Cheap Car Rentals Gone For The Weekend

While AAA says most of the travelers this year will stay closer to home and will take shorter distance travel, nation's top car rental company Enterprise reports that it sees "increased reservations in neighborhood branches." Families are considering this weekend to be the last official weekend of summer and are using their last chance to rent a car and travel at least a short distance.

"By renting a car, they can get the cargo room they need for luggage and souvenirs and avoid putting extra miles on their own vehicle," says Steve Short, vice president of leisure business development for Enterprise. This seems true for the neighborhood car rentals. One Enterprise neighborhood unit from St. Louis area reports a double-digit growth in car rentals this Labor Day weekend, writes Stltoday.com

Overall, car rental rates are climbing. This is not because more people are necessarily traveling, but because the low demand has forced many car rental companies to shrink their fleet. This, of course, hits the leisure travelers particularly this weekend. Because they are not corporate frequent renters they don't get car rental coupons or get discount or cheap deals.

Industry consultant Neil Abrams tells USA Today that leisure travel rates are increase because the car rental companies have fewer cars available. They cannot afford keeping many cars in their fleet in this difficult economic times.

"Prices have come down from July's peak summer rates. But Abrams' weekly price index — an aggregation of eight major rental car companies at 10 airports in the USA — shows a daily midsize car rental reserved a week in advance cost $103 on Aug. 24, or 36% more than the $76 charged a year ago. Compact cars rented for a week cost $322, up 36% from $236 a year ago," writes USA Today.

Thankfully the gas price has been falling nationally. This fact will bring some relief to families that are road traveling this year. "A gallon of regular unleaded now costs an average of $2.60 in the state, on par with the U.S. average," writes New Mexico Business Weekly.

For last minute cheap car rentals check Enterprise or Alamo websites to see if they may have any discount deals still available in your area.

Written by Armen Hareyan