, auto rental brokers and online travel websites, AutoRentals.com brings the most comprehensive, live-priced search results available.  This has helped millions of rental car customers find the perfect car at the best price.  The easy to use and award winning matrix allows for a quick comparison of both the daily rate and total price from each car rental company.  Mobile users enjoy a detailed list view that provides pickup information, additional features and highlights the best deals.

AutoRentals.com Search Matrix

The search results on AutoRentals.com presents a wide range of options for its rental car customers.  Over the years this has included well known car rental companies like Hertz, Avis, Dollar and Budget, as well as great values in brands like Ace, Economy and Easirent.  But, where AutoRentals.com separates itself from other car rental websites is by presenting offers from other outlets, like Expedia, Priceline, Hotwire, EconomyBookings, WiseCars, Discover Car Hire and many more.  That same midsize car from a popular brand may be found at a lower rate on another website.  AutoRentals.com saves time and money by presenting all the options.

Just within this past year, AutoRentals.com has partnered with quite a few new brands for direct booking, like GreenMotion, Routes, Rent A Car 4 Less, Europcar and MoveMee; with many more new partners on the way.  Additionally, new comparison sites have been brought into the search results like Travelocity, VIPCars, RentCars, GotRentalCars, Enjoy Car Hire and Car Rental Express.  More options means finding the perfect car at the best price!

Incorporating all these rental car options into an easy to use website has been a top priority for the team at AutoRentals.com over the past 8 years.  Each year brings a wave a new features and tools, and this past year is no exception.  Here’s just a few highlights:

  • The website has been updated to search for a wide variety of different locations, from airports to cities and even zip codes. 
  • The new login feature helps to save recent searches for a quick entry back into a fresh set of car rental options.
  • The search results have undergone an infrastructure overhaul resulting in a faster, smoother and easier to use experience. 
  • Additional features and filters have been added to help the car rental customer more quickly find the options best for their rental needs.  This includes the new Worry Free Options like Enhanced Cleaning, Contactless Rental and Free Cancellation choices that have become so important recently. 

Be on the lookout for a fresh new look to the AutoRentals.com brand in the coming months that will further help the auto rental customer find the best option for their rental!

Worry Free Options

The team at AutoRentals.com is extremely grateful to each of the car rental customers who represent the over 73 million searches in the past eight years, as well as its many partners who presented those customers with fantastic car rental deals.  Here’s to the next 8 years and beyond!

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Car Rental Phone as Key
Rental Vehicle Policies

Contact Free (or Reduced Contact) Car Rental Options

by Charlie Graham
written by Charlie Graham

Car Rental companies have long offered ways to help make the pickup process more efficient and customer friendly.  These options can vary from an expedited line at the rental counter all the way to using a phone as a key to check out, open the vehicle and drive away without any interaction with staff.  AutoRentals.com has collected the current pickup process procedures available from many rental car companies and offered these categories of the options.

Online Check-In:  Renters wrovide their driver profile and possibily payment info to decrease time at check out at counter.  Renters will still need to interact with auto rental staff to complete the rental transaction, sign paperwork and receive their rental car.

Skip The Line: Renters can skip the line at the rental counter and enter an in expedited line, but may still have to interact with staff at the car rental counter before heading to the rental vehicle.

Skip the Counter:  Renters can skip the rental counter and proceed to the car lot, but may have to interact with staff at rental car lot to be assigned a vehicle, verify contract information and identification, as well as payment if needed.

Straight to Car:  The renter is assigned a specific vehicle or is able to choose from group of vehicles, enter car on own and drive to check out kiosk or gate where contract and identification is authorized.

Phone as Key:  The full rental transaction, including Driver’s License verification, payment and agreement to terms and conditions is completed through a mobile application.  Renters are provided instructions and potentially transportation to their assigned vehicle, where the mobile app will act as a key to access and start the vehicle.  No interaction with staff is required, unless needed.

Delivery:  The rental vehicle is delivered to a specified location, where the rental transaction is usually digitally completed and with limited interaction with delivery driver.

Table of Contents

Enterprise Car Rental

CATEGORY:  SKIP THE COUNTER

Enterprise has recently introduced the Advance Check In, which, at the time of this writing, is available at over 100 locations. If applicable for a reservation, the renter will receive a text or email 2 days before their scheduled pickup to complete a pre-registration process. Once completed, the renter will receive a Rental Pass. The Rental Pass can then be shown along with a Driver’s License to an agent, who quickly collects a signature and then provides access to the rental vehicle. This greatly reduces any time in line and interactions at the rental counter to get the rental car customer on their way.

Alamo Rent A Car

CATEGORY:  Online Check-In

Alamo provides a time saving tool on their website that allows car rental customers to provide advance details of their renter profile to accelerate the check out process at the time of pickup. Further, select locations are also eligible for Skip The Counter . For this, renters will also need to select coverage options, agree to the terms and conditions and provide payment details. Then, proceed directly to the rental car lot to collect the rental vehicle.

National Car Rental

CATEGORY:  Straight to Car (for members)

The Emerald Club Loyalty program from National Car Rental provides its mainly frequent business travelers with one of the most convenient check out process in the car rental industry. At participating Emerald Aisle locations (https://www.emeraldaisle.com/locations), members can utilize the Emerald Checkout process. Here, the renter can choose any vehicle from the selected group in the car rental lot, then verify the details of the vehicle to match the car rental reservation on the National Car Rental mobile app. Next, the driver proceeds to the the exit booth to present the barcode produced from the mobile app, along with Identification to check out.

