Comparing Car Rental Companies
Car rental companies are doing brisk business across the United States and around the world. Consumers have never had so many options. This article will compare various services of car rental companies and in no way endorses one rental company over another. This information is to aid the consumer in understanding the features of car rental companies and in finding a rental company that meets their travel needs.
Some of the most well-known U.S. car rental companies include Hertz, Avis, Budget, and Enterprise. The computer age has also brought about travel websites for companies like Orbitz and Travelocity which contract with car rental companies that advertise on their sites. The benefit to the consumer is convenience of making flight, train, or cruise reservations and rental reservations at the same time and at a discounted rate. Besides making themselves accessible online, car rental companies also offer on-site rental at many airports. Others offer shuttle service from airports to nearby rental offices.
Advantages of National Car Rental Companies
National car rental chains have many advantages over privately owned, "mom-and-pop" shops. They offer a wider selection of vehicles. Car rental companies in hotspots like Miami Beach, Florida and Los Angeles, California even specialize in sports car, Jeep and Hummer rentals. Rental cars have available features such as navigation systems and satellite radio.
Besides having a better selection of vehicles, national car rental companies also offer incentives. The rental car industry is highly competitive, so companies must offer incentives to remain competitive. Incentives include: allowing online car rental reservations to be made in tandem with hotel, flight and other travel arrangements at a discounted rate, discounting reservations made in advance of the date of travel, weekend rates of up to 50% off,
Most of the national car rental companies a car agencies also make car rental more convenient by giving travelers the opportunity of having their own transportation and at a more affordable or at least comparable cost to utilizing cab or tram service. Rental car agencies afford consumers the ease of making reservations at the same time as flight, rail or cruise arrangements and have offices on-site. Rental costs may be 50% cheaper on weekends with special conditions applying. Memberships offer members advantages such as discount rates and special "member" lines at airports.
Additionally, national rent a car agencies offer a wide variety of vehicles. They offer benefits such as insurance and road assistance. Some even provide coupons for coffee! Discounts for state employees, corporations, associations, and government employees or military personnel are other benefits. Many large corporations can contract with national rent a car companies to have their own fleet of rental cars which they maintain on site.
Drawbacks of National Rent a Car Services
Though there are exceptions to the rule, there are actually very few drawbacks to national rent a car services. Those that do exist are outweighed by the benefits of using rental car services. It is important to read any contract THOROUGHLY before signing. Make sure you understand the small print which may list fees for service that altogether can raise your overall rental fee and come as an unpleasant surprise when returning your rental vehicle. More of a risk to consumers than national rent a car agencies are "mom-and-pop" owned business. These privately-owned rental companies do not offer the same safety contracts, insurance, or guarantees as the larger, national chains.
