Enterprise, National, Alamo Brands Offer Most Competitive Gas Prices and Refueling Fees

ST. LOUIS, MO--(Marketwire - Apr 17, 2012) - With the arrival of spring and a busy Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, many travelers may get a shock at some airport car-rental return counters if they return their vehicle with less than a full tank of gasoline.

In the past few months, steadily rising gas prices have topped a national average of $3.90 per gallon, or about a 16-percent increase since January (according to AAA). However, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands -- owned and operated by Enterprise Holdings -- are charging significantly less than other car rental brands for refueling.

Current refueling costs at Enterprise, National and Alamo range from $5.64 to $6.39 per gallon when customers return a car without a full tank of gas (depending on the average prevailing retail fuel price in the area that surrounds each airport). This price is based on the local-market price of self-serve gasoline, plus a mark-up not to exceed 50 percent of the fuel cost (at all corporate-owned locations and participating franchises). Furthermore, the maximum mark-up for this convenience is capped at $2 per gallon.

Enterprise, National and Alamo customers at the airport may return their rental vehicles full of gas, pre-pay for a full tank at a discount or ask for the tank to be refilled after returning the rental car.

"We offer a fair, market-based fee for refueling, with a cap on the mark-up over retail pump prices," said Matt Darrah, senior vice president of North American operations for Enterprise, National and Alamo. "Our policy is straightforward and transparent, giving consumers one more reason to choose one of our brands when their travel plans call for a rental car."

Darrah noted that the three brands review local retail fuel prices four times per week. If those prices change by 3 cents or more in either direction, they adjust their airport fuel prices accordingly.

The Enterprise Holdings portfolio of car rental brands has a well-established track record on this important consumer issue and continues to offer several competitively priced refueling options at the airport. In fact, several years ago, the Maryland Attorney General's Office announced agreements with other rental car operators to bring their refueling prices more in line with the much lower rates charged by Enterprise, National and Alamo. At the time, the Baltimore Sun referred to their practices as "a model in setting refueling rates."

A side-by-side comparison, based on fuel prices in late March, appears below.

Note: data collected by Enterprise, National and Alamo during March 2012

About Enterprise Holdings
Founded in 1957, Enterprise Holdings is the most comprehensive service provider in the car rental industry, operating -- through its regional subsidiaries -- the Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental brands as well as its flagship Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand in North America. Alamo, Enterprise and National -- which swept Executive Travel magazine's 2011 "Leading Edge Awards" for the top three car rental brands in the travel industry -- collectively lead with more than one-third of all airport business in the United States and Canada. The company also operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand in the UK, Germany and Ireland, and a franchise network that operates the National and Alamo brands throughout the Americas. Enterprise Holdings recently acquired Citer SA in France and Atesa in Spain, and made a strategic investment in China-based eHi Auto Services. Enterprise Holdings' worldwide network includes more than 7,700 neighborhood and airport locations, with 6,000 offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population -- and more than twice as many locations as Enterprise Holdings' nearest U.S. competitor. With annual revenues of $14.1 billion and more than 70,000 employees, Enterprise Holdings owns and operates more than 1.2 million cars and trucks, making it the largest car rental company in the world measured by revenue, employees and fleet. In addition, the company's annual revenues place it near the top of the travel industry, exceeding many airlines and most cruise lines, hotels, tour operators and online travel agencies. Ranked No. 15 on the Forbes list of America's Largest Private Companies, Enterprise Holdings is owned by the Taylor family and is the only investment-grade company in the U.S. car rental industry. Enterprise Holdings and its affiliates offer business and retail customers a total transportation solution, which includes hourly rental, car leasing, WeCar car sharing and Enterprise Rideshare vanpooling programs, as well as the Enterprise Car Sales, Enterprise Commercial Trucks and Enterprise Fleet Management business lines. For more information about St. Louis-based Enterprise Holdings, visit www.enterpriseholdings.com. For more information about Enterprise Holdings' Corporate Sustainability Report or the company's environmental stewardship and long-term commitment to the sustainability of its business, visit www.DrivingFutures.com and follow @LeeBroughton on Twitter. This news release and other announcements are available at the Enterprise Holdings press room.