Avis Budget’s Full-Year Revenue Increases 5%
Avis Budget reported increased revenue for both the fourth quarter 2015 and full-year 2015 and a net loss of $5 million in the fourth quarter. The company also addressed the impact of ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft.

Photo via Wikimedia.

Photo via Wikimedia.
Avis Budget Group Inc. has reported revenue of $8.5 billion for full-year 2015, an increase of 5% compared with 2014 in constant currency, according to the company. Adjusted earnings for 2015 were the highest total in Avis Budget’s history, rising 3% to $903 million. Net income had a 7% year-over-year increase and hit $333 million, says the company.
For its fourth quarter 2015, Avis reported revenue of $1.9 billion, a 1% increase compared to fourth quarter 2014, primarily due to a 8% increase in rental days.
The company reported its adjusted net income as $18 million while adjusted earnings declined 1% to $128 million — and increased 5% in constant currency — in Q4 2015. The results were partially offset by reduced pricing and a negative impact from currency movements. The company reported a GAAP net loss of $5 million for the quarter.
For North America, revenue increased 1% primarily due to a 3% increase in volume and a 3% increase in ancillary revenue per rental day, says the company. Adjusted earnings increased 17% in Q4, driven by increased rental volumes, lower per-unit fleet costs, and higher fleet utilization.
For 2016, Avis Budget expects its worldwide revenue to increase 2% to 4% to $8.7 to $8.85 billion, according to the company, with negative impacts from currency exchange rates.
In North America, rental days are predicted to increase 2% to 4% in 2016. Per-unit fleet costs are expected to be approximately $305 to $313 per month in 2016, an increase of 3% to 5% from $297 in 2015, says the company. For total company fleet costs, Avis Budget expects $280 to $290 per month in 2016, compared to $277 in 2015.
Regarding ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft, Avis reported that its volume of one-day rentals, the segment most susceptible to taxi and ride-hailing, increased in 2015. In ride-hailing’s biggest cities — Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Washington — the company’s rental day volumes increased 2%, consistent with volume growth in the U.S.
“Another way of looking at this is that 97% of our renters drive our cars more than 50 miles over the course of a transaction, making substitution with a ride-hailing service prohibitively expensive,” said David Wyshner, Avis Budget's president and CFO.
More Rental Operations

Sixt Revenue Tops $2.4 Billion in First Half of 2026
Sixt’s first-half revenue surpassed $2.4 billion for the first time as demand outpaced fleet growth, lifting utilization and earnings despite weaker consumer sentiment in North America.
Read More →
In Memoriam: Bobby Klyce, Avis Licensee Legend
The longtime Birmingham Avis operator and 2018 Auto Rental News Impact Award recipient was remembered as an advocate for independent licensees and the broader car rental industry.
Read More →How to Build Custom Fleet Tools With AI and Vibe Coding [Webinar]
A new Automotive Fleet webinar explores how fleet managers are using AI and vibe coding to automate routine work and create simple operational tools without traditional programming skills.
Read More →
Car Rental Rates Forecast to Rise 3.6% in 2026 Before Easing in 2027
Car rental rates are projected to rise less than airfares and hotel rates in 2026, then become the only major travel category forecast to decline in 2027, according to projections from GBTA and ALTOUR.
Read More →
Avis Cuts Fleet as Summer Demand Trails Expectations
Avis Budget Group increased second-quarter earnings despite lower Americas revenue and softer-than-expected summer demand. The company also expanded Avis First and advanced its autonomous fleet operations with Waymo.
Read More →
Why Bookings Are Only the Start of the Rental Day
A reservation captures demand. The operating test is whether the business can keep the customer, vehicle, commercial terms, and next action aligned until the rental is closed.
Read More →
This Is the Oldest Car Rental Advertisement You’ll Ever See
This ad for Saunders Drive it Yourself, believed to be the first car rental company in the U.S., was found in an Omaha phone book from 1926.
Read More →
The Desk Upsell Is Costing Operators More Than it Earns
Counter upsells generate revenue, but they can also slow transactions, erode trust, and cost repeat business. Fully inclusive pricing may offer operators a better path to long-term value.
Read More →
U-Save Expands Indian Ocean Presence with New Master Franchise for Mauritius
The franchise has been acquired by Mauritian travel entrepreneur Umarfarooq Omarjee, an established figure in the island's tourism and mobility sector.
Read More →
Global Carsharing Fleet Projected to Reach 768,000 Vehicles By 2030
A new Berg Insight forecast outlines several business models driving the projected growth in public carsharing worldwide through 2029.
Read More →
