BOSTON (CBS) – With more people returning to the streets and to the skies this summer, this may not come as a surprise as the demand for rental cars explodes. That means less supply and higher prices for consumers.
The newlyweds Drew and Austin Swigar drive their rental car north to Maine for their honeymoon on the coast. The couple are relieved that they planned this trip back in January. “We probably booked early enough to forestall this onslaught,” said Austin Swigart.
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But others are in the midst of the hustle and bustle of finding a rental car. “We checked prices about a week or two in advance, did a U-turn and canceled our original rental reservation and got another,” said Robert Schein.
Sticker shock is the reaction of most travelers at the Logan Airport car rental center. “One thousand eight hundred and eighty-four dollars for five days is pretty expensive,” said Brandon Melanson.
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According to the AAA, daily rental car prices are up 86% compared to the same point last year and cost over $ 166 per day! “There is a lot of catching up to do, people book and people travel,” says Anne Lischwe, Travel Sales Manager at AAA Northeast.
Anne Lischwe, AAA Northeast Travel Sales Manager, says rentals are hard to come by almost anywhere, especially in places like Hawaii and Florida. She assumes that the trend will continue in the summer and recommends booking as early as possible.
“Sometimes there is more availability at the airport locations than at some of the more regional locations, so you want to check that too,” said Lischwe.
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AAA also says you should be flexible too; This could help secure a car during off-peak hours.
