Nominated: Domestic, International
Acquired by Enterprise Holdings in 2007, the Alamo Rent a Car brand was founded in 1974 and focuses on leisure travelers. A favorite of international visitors to the U.S. and a strategic partner of Europcar, it operates through a network of more than 1,200 locations in Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and the U.S. This year, Alamo continued its expansion in Latin America, opening locations in Asuncion, Paraguay.
Nominated: International
Though it has branched out to offer air and hotel bookings, the name still says Auto Europe, and since 1954 the firm has been a leader in car rentals in both Europe and around the world. The company now has more than 20,000 car rental locations in over 180 countries worldwide, and in its quest to be a “one-stop shop,” it provides booking services for air, hotel, chauffeur and airport transfer services and motorhome rentals. This year the company introduced its Auto Europe Talk app as an economical alternative to paying roaming charges, enabling travelers to make calls via WiFi to any phone from over 195 countries.
Nominated: Domestic, International
Avis serves business and leisure customers at more than 5,400 locations in over 165 countries. This year the company expanded its presence in Asia, opening new facilities in China, Hong Kong, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan and adding pickup locations across Indonesia. In the U.S. it added the Maserati Ghibli to its Avis Signature Series fleet of high-end vehicles.
Nominated: Domestic
Budget Rent a Car, owned by Avis Budget Group, has approximately 3,500 locations in more than 120 countries. Budget this year revamped its website, upgrading its calendar function for scheduling pickup and returns and adding a “Get a Receipt” section on the homepage that enables customers to more easily access their rental receipts. It also expanded its Europe presence, opening 208 new locations in France and five in Italy.
Nominated: Domestic, International
Enterprise Rent-A-Car is a global brand operating in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland and Germany. There are more than 5,500 Enterprise offices located within 15 miles of 90% of the U.S. population. For the 10th time in 12 years, Enterprise was ranked the No. 1 car rental brand in the annual J.D. Power North American Rental Car Satisfaction Study.
Nominated: International
Founded in Paris in 1949, Europcar bills itself as the No. 1 car rental company in Europe and has an average fleet of 186,000 vehicles at 10,000 outlets in over 150 countries. With a focus on sustainability, Europcar was an early adopter of electric and hybrid vehicles. This year the company acquired a majority stake in E-Car Club, a U.K.-based pay-per-use car club with an all-electric fleet. It also launched its Keddy by Europcar rental program for leisure travelers, with rentals made exclusively through travel agents, brokers and tour operators.
Nominated: Domestic, International
Hertz Corp. operates the Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly car rental brands in over 10,300 locations in about 150 countries. The Hertz brand is the largest worldwide airport general-use car rental brand, with more than 1,600 airport locations in the U.S. and more than 1,300 airport locations internationally. This year the company expanded its Green Traveler Collection fleet to include the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid in select U.S. cities.
Nominated: Domestic
National Car Rental, another Enterprise brand, retains its emphasis on serving the needs of air travelers at more than 3,000 locations in 72 countries. Amenities for Emerald Club members emphasize a quick trip through the airport and easy pickup with its “choose your car” option.