Posted on 12/26/2021 1:21:49 PM PST by blam
I was in Florida and flew back Christmas Eve. If I hadn’t had a reservation for a rental car, I would have been hosed. Southwest seemed to not have any cancellations where I was flying to and from.
In May, this shortage made our decision- we drove fr TX to SC. Cost was less than rental car for 5 days. We were gone for 9 days.
How does “switching from flying to driving, further deplete the supply of rental cars”?
Maybe there are fewer cars at Location A, but those cars move to Location B (if one-way rentals). But there is no change in overall supply.
Even if cars are rented more time, that doesn’t change the supply.
This is another case of an economic illiterate author tasked with writing an economics paper.
Local right wing radio guy said his friend had to go by car to a city about 2 hours away from the airport. Only available cars were electric ones. Others had been taken.
He said “Is there any place I can re-charge because the range is too far for making it back?”
“The biggest parking garage in town has a row of chargers you could use.”
The new era.
Many used car dealerships also rent cars
It might be 4 or 5 years old but generally cheaper and easier to find.
Maybe people have to rent a car because their own broke down and the mechanic can’t get parts
Nothing new on car lots to buy
Only thing out there are overpriced used cars and >$3000 junkers
We rented a car earlier this year when we went to DC. Waited two hours for the rental at Reagan and it had just been returned and cleaned before they gave it to me. Was an older model with about 41k miles on it but it got us around.
Ubers/Lyfts are cheaper for a very large % of travelers flying into a city and usually only marginally higher if higher. I *usually* skip car rentals at this point, even before car rental prices went nuts, although I did get one for bourbon country tour earlier this year.
My SIL had that problem, hard to find a rental and the repair company said it will be awhile before they can get the parts. If the insurance company totals his car, he is SOL.
Maybe all those “Smash and Grab” events have placed a ton of cars in the shop for repairs, as well?
You may be correct, and all the shops are looking for techs so repairs may be slow.
That and parts availability.
The SlowJoe supply chain implosion is a BIG problem.
You bet! His boy, Buttplug has been a disaster for that job.
Someone wrecked my car and it took two days to get a rental
Sis bought a new 4Runner last year and keeps getting several calls and emails a week from the dealer and other 3rd partys trying to buy it back. Offering more than she paid for it
They can’t sell or rent one if they ain’t got one
“Only available cars were electric ones.”
that pretty much tells you everything you need to know about electric cars ... renters pretty much consider them the Yugos of the rental fleet ...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.