Whereas individuals are planning summer season holidays, rental automobiles are briefly provide – CBS Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – How about a sticker shock: Hawaii rental cars cost $ 500 a day and are sold out for the summer.

Just try to get a rental car in Alaska this summer that is also sold out.

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“I’ve been in the industry for 11 years and this is the first time I’ve seen anything close,” said Jonathan Weinberg, founder and CEO of AutoSlash.com.

Weinberg monitors and finds the best prices for rental car customers and says when the pandemic hit the rental car companies, they lost 90% of their business.

“They did what they had to do to survive, which was to sell as many cars as possible, as quickly as possible, and they basically sold over three quarters of a million cars across the major rental brands.” he explains.

But then the demand came back, starting with the weekend for President’s Day.

“We saw 18 of the 20 airports in Florida that were completely sold out,” he recalls.

As you can imagine with the lack of supply and post-pandemic driven demand, prices are responsive.

“We see an average of $ 90 a day at all of the major airports in the country when you find a car,” he says.

How does that compare to prepandemic rates?

“So we’re seeing prices two to three times higher on average than normal, but there are areas in the country where rental car prices are ten times higher than normal,” says Weinberg.

That can make a huge difference in your vacation budget planning. Weinberg says you need to rethink how you plan a vacation.

“Usually a rental car is the last thing you book. It is important to check rental car prices before booking your flight, as this can turn out to be the most expensive part of your trip,” he says.

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Weinberg says booking in advance, at least four weeks – six weeks is best, is key.

“The good news is that if you can book earlier, if you can plan a little ahead, you can get rates around half the last-minute rate,” he advises.

Even a popular travel destination like Orlando is challenged with rental cars.

“It’s not quite as bad as other areas, but that means we’re still seeing rates that are twice what they usually are,” says Weinberg. “And that’s currently about $ 100 a day for the Memorial Day weekend and an average of about $ 75 a day.”

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Weinberg says the ride sharing agencies like Uber and Lyft are hit by those who can’t get rental cars. As a result, long waiting times are the result.

Weinberg says it can take up to two hours to get a ride in Las Vegas.

On the other hand, Weinberg’s HotelSlash.com sees a different story as the hotel industry tries to get back to normal.

“Hotels are having a hard time figuring out what the right prices are, which means there are some options as prices are skyrocketing everywhere,” says Weinberg. Book early but … “If you keep checking you will find the price is going down, so you’ll want to book those prices again later and allow that flexibility so you can cancel if a better deal comes up.” “

Back to the rental cars, Weinberg says the situation is causing some people to drive their own cars when they can.

But those who do not want to spend the miles and costs for their personal car rent and drive locally.

If you do, he says, look around.

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