The pay-as-you-go car hire service operated by Peugeot using their Mu vehicle program has been successfully launched in France for some time, and now UK motorists can experience the latest driving concept.
Similar to a pre-paid mobile account, the Mu system provides users with top-up options simply by visiting the dedicated website. With sufficient credit, renters can choose from numerous vehicles such as an SUV, the 207 or 308 CC, 407 Coupe and more. There is even the option to rent scooters and bicycles for the more environmentally friendly or exercise conscious, while additional extras such as ski racks and GPS [...]

The ongoing economic downturn that has stunted rental car sales in Europe has led to Avis Europe Plc announcing a new move in the Chinese car hire market.
The second largest hire car organisation in Europe, Avis Europe has launched the new initiative to capitalise on the hugely potential Chinese market as the local industry remains stagnant. The new move will see the group quadruple the number of rental outlets across the Chinese mainland.
Avis Europe already operates 26 Chinese rental stations through its partnership with the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, but the latest deal will see this number rise to well [...]

A growing number of Canadians are making border runs to the US to avail of cheaper air travel fares compared to flying from their home country. They said that US carriers offer much lower ticket costs and more hassle-free airport security than the ones they have in Canada.
Burlington Airport’s Director for Aviation, Brian Searles, said that 40 per cent of the airport’s passengers are Canadians. The airport is just 30 miles from the border.
Meanwhile, Plattsburgh Airport revealed that 85 per cent of the travellers using the air terminal are Canadians. The Canadian Airports Council estimates that there are about 2.5 [...]

The Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways has unveiled another questionable toilet etiquette policy following the announcement of new, female-only lavatories to be installed on its jet planes. Only recently, the same airline raised eyebrows in the travel industry by instructing its boarding passengers to visit the bathroom before stepping onto the plane – theoretically as a water and environment saving measure.
The women-only lavatory will be introduced by ANA next month on all international flights. The reason, claims the airline, is that women air passengers have said that a separate toilet was the thing they wished for the most on long [...]

The leading British-based car rental comparison site, Carrentals.co.uk has cautioned Easter holidaymakers that reservations are essential this year lest would-be drivers find themselves at the receiving end of surging hire demand as witnessed in the last few weeks of summer.
The well-known website warned that attractive money-saving deals and model availability may be limited in their offerings following initial reservations throughout the industry pointing to an unusually high demand for vehicles. This Easter appears to have become the default holiday period for many who ‘stay-cationed’ over the festive season in a bid to overcome the inflated prices of the recession-hit tourism [...]

The already troubled European airline industry is facing yet more disruptions after pilots working for German carrier Lufthansa voted in favour of their largest strike in almost a decade in reaction to ongoing job security.
Of the airline’s pilots, a staggering 93 percent said yes to the strike, which is scheduled to begin on Monday. All of the pilots will be asked to participate in the strike which will have massive consequences given Lufthansa is one of the ‘big three’ airlines in Europe along with British Airways and France-KLM.
Management has accepted full responsibility for the action, which dates back to acrimonious [...]

The Irish county of Fingal is set to receive a much needed employment boost after car hire giant Hertz announced plans to create up to 100 new jobs at the Swords Business Park outside of Dublin.
Seeking to expand its European services, Hertz, the world’s largest rental car organisation, will upgrade Dublin operations at the Swords based rental centre. The announcement was made at the centre by Mary Coughlan, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Coughlan highlighted the successful partnership that the Dublin area and Hertz have had over the years as testament to the strong work ethic of the [...]

North America’s leading car hire provider Alamo Rent A Car has teamed with Virgin Holidays to become the preferred hire car supplier for the group. Renowned as the leading global holiday booking company, Virgin Holidays is also the biggest transatlantic holiday operator and inbound travel market leader for inbound USA and Caribbean travel. Some 350,000 passengers choose to travel annually with Virgin Holidays
Starting on the first of January this year the Virgin Holidays and Alamo exclusive arrangement will see US-bound travelers offered great deals at major North American destinations such as Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Orlando, Washington D.C, Miami and [...]

The fears of a massive global car shortage in the wake of Toyota’s massive recall have been somewhat placated by several of the major hire car operators announcing that they are up to the task of managing fleets to meet the need.
Tuesday saw leading operator Enterprise Holdings join other notable big names in declaring they can satisfy customer requirements in the aftermath of the recall and sales halt from the Japanese manufacturer.
Fears grew widely earlier this week as rental companies rushed to remove the defective Toyota models from their showrooms over massive safety concerns with the accelerator pedals and floor [...]

As a way to drag itself out of its financial troubles, Aer Lingus has just recently unveiled a new business model. The former state carrier is now branding itself as Ireland’s civilized airline as part of its plan to reposition itself between low cost Ryanair and full service British Airways. Thus, this could be the new airline for mid-class passengers.
Aer Lingus hopes to raise its shares in the business travel market by offering faster check in times and pre-paid meals. At the same time, Aer Lingus will not offer premium lounges and free food and drinks that are associated with [...]