Hertz

CATEGORY:  Skip the Counter, Straight to Car (for members)

Hertz #1 Club Gold is one of the “gold standard” loyalty programs in the car rental industry. Included with membership is the ability to skip the counter and in some cases proceed straight to the car. If it is the renter’s first transaction as a Hertz Gold member, the driver may be required to visit the Gold booth in the rental car lot to complete a payment profile and verification. However, if it is a Hertz Ultimate Choice location, the renter may be able to go straight to the car of his/her choice in the group of vehicles, add the vehicle to the rental and proceed to the exit booth to proceed with check out. After the first rental in the Hertz Gold program, the renter can then proceed directly to the vehicle and then the exit booth.

Dollar Rent A Car and Thrifty Car Rental

CATEGORY:  Skip the Counter (for members)

Dollar Car Rental and Thrifty Car Rental offer skip the counter options for members of their Dollar Express Rewards and Blue Chip Rewards programs, respectively. Membership is free and skip the counter options are limited to participating locations only.

Avis Rent A Car

CATEGORY:  Straight to Car (for members)

Become a member of Avis Preferred to access expedited service at participating locations. Avis’ loyalty program allows the renter to go straight to the rental car and drive off, providing the exit booth agent the correct information to drive through. Avis also allows for most reservations to check in online to help speed up the check out process at the rental counter if the renter is not part of Avis Preferred.

Budget Car Rental

CATEGORY:  Skip the Line (for members)

Budget Rent A Car offers members of its Budget FastBreak program to Skip the Line at participating locations. Simply join the program and provide a renter and payment profile. Once arriving at the rental counter, find the FastBreak line, show a valid driver license, pick up the rental car keys and process to the auto rental to skip most of the lines at the car rental location.

SilverCar

CATEGORY:  Phone as Key, Delivery (for a fee)

SilverCar pioneered phone as a key process for the United States by connecting its all Audi fleet to the customer facing app. Renters can access all parts of their transaction, from reservation to opening the vehicle and returning the car rental from the app. The app powers a completely no-contact rental experience and SilverCar has recently added the option of having the vehicle delivered for a fee and only if requested 48 hours before the pickup time.

GreenMotion / MoveMee

CATEGORY:  Phone as a Key (select locations and specific vehicles)

GreenMotion launched a technology and car rental brand called MoveMee in 2019 to help facilitate its own contact-less rental and to offer its phone as a key approach for other car rental operations as well. Not only does MoveMee’s straight to car technology offer convenience and saves time, it also provides a peace of mind in reducing contact as much as possible.

Midway Car Rental

CATEGORY:  Skip the Counter (for members)

By joining Midway Preferred Renter Program, car rental customers can enjoy counter bypass and go straight to the rental car.

Europcar

CATEGORY:  Online Check-In

Europcar provides a process to allow for reserved car hires to check in online. This will result in an accelerated pick-up and the rental contract will already prepared.

Virtuo

CATEGORY:  Phone as a Key

Virtuo provides a seamless, mobile-only experience where the renter’s phone acts as a key. With the Virtuo mobile app, the renter can find car hires, reserve the auto rental and open the vehicle 24/7. The mobile app continues to be utilized throughout the entire rental period.

UFODrive

CATEGORY:  Phone as a Key

UFODrive presents the rental experience completely within its mobile app, allowing the renter to hire a car and access the vehicle entirely from a mobile device. This means no lines and no interaction with staff unless desired.

Kyte

CATEGORY:  Phone as a Key, Delivery

With the Kyte mobile app, the renter selects when and where to have the car rental delivered. The company delivers the auto rental in a touchless fashion to the address of the renter’s choice (within the defined geographical area). The rental can also be picked up at a specific address as well. The entire rental transaction is completed on the Kyte mobile app.

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Recent Car Rental News

Sixt, Orlando RentCO Acquire Select Locations and Assets from Advantage

by Charlie Graham
written by Charlie Graham

With Advantage Rent A Car (and its sister brand E-Z Rent-A-Car) filing for bankruptcy in late May, its assets quickly become available to the worldwide marketplace. Two very different suitors have made moves in acquiring different portions of Advantage Rent A Car.

Sixt Rent A Car acquired the airport concessions of 10 Advantage Rent A Car locations. Sixt’s strategic growth and expansion plans within the United States will receive a boost and acceleration with these acquisition. Alexander Sixt, Managing Director, had this to say about the acquisition: “It … sends a clear message to Sixt USA: It demonstrates Sixt’s Group commitment to the US and that even the worst economic downturn in almost 100 years will not stop us to roll out the orange color across the United States.” Sixt will look to open new branches in Boston (BOS) at an in terminal office, New York City Metro Airports (JFK, LGA and EWR) and Houston (IAH). Additionally, Sixt will leverage the Advantage in terminal / on airport counter space from Advantage in the strategic and high volume markets in Orlando (MCO), Denver (DEN), Maui (OGG), Honolulu (HNL) and Las Vegas (LAS).

On the other hand, Dan Miller through Orlando Rentco, has acquired 6 Advantage locations , the IP of Advantage and E-Z and their global distribution system agreements. Mr. Miller and Orlando Rentco currently operates the Ace Rent A Car affiliate serving the Orlando Airport market. The company will maintain the Advantage brand at the following Southeastern markets it acquired: Tampa (TPA), Miami (MIA), Atlanta (ATL), Charlotte (CLT), Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW) and Nashville (BNA).

Both Sixt and Orlando Rentco will be able to leverage the highly desired airport concessions and prime markets from Advantage Rent A Car. Additionally, especially in newly launched markets for both companies, the ability to right size their fleet for the current rental demand will allow for better potential for success and growth.

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