Loading ...If your summer vacation plans include renting a car, you should prepare yourself for gas prices that are likely to keep rising until the day you leave for your trip, and maybe while you’re on vacation as well.
Gas stations in several U.S. cities have already hit the $4-a-gallon mark, and several experts are predicting that $5 for a gallon of gas isn’t far off.
With some planning you might be able to save money on the car rental itself, however, as major rental companies are offering a range of deals aimed at keeping their sales up as gas prices continue to rise.
“Many Americans are feeling a financial pinch … from record-high gasoline prices and other factors,” said AAA president and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet, in a recent statement. “This spring, high gasoline prices appear to be dampening our society’s intent to travel.”
Americans aren’t happy with gas prices, and they telling J.D. Power and Associates that they’re not all that happy with the service provided by car-rental companies, either. J.D. Power’s 2007 Rental Car Satisfaction Study showed overall customer satisfaction with their experience in renting a car at airports decreased from the previous year.
This state of affairs isn’t likely to change this summer. Auto manufacturers have reduced the number of vehicles they allocate to rental companies, thereby reducing the availability to customers of some of the more fuel-efficient and affordable cars, according to industry analysts.
To make matters worse, AAA is reporting that rental-car insurance rates are on the increase, now averaging at $45 a day, compared with $31 just one year ago.
www.aaa.com
