Posts Tagged ‘uk’

Sixt launches African expansion

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Sixt car hire has announced the expansion of its international network of vehicle rental outlets into Africa, including Angola and Mozambique.

The new hire locations will be operated by experienced local franchisees, providing a total of seven outlets across Mozambique and a new terminal outlet at Luanda Airport in Angola.

Managing director of Sixt UK, Ian Lawrence said that as a recognised global brand, Sixt was continuing to drive international expansion, with rental demand remaining high across all markets.

He went on to say that Sixt is the first international car hire company to have a presence at Luanda airport and a number of outlets in both countries is likely to increase in the medium-term.

Sixt also operates with partner franchises in South Africa, Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.

Survey reveals Britons work-travel habits

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

The Department of Transport has released figures from its annual National Travel Survey that reveal that commuting accounted for all journeys across all forms of transport in the UK last year.

The survey showed that distance for both type of travel tend to be longer than the average trip, commuting accounted for 19 percent of the total distance travelled per person last year, with a further 9 percent on business travel.  That compares with 20 percent for visiting friends and the same figure for leisure and other activities.

The Department of Transport statistics showed that the number of commuting trips had decreased by a total of 10 percent since 1997 but the average length of these trips rose by 5 percent.

According to the survey, 57.7 percent of Britons commute to work by car, 10 2 percent walk, 9.6 percent are car passengers and 8.3 percent use public transport.   However 70 percent of all not commuting journeys were made by car.

The statistics also showed that the average company car travelled over twice as far as the average private car.  For company cars, 72 percent of miles accrued were due to commuting or business mileage, compared to just 38 percent for private cars.

The results show that companies are tightening their belt when it comes to the purchase of company cars, as the number of business vehicles on the road slipped from 7 percent to 5 percent in the last year.

The data comes from 8000 households who completed both an interview and a seven-day travel diary.

Europcar goes green with Fiat

Friday, September 4th, 2009

UK Car hire giant Europcar has reached a deal with car manufacturer Fiat that will mean the company will significantly lower its carbon footprint.  The hire car company will now offer ‘greener’ cars from Fiat such as the Punto, Brava, Idea and the super mini, the Fiat 500.

Fiat aims to provide ‘green’ cars with low carbon emission, and all of the latest models have been designed with that in mind.  The new Fiat 500 model has a road tax of only £35 per year, a reflection on the of the little effect it has on the environment and can be driven around the congestion free zone in London free of charge because of its low carbon emissions.

Europcar has played a major role in the creation of ‘green’ car hire, as last year the car rental firm was awarded the Green Charter to recognise the efforts to lower its carbon emissions.

In addition to the new deal with Fiat, Europcar has also implemented a new feature on their website which allows customers to compare vehicle’s carbon emissions and fuel efficiency, to keep customers informed on their decision of rental vehicle.

Europcar’s move towards more environmentally friendly car hire has been quite innovative, given the attention currently paid to carbon footprints, as well as the new fleet which will most likely entice customers to choose Europcar for their car hire needs.

Sixt car rental optimistic over increase in revenue

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Major UK Car company Sixt, has reported a high level of demand for both business rentals and vehicle hire for the second quarter of 2009, recording an increase of revenue, up 7.8% in comparison to the first quarter.

Sixt says the increase in revenue is due to cost cutting measures implemented at the end of last year, including a reduction in rental fleet.

The chairman of the managing board, Erich Sixt, said: “Sixt has successfully adapted to the change in the market environment. The second quarter has shown that our cost-cutting and efficiency-enhancing measures are starting to take effect. A cautious fleet policy, price increases, customer-focused product innovations and cost awareness are the key factors for continued success in this environment.”

Sixt’s managing director says that he’s pleased with the results considering the current difficulties in the market.

He went on to say that the 7.8 increase would keep the company feeling upbeat about the remainder of the financial year.

Readers of Travel + Leisure magazine name the rated the company as the World’s Best Car Hire Agency in a survey earlier this year.

New EU legislation to cracksdown on credit card charges

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Holidaymakers who return from holiday to discover that they have been overcharged for hotel or car hire could be able to claim back some or all of the cost of the purchase when new EU legislation comes into force this Autumn.

The changes would be applied to transactions where the final amount is not specified at the point of payment, and covers situations like car hire or hotel room payments where a deposit is required.

The new terms that come into effect from November 1 state that anyone who receives a credit card bill that ‘exceeds the amount the payer could reasonably have expected in all the circumstances’ has eight weeks in which seek a full refund from their provider. N

Potentially, a claim could be made where a car hirer returns a car without a full tank but later discovers that the credit card had been charged more than perceived as necessary for the additional fuel.

Cardholders could be forgiven for thinking this is too good to be true, as banks and credit card providers will be able to interpret the rules the rules in their own way, and must make a refund or justify a refusal within 10 days of the claim.

In the event of a claim being refused, the cardholder can take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman.

The body which regulates payment companies, the UK Payments Administration said: “We are going to have to see how it pans out. But the fact that an answer has to be reached in 10 days means it is quite a quick process, which is good for the consumer.

“Banks are going to be a bit nervous about it but they will have to justify any refusal. It will be interesting to see how they handle it.”

Thanks to The Times for the above quotes.  For more information on this article visit their website.

Europcar introduce ‘pay as you go’ scheme

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

As small to medium sized companies focus on cutting costs, Europcar, a major UK car hire company is helping businesses keep car hire costs affordable during the current economic climate.

Europcar has introduced a new pay as you go system that allows businesses to hire cars or vans without the being tied into long term contracts.

