Even though it’s been nearly a month since Hurricane Sandy wrecked the East Coast, Thanksgiving visitors to the region will be experiencing a rental car shortage that could affect their holiday plans. Although many companies have brought in cars from other regions to make up for damaged cars in their own fleets, it’s been difficult for many companies to fully stock up for the holiday weekend.
Says Tadd Rosenfeld, CEO of TeamLauncher, ”showing up to Thanksgiving in a U-Haul is worse than showing up with an escort. But at $19 a day, it’s tempting.” He’s specifically referring to the fact that many people are resorting to “desperate measures” to get to their holiday destinations, and he’s no different: he’s had to change his plans to make sure he reaches New York City in time for his family get-together.
But others aren’t so lucky: some families and travelers have had rental car reservations for months now, and now they’re in line again, as thousands of previous reservations must be voided or nulled because of lack of inventory. Car rental agencies across the region are asking travelers to have as many backup plans as possible, and though they’re willing to accommodate customers as much as possible, there’s always a chance for something to go wrong.
“I’ve been travelling to the East Coast for the holidays for about 20 years now, and I’ve never seen it so difficult to find a basic reservation,” said Ted Klass. “I’m just glad that we know people who’ve owned a company, and we were able to replace our old reservation with one through them. Otherwise we’d be out of luck.”
If you’re travelling to the East Coast for the holidays, do your best to prepare by calling multiple rental car agencies to see what their inventories are shaping up like. Odds are, you’ll be able to find somewhere that’s willing to take a last-minute customer.
In that case, still, you can expect to pay more than you normally would for a basic rental car. Although the state and local governments in the region are watching out for price gouging, the lack of rental car availability means that any additional expenses incurred by the import of the cars is completely legal, so you could be looking at a much higher rental expense with no other alternatives.
If a rental car is simply a luxury on your travels, consider using public transportation, or getting in touch friends and family that can pick you up and take you to your destinations. If you’re afraid of being a burden – though you aren’t! – you can offer to pitch in for gas, food or other expenses.
This holiday season, like most, is bound to be stressful. But if you’re looking to travel to the East Coast for holiday pleasures this year, make sure you do your best to make your car rental – and flights – as far in advance as possible, and if you have existing reservations, make sure you call and check that it’s still available for your arrival date.
Happy holidays everyone!
The post Hurricane Sandy Causing Rental Car Shortage on East Coast appeared first on Junk Car Cash In.
