Archive for June, 2010
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
Andy Murray has admitted that he is pleased his supporters have been able to move on from the disappointment of the World Cup and get behind him at Wimbledon. He added that it makes a huge difference to the pressure of the tournament when one knows that the home support is there for you.
Murray faces Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Centre Court this afternoon. The only hope of British sporting glory this summer, Murray is bound to be feeling some pressure. However, he is still to drop a set in this tournament, and seems genuinely relaxed.
Murray has been staying at his Surrey home throughout the championships. He said that it made him feel more comfortable to be in his own home surrounded by family and friends. He explained that on the court it made little difference, but to be off the court with those you know well around you is nice. He explained that it was difficult to get that during the rest of the year.
The forecast for Wimbledon today is for some light drizzle early on followed by another fabulously warm day with temperatures expected to hit around 27C.
In the audience, cheering him on with the rest of the supporters today will be Murray’s mother Judy and Kim Sears, his girlfriend. David Beckham also appears to be trying to put the country’s dismal performance in South Africa behind him. The former England football captain has apparently sent a good luck message to the Scot ahead of today’s clash via text message.
Tags: Andy Murray, Centre Court, david beckham, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, tennis, Wimbledon, World Cup
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Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Glastonbury, arguably the country’s best loved and biggest outdoor music festival, has come to a close for another year. But whereas fans were concentrating on celebrating the festivals 40th birthday, the police have been celebrating yet another fall in crime figures at the event.
The total number of crimes reported at this year’s Glastonbury was 393. This is a decrease on 2009′s figure of 445 crimes, which was already less than the 483 crimes reported in 2008. Police said that 170,000 revellers attended the event and that only 0.3 per cent were the victims of any type of crime.
Of the crimes reported, the majority involved the theft of people’s possessions from the tents they were camping in. This type of crime resulted in 230 complaints to police. Personal thefts dropped from 61 in 2009 to 22 this year.
There were 117 arrests, all of which were drug related. 90 people were asked to accompany the authorities because they were in possession of drugs and 17 people were charged with dealing drugs.
Superintendent Ian Smith, who was in charge of the police operation at this year’s festival, said that he was extremely pleased that once again the level of crime at the Glastonbury Festival had remained low. He added that the police had been received well by festival-goers and that the feedback had been extremely positive. The event was wrapped up this weekend with a stage performance by the legendary Stevie Wonder, who was joined by the crowd in a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’.
Tags: birthday, crime figures, crimes, drugs, Glastonbury, Glastonbury Festival, music festival, police, Stevie Wonder, theft
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Monday, June 28th, 2010
Even German football legend Jurgen Klinsmann admitted that the referee’s decision not to allow Frank Lampard’s goal as England faced Germany in the World Cup yesterday was a disgrace.
It is impossible to say whether Lampard’s effort, which would have drawn the two teams level at 2-2 at half-time, would have made that difference England needed to go on and beat the German’s, but it will certainly fuel the debate for goal-line video technology.
England eventually lost 4-1. Manuel Neuer, Germany’s goalkeeper has admitted that he may have had something to do with referee Jorge Larrionda’s decision not to allow the England goal which clearly landed at least two-feet behind the line after ricocheting off the cross bar. He said that he saw the ball was way over the line, but acted very quickly to carry on with the game, perhaps fooling Larrionda into thinking it had not gone in.
Stephen Gerrard, the England captain, said that in his opinion the linesman was at fault for being so far behind the game he missed the very obvious goal. He said that it was disappointing to see the ball bounce behind the goal line and then realise the linesman is still 20 yards down the pitch.
FIFA will now have to consider implementing some sort of system which monitors what goes on at the goal-line. France were put through to the finals when striker Thierry Henry scored against the Irish with his hand, which the referee was oblivious to, and now England are out of the World Cup, in part due to match officials not really knowing what’s going on.
Tags: England, Frank Lampard, Germany, goal-line, Jorge Larrionda, Manuel Neuer, Thierry Henry, World Cup
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Friday, June 25th, 2010
A survey asking customers of car hire companies, hotels and airlines to rate their most irritating experiences when making use of the services provided have voted that their biggest gripes are unhelpful, rude employees and additional charges.
Consumer Reports magazine, which conducted the poll, asked 2,000 members of the public to rate a list of potentially annoying situations form 1 to 10. 1 being not in the least annoying, and 10 being extremely irritating.
For both car hire firms and hotels customers said that it was the attitude of the staff which really affected their experiences in a negative way. Rental car customers gave rude staff a 7.9 on the gripe scale and hotel customers gave unhelpful service employees a 7.8. On airlines, staff not providing a useful service scored 7.7, just behind added fees and luggage charges as the most frustrating experience.
