Car hire: Beat the airline prices

CHESTER, England, May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Holidaymakers looking to hire a car this summer could save themselves up to 82* per cent if they shop around instead of booking through their airline, according to travel comparison site, travelsupermarket.com. The investigation has revealed that in some cases airline prices can be up to GBP 2,000** more expensive if renting a people carrier for two weeks in the school holidays this summer. And it is not just larger cars – you can pay up to GBP 567*** (or 190 per cent) more if you book with airlines 'suggested suppliers' for an economy car.

The research was conducted by travelsupermarket.com looking at the popular travel dates of the forthcoming half term period and the main summer holidays. It looked at one and two week rentals booked via five airline websites at eight major holiday airports in Europe, compared to prices sourced through the travelsupermarket.com price comparison service. The aim was to see if those airlines that offer some of the most competitive airfares in Europe to British travellers, also offered the most competitive car hire pricing.

After comparing 480 price points, the research found families and groups of friends could be most affected as people carriers often show the biggest disparities. To hire one for two weeks in Majorca would cost GBP 626 if consumers shopped around for the best deal, but if booked via easyJet's preferred supplier, Europcar, the cost for the same type of car over the same period of time would cost a whopping GBP 2,727 – a huge increase of 335 per cent.

To hire a people carrier in Malaga this May could cost just GBP 96. However, if booked via Monarch, the cost is GBP 525 – an increase of 447 per cent. It is the same story with economy cars – booking one in Faro for two weeks in July via travelsupermarket.com would cost GBP 298, but if booked instead with easyJet's preferred supplier, the cost would be GBP 866 – an increase of 190 per cent.

We also found price differences on a number of other airlines, Ryanair were up to 163 per cent more expensive on car hire in Faro, British Airways were up to 152 per cent more expensive in Alicante and bmibaby up to 233 per cent more for a rental in Alicante.

Whilst many airlines appear to suggest that they are offering passengers a preferential deal on their car hire, the research has revealed that you are actually getting anything but that, due to the fact that most airlines only work with one car supplier. Ryanair does in fact offer cheaper prices for it's rentals with Hertz than on the direct booking site of the major car hire company. However, in 480 examples checked, the airlines' prices were found to be cheaper than travelsupermarket.com on only seven occasions, which compares over 200 companies from 21 suppliers, with the aim of finding the best prices available to car hire customers.

Consumers should also be aware that while some airlines offer a 'lowest price guarantee', you will find that this simply guarantees to be cheaper than booking through their preferred supplier directly, and does not take into account the entire market. Additional services such as car hire can be big money-spinners for airlines. easyJet noted in its results last week that it is looking to renegotiate its current car hire contract, which may result in better prices being offered to its customers.

Travel expert Bob Atkinson from www.travelsupermarket.com said: "Don't assume that the cheapest company for flights or a holiday will also give the best price on car hire. Airlines and tour operators are keen to maximise  on holiday extras and the car rental market is an easy win as they make it so easy for you to book through them."

"It is so important to shop around for the best vehicle rental price using comparison services. These are designed to show a large range of providers and make finding the best deal far easier.

"Brits have got into the habit of seeking out a great price when looking for the best value flights or holidays and they should do the same for car hire, rather than just take the simple route of booking with their airline. This can save hundreds – or in some cases thousands – of pounds, money which would easily go towards funding an additional holiday later in the year or subsidising your spending money whilst away."

Example price differences for booking with your airline VS using price comparison at travelsupermarket.com's top eight European destinations – One Week, May 2011

Prices sourced by www.travelsupermarket.com/c/cheap-car-hire/

Example price differences for booking with your airline VS using price comparison at travelsupermarket.com's top eight European destinations – Two Weeks, July 2011

Prices sourced by www.travelsupermarket.com/c/cheap-car-hire/

Top tips for car hire:

• Always shop around when booking car hire, don't just take the price from your airline or other travel provider and use a price comparison engine to check out all options.
• Generally it is best to book as early as possible for the best deals, especially on key travel dates.  Prices tend to go up towards the rental date and car groups can sell out making your first choice unavailable.  Price can be quite volatile at times so if you see a good price, book it immediately.
• Consider all price groups of cars as you can sometimes get bigger cars at lower or equivalent rental costs to smaller cars, especially on peak dates.
• Lesser known car hire companies often provide excellent value for money on holiday rentals in popular resorts – these are only found in price comparison engines alongside the major brands.
• Check you are comparing like for like – our service provides a quick easy reference to indicate what is included in the cost.
• Remember, car seats, additional drivers and fuel are always added items, not quoted in the basic cost as they are either optional or vary by company and location.
• You can also cut costs by being aware of excess reduction. On arrival at your pick up point, the car hire companies will point out the excess you pay in case of any accident or damage and then try and sell you a daily cover to reduce the excess to nil. NEVER take this from the car hire company, protect yourself ahead of travelling by taking out Car Hire Excess Insurance – this can save up to 75% on the charges made by the rental companies http://www.travelsupermarket.com/c/cheap-car-hire/buying-car-hire-excess-insurance/
• Cut your costs further by taking your own car seats for infants with you, which is usually cheaper to take as checked luggage, than renting in a resort, plus you are guaranteed to have your seat with you for your little ones.

-Ends-

Searches made 16 May 2011 for 8 days rental commencing 28 May and 15 days commencing 30 July

Prices sourced from Airline/Tour Op website, car hire supplier direct site and ts.com price comparison site

* Malaga, 1 week, 28 May, people carrier, 5-7 seats with Monarch, with Sixt, price = GBP 525.07. travelsupermarket.com via Netflights  = GBP 96.00. A saving of 82 per cent, a difference of 450 per cent  

** Majorca, 2 weeks, 30 July, people carrier 5-7 seats with easyJet with europecar = GBP 2727.28. travelsupermarket.com via Argus = GBP 626.94 a difference of GBP 2100.34.

*** Faro, 2 weeks, 30 July, economy car with easyJet with Europcar GBP 866.66 vs. travelsupermarket.com GBP 298.70 with Argus Rentacar.  

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About travelsupermarket.com

www.travelsupermarket.com is an online comparison service where customers can find the best value travel options for their needs and purchase over the internet. The website compares flights, car hire, hotels, cruise, package holidays plus dynamic packaging by searching hundreds of travel websites. The information supplied is unbiased and is designed to save the customer time and money.

The site thrives on offering its users accurate real time availability by taking information directly from suppliers such as Opodo, British Airways, Thomas Cook, First Choice, Radisson, Sol Melia, easyCar, Auto-Europe and many more, ensuring users are presented the best possible price at all times. It searches:

• Over 650 scheduled, low cost and charter airlines from 39 individual suppliers
• Over 200,000 individual hotels from over 42 individual hotel suppliers
• Over 200 individual car hire providers from over 21 suppliers
• 1,000s of individual package holidays from over 34 suppliers

Additionally, travelsupermarket.com also compares prices on travel insurance and on airport car parking.

travelsupermarket.com is part of the Moneysupermarket.com Group PLC.

www.moneysupermarket.com is a website where consumers can compare personal finance products, save money and apply online. The website has several service areas including personal loans, credit cards, mortgages, current accounts, savings accounts, motor insurance, home insurance, travel insurance, health insurance, mobile phones, broadband and shopping.

travelsupermarket.com won 'Best Meta Search/Price Comparison Website' and 'Online Travel Brand of the Year' at the Travolution Awards 2009.

SOURCE Travelsupermarket.com