Posts Tagged ‘holidays’

Hertz offers summer discounts

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Travellers from the Middle East and Saudi Arabia are being offered discounted prices on car rental by Hertz if they are coming to Europe, Australia or North America. Both Leisure and business travellers are being offered up to 15 per cent off the usual rental price in various countries across Europe and in the US, and 20 per cent off rental rates across Australia.

General manager at Kanoo Travel, Roland Bunge, said the special rate discounts on car hire would be available to those who reserve vehicles before July 30. The reduced rates are available to customers who rent a vehicle for a minimum of seven days and who use that vehicle before September 30.

Hertz discounts are available in a number of European countries including Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Italy, Germany, France and the UK. The Hertz brand has been operating out of the Middle East for a quarter of a century and at present there are a total of 66 outlets in the region. In Africa, Hertz has 161 outlets run by 23 franchises.

Hertz is the largest general use car rental brand in the world and is offering the special rates to Middle Eastern and Saudi Arabian customers who will be travelling to Australia, Europe and the US this summer for their holidays.

The special discounts are also being made available to those travelling abroad on business. Hertz offers a wide range of vehicles for a variety of purposes, and for a short time, all vehicles are being offered at low prices.

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New research reveals lack of information given by car hire companies

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Those deciding to rent a car for their holidays have been advised to read and understand the terms and conditions outlined in the hire contract before committing their signature to the dotted line. Recent research by Which? Holiday has found that many car hire companies are severely lacking in the amount of information they offer up to customers before they hand over the keys. Researchers at Which? Holiday looked at eight car hire companies at Heathrow and Charles de Gaul and came up with some worrying results. When trying to examine the contractual terms and conditions on the websites of both Avis and Enterprise they could find nothing. Limited information was found on the websites of Budget, National and Alamo. A lack of information about the total cost of hiring a car from some of the companies meant that it was not possible to do an accurate price comparison because no information was given about the price of waivers or extra costs.

A spokesperson for Enterprise reportedly told the research team that their website was merely a tool for booking a vehicle and that the transaction as well as terms and conditions being made available would take place at the booking desk. National and Alamo also allegedly said that customers should not compare waivers and insurance cover on price alone because their levels can vary.

Hertz, Europcar and Enterprise all told Which? Holiday that the clause in their contracts making the hirer of a vehicle responsible for paying the full price of that vehicle in the event that they cannot produce the keys after the car has been stolen is a way of preventing fraud and negligence. They said that there were circumstances where exceptions would be made.

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Cumbria reports record tourist numbers

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Domestic travellers, known as ‘staycationers’, are helping travel operators generate profits despite the economic situation.

Cumbria Tourism reported bookings up by 20 percent compared with the same time last year, which meant an extra £346,000 was generated for the region’s economy.

The increased interest in Cumbria for domestic travellers was due to the low value of the pound against the euro as well as many travellers choosing shorter and more cost effective holidays due to the recession.

The lakes area also had some celebrity endorsement last week when Gordon Brown went there.

Chief executive of Cumbria Tourism, Ian Stephens, said it was vital for holiday companies to continue to promote their businesses to remain competitive.

The Office Of National Statistics revealed last month a 17 percent slump in trips abroad with many holidaymakers opting to holiday domestically.

Thanks to England’s North East for quotes.  For more information visit their website.

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Europcar commences free hire car delivery and pick-up

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

With the economic crisis gripping the world’s travel industry, many companies are being forced to become more innovative and provide better value service than ever before.  In the car hire industry Europcar is the latest, launching free delivery and collection for car and van hirers.

Europcar, one of the UK’s major players in the car rental industry, will deliver and pick up the rental vehicle from the customers home or office within two hours.

The free delivery service is aimed to make car hire more convenient and will be available for people who hire cars for over two days.

Unlike previously, where customers had to collect and drop off the rented car at a rental outlet or a designated parking spot, customers Europcar will deliver the car to the customer and pick it up from the same location.

The service is provided free for areas within the first ten miles with a per-mile charge applied thereafter, and is provided at 152 locations across the UK.

“The timing for this couldn’t be better,” said Catriona Lougher, Spokeswoman for Europcar.  “We know our customers want convenience, value and a simple, no nonsense car hire service. With household budgets stretched, and with reports that more of us will be staying in the UK for holidays this year, car hire is really coming into its own – whether it’s for a bigger, more reliable vehicle for a holiday or to replace a second family car.”

For more information on this article please visit advertisertalk.com

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Thomas Cook increase holiday prices by 8%

Monday, August 17th, 2009

Travel giant Thomas Cook have increased holiday prices by about 8%, which works out to be £140 extra on a typical family getaway.

The company has taken advantage of recent wet weather in the UK, leaving those looking for last minute bargains with fewer deals.

The increases in prices work out to be about 8%, which is roughly £35 to 450 per person, helping to boost profits following the impact of swine flu and also by cutting the number of holidays its sells, by almost a million per year since 2007.

Following the collapse of travel giant XL and competitor TUI also cutting the number of packages, Thomas Cook’s move has meant that there are about 2.5 million holiday packages for sale compared with two years ago.

Many travel operators have reported a surge in last minute bookings, with Egypt and Turkey being popular destinations for families.