Additional fees were second on the list of gripes for car rental customers and for those staying in hotels scoring 7.7 and 7.6 respectively. Other irritations for those renting vehicles included that state in which the car was in when it was handed over to them. Damaged and dirty cars scored a 7.0 on the annoyance scale.
Those using car hire firms also voted high pressure pitches as quite annoying along with not being given the car initially requested. On airlines it seems that not being kept informed about delays is actually more irritating than the delays themselves. Noisy children on aircraft also came well down the list of irritations on flights behind people hogging the carry on space as well as seat space.
Tags: airlines, car hire, car rental, Consumer Reports magazine, delays, hotels, luggage charges, rental car, seat space
Posted in Car Rental News | Comments Off
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
Last summer, many popular European holiday destinations suffered from a lack of car hire availability. This year, that problem looks set to continue. Car hire firm Argus has issued a warning to all of its customers through its website that it is already running low on vehicles, and that those wishing to guarantee a car at their chosen holiday destination should think about booking it in the near future.
According to the Argus website, Spain is one of the countries which is really struggling to find enough vehicles to supply to holidaymakers. In particular, destinations such as Malaga, Alicante, Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza are rapidly running low.
Barry Malone, brand manager at Argus said: “We wouldn’t like to see our customers disappointed so to avoid a repeat of last summer’s severe vehicle shortages, we’re issuing all of our clients with an email warning them about the current low availability situation. We have some great value deals on offer at the moment but these are subject to availability – customers will have to move quickly if they want to get the cheapest rates for June, July and August.”
The global economic downturn is the main reason why fleets in country’s like Spain are so diminished. As lenders became more reluctant to issue loans to car rental firms there was no way for them to refinance and replenish their fleets.
The situation is ongoing, which means for the time being those who want a car when they are away should book early to avoid high prices and disappointment.
Tags: Argus, car hire, car rental, cheapest rates, holiday
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Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
Enterprise Rent-A-Car has been told by a jury that it must pay $15 million to the parents of two sisters who died whilst driving one of their hire vehicles. The jury made their decision after hearing that the Chrysler PT Cruiser in which the girls were driving had been recalled by the manufacturer because of safety concerns.
After leaving their mother’s house, Raechel Houck, who was driving with her sister Jacqueline, apparently lost control of the Chrysler PT, crossed the road’s central reservation and collided with a truck coming in the opposite direction. The car then burst into flames and neither girl survived.
Attorneys for the girl’s parents say that experts have confirmed that the accident occurred after leaking fluid from the vehicle’s power steering system caused Raechel to lose control of the car. A month before the vehicle was rented Chrysler had issued a recall notice for 435,000 PT Cruisers manufactured between 2002 and 2005 because there were safety issues concerning the power steering hose and leakage.
According to records, the Chrysler the Houck sisters had been given had not been repaired and had been rented out a total of four times since the recall had been issued. Enterprise initially said that the crash was the result of Raechel’s driving. However, according to the parent’s lawyer, Lawrence Grassini, the company also offered to pay $3 million if the matter was kept confidential.
Cally Houck, the girl’s mother, said that she had not wanted Enterprise to silence her, and that the company would have to take responsibility for its actions.
Tags: Chrysler, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Enterprise, enterprise rent a car, hire vehicles, recall, safety
Posted in Car Rental News | Comments Off
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Budget-Rent-a-Car has announced that it will be expanding its presence in the UAE by opening an outlet at Skypark Plaza. The facility is a multi-story car-park just a short distance from Abu Dhabi Airport’s main terminal which will supply visitors with value added services including ATMs, pharmacies and shops, as well as vehicle rental opportunities.
Abu Dhabi Airport Company’s chief commercial officer, Huraiz Almur Bin Huraiz, said that by awarding the Skypark Plaza contract to Budget the facility would now be able to offer its patrons a wider range of choices which he hoped would enhance their travelling experience. He added that Budget was also chosen because it offered an excellent service at an extremely competitive price.
Liberty Investment Company, Budget-Rent-a-Car’s main franchisee in the UAE, said that the latest move was part of a wider plan to grow the company throughout the nation. Salim Damji, Budget’s senior general manager, UAE, said that Abu Dhabi was a centre for growth in the emirate and added that the region was growing rapidly as a major tourist destination.
According to the Abu Dhabi Airport Company, first quarter figures show that 2,578,920 passengers passed through the airport. This is an increase on a year earlier of 13.8 per cent.
