Renting Cars When Traveling - The Pros and Cons -Avis-com

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"So you're about to embark on your great Toronto weekend adventure. You have your itinerary all mapped out and you've booked the hotel you're going to be staying in. The only thing left to decide on now is whether it's wise to rent a car in Toronto or not.

As with anything, renting a car when traveling has its own pros and cons.

On the more positive side, when you use a rented car when you travel, you have more freedom and control. As opposed to using public transport, you do not have to follow strict schedules and you have the luxury of traveling at your own pace. You can stop to have an impromptu picnic at the flower-filled valley you happen to accidentally stumble upon. With rented vehicles, you can, literally, stop to smell the roses. Similarly, with these vehicles, you aren't confined to a plane or a bus and thus, you are able to appreciate the scenery, and the journey as a whole, better.

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Another argument made by those who favor hiring rent a car services is the fact that when they break down while you're using them, the rent a car company would immediately hand over a new vehicle to you. You wouldn't have to worry about repairs or finding yourself without an alternative form of transportation-the rental company will take care of all of these for you.

When you rent vehicles, you also get more options and you are able to choose which car would suit your trip better. You can pick a more rugged vehicle or a more luxurious one. You can choose how big or small you want your vehicle to be. If you're going on a trip to see the Rocky Mountains for example, do you really think it's wise to drive there in your Maserati Quatroporte? I don't think so.

Renting a car to use on your trip, many point out, also saves your own car from incurring more miles and, if you are planning on driving on tough terrain, potential damages.

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On the flip side of the coin of course, are the disadvantages of renting a car when you're traveling, the first being, the higher costs of renting a car. While there are affordable rent a car services available, they are still considerably more expensive than traveling using your own car.

Another disadvantage is the added task of having to familiarize yourself with the car's controls-a tedious task that you nevertheless have to do. You don't want to end up fidgeting with your car's buttons, looking for the knob that controls the heater while you're driving in the middle of a busy road, do you?

Also, there is the added hassle of having to actually rent a car. While many companies now allow clients to make reservations online, renting a car still requires considerably more effort than just entering your garage and turning the ignition of your own vehicle.

To rent or not to rent? Weigh these pros and cons carefully and find out what choice would help you enjoy your vacation to the fullest.

Maraya Mullen is a copywriter affiliated with All Time Car Rental, a provider of affordable rent a car services in Toronto. Visit their site for more information about their cheap rent a car services in Toronto.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maraya_Mullen

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Currency confusion leads to Avis overcharge - Avis-com

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Q. Avis overcharged me for a one-month car rental in England, and I've had absolutely no luck in getting the error removed. I'm hoping you can help.

I reserved the car rental through the British Airways Web site. When I arrived at the rental counter, I gave the employee my American driver's license and my U.K. credit card.

Avis' computers were down when I returned the car, so they couldn't give me a receipt. But you can imagine my surprise when I checked my Visa statement and found that they had converted my U.K. pounds into dollars, because I had used my U.S. license. As a result, I paid an extra $124 for my car.

I called Avis' customer service number, which was a complete waste of time. I also sent the company an e-mail, but have heard nothing back, nor have I even received an acknowledgment of my message. Can you get my money back?

Laura Cattell, Houston, Texas

A. Avis should have charged you in the currency it said you'd be billed in when you signed your car-rental contract. But what did you agree to?

The Avis contract should have offered a choice of currencies: yours or theirs. But if you didn't make a selection, its reservations system would have automatically defaulted to the currency of your country of residence. So even if you're a British citizen renting a car in Britain with a credit card issued in the U.K., but live in America, you would still be charged in American dollars.

That would mean your pounds are converted into dollars and then back into pounds, incurring a processing fee of up to 3 percent each time. That doesn't make any sense, and I don't think any reasonable person should be expected to pay that.

Determining the Avis policy on currency conversions is maddeningly difficult. The terms and conditions on its Web site, www.avis.com, contain separate contracts for each country, and it is utterly confusing when it comes to the subject of currency conversion.

As I read the European contract, the rate of exchange used on any currency conversion will be "conclusively determined by Avis." What I take that to mean is that the company can basically do whatever it wants.

I've been assured that it doesn't, in practice. Instead, its policy in Britain is to give renters a choice of paying in the currency of their native country or in pounds. An agent should have reviewed those options with you when you picked up your car. There is no record of you selecting a currency.

Currency conversions are a tricky business. Credit cards charge a fee, and often travel companies do as well. If you don't pay attention, you could rack up a lot of surcharges without even realizing it. Any time you plan to cross the border, it's critically important to check with your credit card and travel company to make sure you're using the payment option that allows you to avoid any unnecessary surcharges.

I checked with Avis to get its side of the story. According to its records, an agent explained the charges to you in a phone conversation a few weeks ago, but that you "then hung up the phone on one of our representatives," according to a spokeswoman. That might be why Avis never responded to your follow-up e-mail.

