Tourists looking to spend a weekend in Las Vegas on Memorial Day may experience sticker shock when it comes to renting a car. Or a long wait for an Uber or Lyft.
In the United States, an estimated 37 million Americans will travel by air and road Thursday through Sunday, according to the AAA. And in Las Vegas, experts urge travelers to Las Vegas to plan ahead given the shortage of rental cars and ridesharing.
Jonathan Weinberg, CEO and founder of the rental car booking and tracking website, AutoSlash.com, said cars are still available for the Las Vegas vacation weekend, but renting a car costs travelers from $ 110 per day.
Renting a limo from Thursday through next Tuesday at McCarran International Airport costs a total of $ 763, Weinberg said. “And that’s just a starting point,” he said. Some landlords are already sold out during the long weekend.
“Las Vegas at $ 110 a day is definitely on the high side in terms of pricing,” Weinberg said. In other parts of the country, AutoSlash.com has posted rental rates averaging $ 75 to $ 125 per day.
Demand for rental cars
According to AAA Nevada, Las Vegas is the top destination for rental cars booked on AAA.com in the club’s region, followed by Honolulu, San Jose, Phoenix, and Kahului.
“If you plan to travel in 2021, your experience may be very different from your last trip, so being prepared has never been more important,” said Sergio Avila, spokesman for AAA Nevada. “It might be a good idea to talk to a travel agent as they can give good advice to those going on a trip.”
McCarran spokesman Joe Rajchel said passengers are encouraged to book their rental cars as early as possible.
“Anecdotally, we see that some companies have to wait a little longer,” he said of the McCarran Airport Rent-A-Car Center. “What we see here happens nationwide – that means there is a supply problem when it comes to rental cars.”
Several U.S. car rental chains said the summer will bring new challenges as companies try to expand their fleets.
In the past year, many companies sold idle cars. Landlords now trying to scale their inventory to pre-pandemic levels are struggling as a global chip shortage hurts automakers. And rental companies looking for used and new cars are also competing with regular buyers willing to pay a premium.
AutoSlash.com’s Weinberg said car rental companies are doing everything they can to get more vehicles. “Across the board, rental companies have been adding vehicles wherever they can, but it’s not a meaningful figure compared to the additional demand they are seeing,” he said.
Avis Budget Group, which owns Avis and Budget, said it is adding new vehicles to its inventory every day and encouraging customers to pre-book a reservation and pay in advance to get the best deal available.
“When we return to normal in a post-COVID-19 world, we expect greater fluctuations in market demand and customer rental patterns, such as those associated with vacation destinations, and we are constantly adapting our fleets to meet this demand.” A company spokesman said Tuesday in a statement to the review journal.
Enterprise Holdings – which owns Enterprise, Alamo, and National – has reported increased demand for vehicles across the country. Travelers, the company says, are also extending their rental periods, and it found some specialty vehicles like vans, pickups, convertibles, and large SUVs are in high demand.
“We assume that this strong demand will continue throughout the summer,” said Enterprise spokeswoman Lisa Martini. “When planning a trip, we recommend that you reserve a vehicle as early as possible. Providing flexible travel dates and store pickup locations in your search may also expand your options. “
Hail shipping companies see longer waiting times
Getting an Uber or a Lyft from McCarran might not be easier. Expect longer waiting times. Uber spokesman Javi Correoso said the company continues to see high demand for passengers in the Las Vegas Valley.
“As a company, and knowing the demand we’ll see this weekend, we’re definitely focusing on getting as many drivers as possible onto the platform to meet the demand at peak times,” Correoso told the Review Journal . “Demand in the market continues to grow and as more people get vaccinated, people start to travel and Las Vegas is very similar to some of our Florida markets – a large part of our business is tourism.”
Corresoso said Uber spoke to McCarran about the increased demand on its platform.
“They understand the challenges we are facing right now. Yes, you know we are working very closely with them and we have communicated on some of these issues,” he told the Review Journal.
Lyft also sees a wave of riders on its platform.
“We’re seeing a sharp surge in demand for amusement rides as vaccines roll out and people prepare to get back on the move,” a company official said in a statement emailed. “We are working to meet the demand, including providing incentives for drivers.”
Ride-hail services are faced with the challenge of getting more drivers onto the road to meet demand. Both Uber and Lyft are working on incentives for drivers.
At the same time, the two hail shipping companies are also in contact with Governor Steve Sisolak’s office and the Nevada Transportation Authority to discuss the Nevada state of emergency.
When driver demand increases, “dynamic pricing” – or price increase – usually helps to incentivize drivers to travel to areas of increased demand. This is not an option in the state of emergency as pricing for hail drives was banned as part of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this month, hail shipping companies had a workshop session with the Nevada Transportation Authority and submitted comments to the regulator to address these challenges.
Lyft said that by working with Sisolak’s office and the NTA, he “wants to help ensure that the state of emergency does not affect driving experience and driver income.”
Contact Jonathan Ng at jng@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ByJonathanNg on Twitter.