Budget-Rent-a-Car is already one of the most successful car hire firms in the UAE. It first established itself in 1981, and has since grown to 14 offices across the region. Further expansion is planned for Dubai, with 2 new offices at Dubai Marina and Downtown Burj scheduled to open by the end of the year.
Tags: Budget, Budget Rent A Car, Dubai, Liberty Investment Company, Skypark Plaza, tourist
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Monday, June 21st, 2010
The founder of EasyJet Plc, Stelios Haji-loannou, is suing the airline because he claims extra services such as car hire and travel insurance being offered as a way of generating extra revenue, are damaging to the Easy brand. In 2000, EasyJet signed and agreement with EasyGroup, which said that the airline must make at least 75 per cent of sales through airline operations.
According to lawyers for EasyGroup, the courts decision will depend on whether the extra services being offered under the EasyJet name are ancillary or core airline services.
Stelios claims that EasyJet has found itself in the position of having to squeeze revenue out of its customers through extra services because of an ill thought out strategy of expansion over the last decade.
Stelios resigned from the EasyJet board after he failed to see eye-to-eye with other members over expansion plans. The EasyGroup boss still owns around 38 per cent of the airline’s shares. A London court has received papers claiming that car hire, insurance and food are not integral to the EasyJet business. The airline has reacted by saying that such services as well as baggage fees and priority boarding were part of the airline’s main business.
Stelios said that he could not understand where the airline had found the optimism to push for growth at a time when the market suggested it was not a good idea and poor financial returns also indicated that it was probably not the best time to be considering expansion. EasyJet is Europe’s second largest budget carrier after Ryanair.
Tags: airline, car hire, EasyGroup, easyjet, Stelios, Stelios Haji-loannou, travel insurance
Posted in Finance and Business | Comments Off
Friday, June 18th, 2010
Representative association of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, the American Automotive Policy Council Inc, has thrown its weight behind a proposal in Congress that discriminatory taxes levied upon car rental customers be brought to an end. It is claimed that $7.5 billion has already been charged to the American public through such charges.
President of the American Automotive Policy Council, Stephen Collins, said that discriminatory taxes on car rentals were being imposed because of the incorrect assumption that it is mostly tourists who hire vehicles, and that tourists are affluent enough to be able to pay extra when renting a car. He described that charges as a luxury tax.
Mr Collins went on to point out that figures proved that more than half of all rental vehicles were taken in neighbourhood locations by middle to low income consumers, not from airports. He said that the extra charges were clearly being misdirected and that fair taxation principles were not being applied.
The House Judiciary Subcommittee has heard the legislation entitled ‘The End Discriminatory State Taxes for Automobile Renters Act’, and if it is approved it could mean the end of local government’s ability to charge customers extra when they hire a car.
Mr Collins said that local governments were wrong to assume that those hiring vehicles were from the better off sections of society and that by taxing indiscriminately, consumers on every income level were being hurt. He added that the taxes also damaged American jobs because of their misdirected nature.
Tags: American Automotive Policy Council, car hire, car rental, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, tax
Posted in Car Rental News | Comments Off
Thursday, June 17th, 2010
The Hertz Rent2Buy scheme will now reach more people through the online pages of AutoTrader.com. A new partnership means that vehicles from the Hertz rental fleet will be advertised for sale on the AutoTrader site, giving the Rent2Buy program an additional audience of around 15 million people across the US every month.
The advantage to AutoTrader customers of choosing a vehicle from the Hertz rental fleet is the unique three-day trial which is on offer. As well as offering good condition second hand vehicles at reasonable prices, Hertz also offers potential buyers the chance to take the vehicle away, test drive it, and have an independent expert assess its quality.
If after the three day test period a customer decides that the vehicle is not for them, then the vehicle is returned and the usual Hertz rental fee is charged. If the customer chooses to buy the vehicle, then an agreement is drawn up and the vehicle is purchased at the listed price. The three days rental fee is waived.
Mark P Frissora, Hertz chairman and CEO, said that by making second hand cars available through AutoTrader.com, Hertz was offering yet another outlet for customers to search for their ideal vehicle. He added that Hertz was extremely proud to have such a trusted site added to their listings.
Chip Perry, AutoTrader.com president and CEO, said that the Hertz Rent2Buy was unique and offered customers a great way of getting their hands on a used car, truck or SUV. He added that by partnering with AutoTrader, Hertz would gain access to the largest market for used vehicle buyers in the country.
Tags: AutoTrader.com, Hertz, Hertz Rent2Buy, Mark P. Frissora, rental fee, second hand vehicles, used car
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