Thomas Cook have 9% fewer holidays than the same time last year, allowing it to raise prices to offset some of the impact that has been caused to travel by the swine flu outbreak, with losses already at about the £12 million.

The travel company had sold around 90,000 holidays to Mexico before the swine flu outbreak, with many choosing to cancel their break or to choosing to book at the last minute to destinations closer to home.

Many hotels still have their doors closed in Mexico, with Thomas Cook anticipating annual losses of £20 due to swine flu.

In spite of the losses, Thomas Cook remain confident that profits will be around £430 million, and believe that the number of ‘staycationers’, those choosing to holiday at home due to the recession, is exaggerated.

Quotes thanks to the Mirror.  For more information on this article please visit their website at www.themirror.co.uk

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Holidaymakers to sue Thomas Cook

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Travel company Thomas Cook is facing legal action after more than 15 holidaymakers experienced ‘hellish’ trips to Egypt earlier this year.

Those who stayed at the five-star Hauza Beach Hotel in Nabq Bay, Sharm El Sheikh claim that under-cooked food led to them suffering from severe gastric problems.

Legal action has already started against Thomas Cook, Directline Holidays, Lowcostbeds.com and Ramsey travels while investigations are underway against three other companies.

Law firm Irwin Mitchell, representing the holidaymakers, describe the five-star Egyptian hotel as an ‘insect-infested hell-hole’.

British couple David and Judith Harle from County Durham are among those taking legal action after paying over £2,000 for their holiday which left them feeling ill and with severe stomach ailments.

‘My symptoms were so bad and left me so dehydrated that I had to get an injection from the on-site clinic.’ Mr Harle said.

‘We were both then stuck at the hotel, just watching other people falling ill around us.’

A partner at Irwin Mitchel said: ‘We have received enquiries from more than a dozen other holidaymakers who travelled with several different travel companies and whose stories are similar to Mr Harle’s.’

‘We can’t stress enough how important it is for travel companies and hotels to take the health and safety of their guests seriously.

‘We have now started legal action against three different travel companies on behalf of a number our clients and we would urge these companies to accept liability quickly so that our clients can put this ordeal behind them.’

Thomas Cook claims that reports of illness are taken seriously and the matter is being fully investigated by their hotels and resorts team.

Quotes thanks to the Daily Mail.  For more information please visit their website.

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Travellers warned of car hire shortage in Spain

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Holidaymakers heading to Spain could find themselves in difficulty hiring cars due to a nationwide shortage of vehicles.

Car hire companies are warning that unless travellers’ pre-book cars it is unlikely they would be able to rent one, especially in popular destinations such as Malaga airport.

The vehicle shortage may not only cause the hassle of leaving travellers without transport, but also boost the cost at a time when tourists are price-conscious.

Spain, usually renowned for its cheap car rental prices, is currently suffering as the credit crunch has affected the car hire companies’ ability to buy and lease cars from manufacturers.

Lack of available credit means car rental companies do not have the money to lease or buy enough vehicles to cover the high tourist season.

Cutbacks in fleets have been made as forecasts were based on an 18% drop in tourist numbers over the winter season, but tempting offers and poor weather in the UK have led to a sharp increase in last-minute holidays to Spain, pushing the demand for cars.

Head of marketing and e-commerce for Budget Rent-a-Car, Andy Lewis said:  ‘It is true that rental vehicles in Spain are generally in short supply across the industry this summer. We therefore highly recommend that rental bookings are made well in advance of travel to avoid disappointment.’

Thanks to the Daily Mail for the above quotes.  For more information visit their website at dailymail.co.uk

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Europcar now on Twitter

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

Car rental giant Europcar has began to use social-networking website Twitter in a bid to encourage people to hire cars for their summer holidays and weekend getaways.

The mass messages, known as ‘tweets’, offer promotions and ideas of places to go and information related with car hire.

The idea was conceived by web designers Fortune Cookie who will publish the tweets daily

The new campaign will be aimed at Europcar’s existing comments through regular email campaigns.

Head of eCommerce for Europcar UK, Danny Higgins, said the campaign was part of an online and offline strategy.

‘We’re very keen to explore new platforms such as Twitter to increase brand awareness and interact with new customers in a more personal and informal way’. He added.

Europcar intend to use the service to send a personal message, rather than a typical sales message to potential customers which will include destination advice and weekend getaway ideas.

Thanks to Europcar website for the above quotes.

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Woman dies in canal boat holiday accident

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Mother-of-two, Amanda Chappell, did after falling from a canal boat whilst on holidays with her family.

The woman fell in to the water whilst trying to negotiate a lock on the Oxford Canal, and is believed to have struck her head.

The woman, a teaching assistant from Totnes, Devon, was pronounced dead at the scene by ambulance officers.

The family hired a boat from a firm in Rugby, Warwickshire, and are believed to have been heading towards Stockton, when the accident happened at roughly 5:30pm on Thursday.

Police are not treating the death as suspicious and the canal has been closed while investigations were undertaken.

“The woman was steering the boat while two of the family – the husband and one of the children – were working the lock gates,” said Inspector Helen Robertson.

“For some reason the boat bumped or nudged the side wall or gates of the lock and the lady has lost her balance and fallen into the water.” Inspector Robinson added.

Thanks to the Telegraph for the above quotes.  For more information on this article visit telegraph.co.uk

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