Residents in the North Carolina city of Raleigh can now take advantage of hourly car hire.
Wednesday saw the release of a new car sharing program between the city and leading car rental organisation Enterprise Rent A Car, with the key target market those residents who do not have a vehicle of their own who still need to make short drives around the district.
The launch of the new Raleigh initiative is the latest in the successful Enterprise’s WeCar program, which features at hand rental solutions for all short-term driving needs, and is highlighted by 24/7 availability. Founded in 2008 as a [...]

Leading European car rental company Avis is looking to enhance its visibility.
The car hire group has announced that it is on the lookout for a new direct marketing agency that can take on the promotion of its loyalty programme across the continent.
Last week saw Avis approach a number of direct marketing network agencies, and will compile a shortlist of selected agencies to hold further chemistry meetings with later this month and in early August. It is believed that the briefing to the DM representatives was called as part of a wider renewal of efforts by the Avis group to increase [...]

High-speed passenger train operator, Eurostar, has announced a 6 per cent passenger increase on its UK to Europe services. A total of 4.6 million people travelled through the Eurotunnel in the first half of 2010, generating £404 million in revenue for the operator. The increase in passengers underlies a preference away from short-haul airline services, according to the company.
Eurostar claims that more people are becoming drawn to the comfort and ease of travelling by rail from and to the centres of Europe’s major cities. The operator also claims that more international passengers are deciding to make a journey on the [...]

The recent announcement that Flybe has placed a firm order for 35 new aircraft could be good news for Cardiff Airport. Steve Hodgetts, the airport’s business development and commercial director, said that he is very keen to sit down with the airline and discuss ways in which Cardiff and Flybe can work together to offer passengers more frequency to more destinations throughout Europe.
Flybe is currently Europe’s number one regional airline. It already carries passengers from Cardiff to a number of destinations including Belfast, Paris and Edinburgh. The airline is looking to expand its presence in the business market and if [...]

An armed man has left two employees of a Florida office of Budget Rent-A-Car in hospital.
According to police in Titusville, the gunman burst into the rental facility, situated on the corner of South Washington Avenue and South Terrier Trail, at around 0900 on Wednesday morning. He attempted to rob the office and proceeded to pistol-whip the two staff members before escaping. The two employees were taken to the Parrish Medical Center where they were treated, though both are expected to make a full recovery.
Police said that the gunman did not escape in any vehicle from the depot, and are waiting [...]

UK consumers have been told to wise up when hiring a vehicle in the EU.
The warning comes from leading consumer group the UK European Consumer Centre, who claims that British motorists are failing to take basic precautions when renting on the continent.
The statement from the UKECC follows a sharp rise in number of consumer complaints from UK consumers relating to car hire within the EU have skyrocketed in the first part of 2010, with general inquiries also up markedly. Complaints from UK drivers rose by nearly 30 per cent in the first five months of this year compared to the [...]

Research conducted by the BBC has revealed that some of the claims made by passengers stranded by the volcanic ash cloud over Europe earlier this year have been somewhat extreme. One customer has apparently applied to get the money he spent hiring a private jet to get him home reimbursed. Another passenger has asked that the bill for a week’s worth of lobster dinners be picked up by one airline.
Some airlines are taking longer than others to process claims from disrupted passengers. Virgin Atlantic claims that it has managed to process 95 per cent of the 6,000 ticket refund requests [...]

Because of alleged connections with the sex trade, a Hilton Hotel in China has been told that it will have to give up its five-star status. The Hilton Chongqing, in Chongqing City in the southwest of the country, was closed down recently after a raid by police on the Hotel’s Diamond Dynasty Club. At the raid, 102 people were taken into custody and the Hotel was forced to close its doors for eight days in June.
The investigation into the Hotel’s connection with the sex trade is ongoing and a club in the hotel’s basement has been suspended. Clubs linked to [...]

Leading South African car rental company Avis says its forced move to the new Durban Airport will have long term benefits. Chief executive Wayne Duvenage said that the high cost relocation to the new King Shaka International Airport would not begin to show a positive return for at least ten years, but added that by that stage, all concerned would be glad of the transition.
Duvenage said Avis would have preferred to stay at the old airport but was forced into the move as the World Cup organisers demanded that the new location be up and running in time for the [...]

The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was by and large disappointing for the car hire industry. However, for Avis, the African odyssey was an unqualified success, largely due to their heavy investment in the local culture and research into the potential traveller, with consultations with previous World Cup holding nations proving highly beneficial.
Avis was able to enjoy significant growth, well in excess of the average, for the tournament and as compared to the same period last year. They did this, said chief executive Wayne Duvenage, through a strategy of preparedness which encompassed consistent projections and planning, in addition [...]