Last-Minute Car Hire Booking Risks

Here's another travel industry update from Auto Europe's Commercial Director for the UK and Ireland, Peter McAree:

Nobody will need a break more this year than the travel agents and airline companies, awash with shredded nerves and unwavering anxiety about the outlook for the summer 2009 season. But throughout this financially uncertain time, one thing has become increasingly obvious. We may have to make lifestyle sacrifices and cut our leisure budgets to the bone, but here in the UK we are determined not to give up our holidays. The real enemy of the travel industry at the moment is not unwillingness to spend money on holidays. It's the reluctance to commit too soon. The uncertainty of the near future has led many of us to adopt a 'wait and see' attitude. As the tension rises, there is the expectation that prices will fall and leaving plans to the last-minute appears to be the preferred approach.

This is what we're seeing at Auto Europe. There has been a strong trend to short-lead bookings in the first quarter of this year and we would normally see a greater proportion of advance orders being made for the summer months by now. Last-minute booking might seem like the most sensible idea this year, but for car hire it could actually lead to price increases, as availability may become limited. Understandably a number of the major suppliers have been cautious with their vehicle purchasing and fleet sizes will be tightly controlled.

We're strongly advising our customers to book early for busy school holiday periods and popular locations to keep costs down and guarantee the type and size of car you need (some parts of Europe are almost booked up for Easter already). Remember, there's no risk involved in hiring your car early through Auto Europe. Any payment received will be returned in full if a cancellation is made up to 48 hours before the time of collection. You can find full details of our service promise on the Auto Europe website.