Bad news on the car rental front.
The eight major brands you see at the counter are now owned by just four companies.
Enterprise bought National and Alamo this fall. Avis owns Budget. Dollar and Thrifty are really the same company. Only Hertz stands alone.
As usual, consolidation likely means higher prices. Rates will jump 5%-7% this year, predicts the National Association of Business Travelers.
In addition, there's an explosion in strange taxes tacked onto your bill for things like stadiums and sewage plants.
An estimated 42 states levy more than 100 different taxes on car rentals, costing consumers $6 billion a year, according to a coalition trying to get Congress to ban the practice. (So far, a bill introduced in June went nowhere.)
Anyone who rents a car in Wayne County, for example, pays a 2% tax to repay bonds for Detroit's two new stadiums.
Bottom line for the consumer? Shop around. Prices are swinging like a see-saw.
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