Oman Air, the premier national carrier of Oman, has joined forces with Hertz, the world famous car hire company, in order to provide special offers, best rates and more to members of the Sindbad Frequent Flyer programme.

Commencing today on the June 1, travelling with Oman Air benefits Sindbad Frequent Flyer members by giving air miles away with suitable Hertz vehicle rentals. Eligible vehicles from the Hertz Collection will allow members to earn 500 miles with Sindbad, whereas eligible rentals from Hertz Prestige Collection will earn 1,000 miles.

Complimentary enrolment into the #1 Club Gold programme of Hertz is also available for Sindbad Gold and Silver members. The gold programme allows customers to access promotional deals, special rates and fast rental options.

In 40 airports, customers can benefit from the straight-to-car service… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on June 1st, 2010

Kent city taxi drivers in the UK say they have been let down by the council after they were told that flying flags from vehicles is not permitted during the World Cup football tournament. It remains to be seen whether any such action will be taken in Australia.

According to the Canterbury City Council, cabs displaying England flags would be violating rules on what can be exhibited on public service vehicles. The rules prohibit taxis from displaying any letters, signs, emblems, marks or motifs. If the ban is ignored, cabbies could have their licences revoked.

The authority said it would be pleased to look over the policy but in order for that to take place it would require a full consultation. One cab driver, Colin Mitchell, said that he wanted… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on May 31st, 2010

Avis Budget Group may not have enough cash and shareholder support to outbid rival Hertz for the right to purchase Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, according to a recently released Dollar Thrifty statement. Avis has made it clear during the past few weeks that it intends to make an offer for Dollar Thrifty, after Hertz’s $940 million bid for the budget car hire firm was announced last month.

A representative for Dollar Thrifty said that due to current financial circumstances, Avis would need substantial financing, as well as shareholder approval, to make an offer competitive with the Hertz proposal. The representative went on to say that the conditions Avis needs to meet in order to make a viable offer may represent a significant financial risk for Dollar Thrifty Investors.

Both Avis… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on May 28th, 2010

The Hertz Corportation has been named the car rental services provider for the 2010 Federation Internationale Motocyclisme (FIM) MotoGP World Championship through its partnership with Dorna Sports. The one-year contract enables the car hire giant to provide car, power generation and temperature control rental services for the 18 racing events scattered across 14 countries.

The MotoGP, celebrating 62 years in 2010, is the oldest motorsports championship in the world. The event is known for showcasing the latest in technological advances, speed and fearless drivers. Event organisers will have access to all the necessary rental cars from the Hertz fleet, as well as portable power and temperature controls for sports events, concerts and festivals as supplied by Hertz Energy Services (HES).

According to Gerry Plescia, Executive Vice President and Vice President of… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on May 27th, 2010

Avis, one of the leading car hire firms in the world, will receive the last Hummer H3 manufactured at the General Motors factory in Shreveport, Louisiana. The US car manufacturing giant will discontinue production of the H3 after completing a special order for Avis, as recent recalls as well as low demand for the once popular vehicle has made it a financial burden for GM.

General Motors announced in February that it would discontinue the Hummer brand, and was later approached by Chinese auto company Sichuan Tengzhong who showed interest in its purchase. The two parties, however, failed to reach a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Mounting problems for the struggling vehicle reached a climax recently when the Hummer H3 was subject to a recall by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), who… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on May 26th, 2010

The first public electric car charging station in Australia was opened on Tuesday in Sydney. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who expressed pride in setting up the first of many facilities helping to reduce greenhouse gasses emitted by vehicles in Australia. The site is located in Derby Place, Gebe, managed by ChargePoint, and is capable of recharging a Toyota Prius in three hours using 100 per cent GreenPower from Origin.

According to Ms Moore, Australia is proud to announce that Sydney is joining other cities around the world, including San Francisco, Amsterdam, Philadelphia, Detroit, Houston, London and Vancouver, as the first to provide public car charging stations. She went on to say that this is the first step in promoting a healthier city by… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on May 25th, 2010

Avis has added a range of Smartway-Certified cars to its rental fleet, providing consumers more choices when it comes to environmentally-friendly car rentals. The additions to the 2010 collection include the Ford Focus, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Versa, and the Pontiac G6. Vehicles become Smartway-Certified in the US after passing a series of rigorous air pollution and greenhouse gas emission standards as set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Avis Rental Car System, LLC, part of the Avis Budget Group, now has 62 per cent of its fleet passing the Smartway certification tests, with almost 100 per cent of its sub-compact, compact, and intermediate vehicles Smartway-Certified. According to Becky Alseth, Avis Budget Group senior vice-president of marketing, the We Try Harder motto which the company is known for all… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on May 24th, 2010

Holiday Autos, the world’s largest car hire broker, has increased its available fleet of cars in South Africa by 20 per cent in preparation for the World Cup games which start next month. The mass exodus of football fans into the country has prompted the firm to coordinate an increased supply of vehicles with its partners, hoping to be able to provide enough cars to meet the overwhelming demand.

Many vehicles have already been sold out, particularly larger autos such as SUV’s, minivans, and campervans. Smaller cars such as a Renault Clio or Ford Focus are still available, but are going fast. According to the Holiday Autos website, car hire for one week for the smaller model vehicles start at £140.

Stuart Nassos, Holiday Autos Managing Director, said that the… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on May 21st, 2010

Priceline, the global web-based discount travel provider, announced on Tuesday that it has purchased car hire reservation service TravelJigsaw. Priceline did not release the details of the purchase, but announced that it plans on retaining the Manchester-based TravelJigsaw management team already in place. The current management team will also control a minority share in the company as they work under new ownership.

TravelJigsaw, founded in 2004, is one of the fastest growing online car hire reservation services in the world, and offer vehicles in over 4,000 locations in 80 countries. Reservations can be made either online or by phone, with customer service agents providing support in 20 languages.

Gregory Willis, TravelJigsaw managing director, said that his company is extremely excited to become part of the Priceline group, as the partnership… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on May 20th, 2010

Thrifty Car Rental has joined forces with Emirates NBD to offer the car hire giant’s customers discounted rates on rentals. Emirates NBD cardholders using their Emirates NBD credit cards will be awarded subsidized rates on cars at any Thrifty location in the UAE from May 2010 to the end of April 2011. The announcement came Tuesday as Thrifty Automotive Group is looking for ways to provide cheaper alternatives for its customers during the recent economic downturn.

According to Rahul Singh, United Arab Emirates Thrifty Car Rental General Manager, the general trend among consumers looking for car hire has been to shop around for the lowest possible price in order to accommodate for other high expenditures during the recent economic crisis. He added that it makes perfect economic sense to join… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on May 19th, 2010