by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:04 PM ET, Thu June 11, 2020
Despite coronavirus-related travel restrictions and several car rental companies filing bankruptcy, people looking to rent a vehicle this summer will likely find better options and more savings than expected.
According to KOMO News, the demand for commercial air travel has been on the rise, which should signal an increase in the number of cars being rented this summer. While more travelers are going to hit the roads, the numbers are still down drastically from previous years.
"With the pandemic, people aren't flying," travel industry expert Steve Danishek said. "If they're not flying, they're not renting cars."
As a result, car rental industry giants like Hertz and Advantage filed for bankruptcy protection in May, but that doesn't mean the facilities have closed. Instead, they will be more eager than ever to offer customers deals to make back some of the money lost during the viral pandemic.
In addition, the lack of demand means more cars sitting in lots, which translates to better vehicle options for those choosing to hit the road this summer. It also translates to 40- to 60-percent lower prices as compared to pre-coronavirus rates.
"The rental car rates are very, very low," Danishek continued. "I've seen rates for a week from now down to 12 to 16 dollars a day plus taxes. "They're just sitting there waiting to be rented. So, you can get great values on even specialty cars like SUVs or convertibles or large vans."
Car rental companies have also announced new health and safety protocols for customers and employees, including routine cleaning and disinfecting of the vehicles, regular cleaning and sanitizing of facilities and extra COVID-19 safety training.
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