Needless to say, hanging up on a phone agent doesn't help your case. Travel companies can attach notes to your reservation that follow you around like a rap sheet. A little politeness sometimes dramatically improves your chances of resolving a dispute.

Avis refunded the $124 in fees as a gesture of goodwill.

© 2007, Tribune Media Services

Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine. E-mail him at celliot@ngs.org or troubleshoot your trip through his Web site at www.csr.elliott.org.
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Support Conservation with American Express - Avis-com

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(Posted: Nov 5, 2007)


Between now and Nov. 30, American Express will make a donation to The Conservation Fund each time a cardmember uses their American Express card when booking travel at a participating partner's Web site. Use your American Express card when making online reservations at Avis.com, Budget.com, Delta.com, Doubletree.com, Fairmont.com, HamptonInn.com, Hilton.com, HiltonGardenInn.com, HotelIndigo.com and LHWgreen.com. American Express will donate $.25 per booking or reservation, up to a total program maximum of $300,000. And in case you were wondering, purchases are not tax-deductible for American Express cardmembers.

LINK: http://www.amexnetwork.com/green/?cid=planitgreenfall07-ext-link-resup4


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How To Trim Your Holiday Travel Costs - Learn From Small Business Owners - Avis.com

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Because of frequent traveling during the holiday season, airlines typically increase their fare fees to cash in on higher demand. Normally inexpensive flights can skyrocket above and beyond your traveling budget. Instead of putting your trip off until next year, learn how to save money by taking a page from small business owners.

Even as costs rise during the holiday season, get a handle on your travel budget by using these traveling tips.

Search the Web for bargains. According to Travelers Use of the Internet, 70 percent of frequent travelers use the Internet for their travel planning. The most popular money-saving sites include Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com, Priceline.com and Hotwire.com. These sites make it easy to find reasonably priced hotels, airline tickets and rental cars, but Expedia.com gets extra points for bundling all three in cost-saving packages. But when you're checking online for yourself, or your own business, you should review these sites for other deals:

AirportDiscountParking.com is pretty self-explanatory. This site will help you save money at airport parking lots by directing you to the bargain lots. For example: Parking at the Lindbergh Terminal in Minneapolis/ St. Paul beginning Thursday, Oct. 18 through Sunday, Oct. 21 will cost you around $54. Utilizing AirportDiscountParking.com, I found a $10-a-day parking coupon for a lot two minutes from the airport. That's a $24 saving with only a couple clicks.

Business Travel Guides offers help with locating online hotel and airfare deals. You can also find information on minimizing travel expenses, handling emergencies and preparing for trips.

Kayak.com searches more than 120 airline Web sites, travel sites and online travel agencies to find you the best fare, then direct you to that site so you can purchase the ticket.

If you're really flexible, Airfarewatchdog.com is the site to watch. Occasionally airlines offer exceptionally low fares on selected flights, yet there's no telling when these will become available. Airfarewatchdog.com lists these fares faster than most other Web sites, but you must book the flight right away to take advantage of the low fares. I found cheap flights out of Minneapolis/ St. Paul to destinations ranging from Chicago to Beijing.

Compare deals on rental cars. Whether it's online or in the Yellow Pages, contact and compare rental car agencies -- the more popular ones are Hertz.com, Enterprise.com, Budget.com and Avis.com. Don't forget to check out the rental car pages of online travel sites such as Priceline and Orbitz to find out if they're partnered with a specific hotel chain and offer deals or special rates for business travelers. You might just be able to save money on a room when you reserve your rental car.

Join a frequent-flier program. If you book flights on the same airline, over time you can earn perks such as free trips and hotel discounts. The online travel sites allow you to enter your frequent flier numbers for matching airlines. If that's not available, always remember to call the airline that you're flying to add your frequent flier account information before you start your trip.

Deduct travel-related expenses. If all your travel is for business, you can deduct all travel-related expenses. If your travel is part business and part pleasure, you can deduct the portion of your travel expenses that are business-related.

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed


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Avis and Budget Offer GPS Navigation - Avis-com

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PC Magazine, July, 2006 by Craig Ellison

Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent A Car will be offering Where2 GPS navigation systems in their rental cars. Where2 is based on Garmin's StreetPilot c550 and will include many of the features covered in our review, including real-time traffic updates, 3D maps, multiple-language support, a wireless Bluetooth phone interface for hands-free calling, and a text-to-speech feature that actually announces street names.

In addition to an extensive Points of Interest database, Where2 will include all Budget and Avis locations, reservation and roadside assistance contact information, and a guide to nearby AM/FM radio stations. The fully portable unit can be used in any Avis or Budget vehicle.

Where2 will be offered in 125 locations throughout the US and Canada at $9.95 per day, or $49.95 per week.

Copyright © 2006 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in PC Magazine.

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