(Thinkstock)
As biz travel revs up, so do rental-car firms
Business travel is coming back, and the airline and hotel industries are reaping the benefits. But a less obvious beneficiary is the rental-car industry. Late last year, the nation's largest rental car companies began to see business -- and revenue -- grow again. The nation's largest rental car companies, including Hertz and Avis, reported year-over-year profit growth for the July-to-September period. The industry is expected to report more than $20.5 billion in combined revenue, a nearly 3 percent increase over 2009, according to a survey released in December by Auto Rental News, a trade magazine. The good news for car renters is that rates have remained relatively flat, and satisfaction levels are improving as rental companies invest in new cars.
-- The Associated Press
(Ford)
Ford's MyKey expands to radio limits for teens
Ford is planning to give parents even more power over teens with technology that can block out explicit satellite radio channels such as Howard Stern and Playboy Radio. The feature will debut this year as standard equipment on the Ford Taurus and Ford Explorer, and will eventually be available across most Ford and Lincoln vehicles. The technology works by screening out more than a dozen channels labeled by Sirius Satellite Radio as "explicit" and will be part of Ford's MyKey system. Launched in 2009, MyKey is designed to help parents encourage safe teen driving habits.
-- The Associated Press
Leave a comment