Thrifty turns to hourly rentals

Thrifty became the latest car hire giant to turn to hourly rentals, in an effort to compete with a handful of car sharing firms that specialize in offering local residents the opportunity to rent vehicles for periods of less than a day. Thrifty launched its hourly service in Manhattan, New York. Although there are plans for further expansion in the near future, hourly rentals will be available at only two outlets in the Manhattan area, namely at Thrifty’s 148 W. 83rd Street and 234 E. 85th Street centers. The minimum rental period is two hours, and costs only $19, while six hour rentals are available for $57. These prices do not, however, include the cost of insurance for the rental and it will be necessary to purchase a plan if the client does not already have one linked to a personal auto policy, or a credit card.

Keith Adams works as Thrifty’s sales and marketing manager, and he noted that the company’s new hourly rentals will offer Manhattan’s residents more flexibility than if they were only able to rent a car for a 24 hour period. Adams observed that hourly car hires are ideal for those who need to run multiple errands during a single morning, or afternoon, as it is far more convenient to rent a car for this, than to use public transportation.

A major advantage of renting per hour is that customers may return their car at the end of the rental period to any Thrifty outlet in Manhattan, for no additional fee, and not just to those two that offer this plan. The currently advertised introductory rates will remain in effect until December 31, 2007. Hourly rentals can be booked using Thrifty’s website, or by telephoning 1-800-THRIFTY, from anywhere in the US.

www.thrifty.com