The new pay as you go system will create tailored solutions for occasional to frequent car hirers, who can book on the website with a credit card, and allows customers to pre-pay for the car hire which guarantees a cheaper rate than paying on arrival.

Catriona Lougher, Marketing Director of Europcar said: “Crucially we have removed potential barriers such as credit checks and improved access to vehicles with free delivery and collection for less frequent customers to make car and van hire much more convenient.”

Europcar has also streamlined the hiring of vehicles for frequent users of car hire who want the certainties of fixed rates, allowing for businesses to budget their car hire costs throughout the year, with monthly invoicing and reduced rates for long-term hire.

Ms Lougher continued by saying:  “The key point is that through these tailored solutions, business have access to the UK’s biggest car and van hire fleet, supported by the strongest rental network in the UK providing the flexibility and choice of vehicles to suit the job

Quotes from Europcar.co.uk.  For more information visit their website.

Americans threaten to boycott Scotland

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

A campaign has been launched by furious American’s calling for tourists to boycott Scotland over the release for the release of the Lockerbie bomber.

US website boycotscotland.com has strongly urged Americans not to travel to the UK or purchase goods from Scotland.

“Unless the Scottish Government rescinds this decision to release al-Megrahi, we urge all Americans to protest this action by boycotting the United Kingdom and Scotland in full,” the website says.

“Don’t travel to Scotland or do business there, and don’t buy British or Scottish products.”

“They need a reminder, and protesting by boycotting travel and business with Scotland and the United Kingdom is the best way of doing so,” the website says.

A heated debate between Americans and Scots has erupted on Facebook and Twitter. .

“Due to the cowardly decision taken by the Scottish government to release the Lockerbie bomber I am asking that as many people as possible join this group and let the Scottish government know how we feel, by boycotting Scotland (if we visit, no money spent there),” says Facebook group Boycott Scotland, Scottish Companies and Scottish Goods.

CaptPat48 joined the debate on Twitter, saying: “Boycott Scotland over Lockerbie Bomber release! Don’t buy their products either!”

While EducatorsGoal, said: “Scotland earns £260m a year through American tourists. American Boycott NOW”

Scotland supporter greigforbes hit back, saying: “Boycott Scotland? Shove another bucket of freedom fries in your yaps and gie’s peace”

TheScottish Tourism Board, VisitScotland, has received requests from angry Americans threatening to cancel their holidays.

The US is the biggest market for tourism in Scotland.

The incident comes in the middle of the Year of Homecoming, a Scottish government initiative aimed at attracting those with Scottish ancestry to visit the country of their roots.

Thanks to news.com.au for the above quotes.  For more information on this article visit their website.

Hertz lowers minimum age to 19

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

At a time when the car hire industry is greatly affected by the recession, car hire companies are looking for new ways to gain revenue, with car rental giant Hertz changing its minimum age policy in a bid to attract more younger customers.

Until now, the minimum age for car hire is usually between 23 and 25 years old but higher in some countries.  Hertz has announced that it will lower the minimum age for car hire to just 19.

Hertz is a major player in the UK car hire market, so the move will be closely monitored by its competitors, and will open up car hire to a new generation.

The reduction in minimum age will be initially applied to locations in Europe including; United Kingdom, Spain, Slovakia, Italy, Holland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic.

To further attract young drivers the Hertz also offers a 15% discount on car hire and 20% on van hire for students, which is expected to be popular with the summer festival season.

“Hertz is the first car rental company to offer consistent pricing across Europe for younger drivers” said head of Hertz Europe, Michel Taride, said

With thanks to www.limobroker.co.uk for the above information. For more details please refer to their website

Europcar release new car hire guide

Monday, August 24th, 2009

One of the UK’s largest car rental companies, Europcar, has released a new guide to car hire which will be given to every customer at the commencement of their car hire.

The guide will be called “Your Guide to a Smooth Journey” will feature information to make car hire more enjoyable such as tips on fuel economy, keeping the kids busy and useful contact numbers.

Marketing director for Europcar, Catriona Lougher said that Europcar had invested a lot of time into creating the guide.

“This may seem a simple step to take but we have invested a lot of time and research into getting this guide exactly right for our customers” she said.

She went on to say that the guide will also dispel some of this uncertainties and mistrust that has surrounded car hire.

The guide, to be released in time for the summer peak period, is the latest in a series of innovations in the car hire industry, having previously launched a free delivery and collection of vehicles and the introduction of ‘Hire Rewards’, Europcar’s new loyalty programme.

Catriona Lougher added “Some customers hire from us once a year, some once a month and the reasons for hiring vary so we needed to ensure the guide would be helpful on a number of levels”

She said that the main goal of the guide is to keep things simple and to make the journey as smooth as possible for Europcar customers.

Thanks to Europcar for the above quotes.  For more information visit Europcar.co.uk

Air France-KLM withdraw from Czech bid

Friday, August 21st, 2009

Air France-KLM has withdrawn for the bidding of state-owned Czech Airlines citing the economic situation and downturn in the air travel industry.

“The current economic environment has significantly impacted the airline business,” the French-Dutch consortium said. “Under such circumstances, Air France-KLM believes that CSA might focus on developing and implementing a stand-alone recovery plan aimed at restoring its profitability.”

Czech airlines reported a loss of 1.32 billion koruna (£44m) in May, significantly worse than the 844 million koruna loss in the same period last year, but the company forecasts a profit in 2010.

Czech officials maintain that privatisation will continue, with further offers due next month.  Air France-KLM’s withdrawal has left only one remaing bidder, a consortium of Unimex and Travel Service.

Thanks to the Independent for the above quotes.  For more information on this article visit their website at theindependant.co.uk