Auto Rental News
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Six-City Survey: January Rates Rise $6.21 From Year Ago

In addition to a $6.21 increase in rates from January 2014 to January 2013, Rate-Highway’s recent monthly rate survey also presented inconsistent rates among the individual cities — Houston was up $31.77 while Chicago was down $8.30.

by Staff
February 5, 2014
Six-City Survey: January Rates Rise $6.21 From Year Ago

Rate data provided by Rate-Highway, a leading provider of revenue management services for the auto rental industry. Rates are an average of aggregator/OTA rates for all vendors present in the markets listed on the date of the survey. These tables and graph show the average of all base rate quotes per day for an ICAR at the six airports shown, for arrivals 15 to 21 days ahead of the date of the survey, for two- and seven-day rentals. 

1 min to read


With the help of Jim Tennant of The Tennant Group and Michael Meyer of Rate-Highway, Inc., we are conducting rate surveys on a weekly basis and providing analysis and comments where appropriate. We publish this monthly recap in our electronic edition and more comprehensive looks in the print editions.





With an increase of $6.21, the string of year-over-year increases — that was interrupted in November and resumed in December — continued in January. However, as we have seen recently, the increases were not across the board.

Ad Loading...

Starting with the Jan. 3 rate pull, the weekly average quote increases were: $13.90, +$6.96, +$6.43, -$3.37 and $1.51.

As indicated in the charts above, the individual cities were anything but consistent, as well, with Houston up $31.77 and Chicago down $8.30. The other cities ranged between these extremes. These fluctuations make predictions difficult, but there is reason to hope that we will see strong rates through the summer.

We are continuing to gather rate quotes for the top 50 U.S. airports and are planning to replace the six-city sample with the larger one in June when we will have 13 months — allowing us to do a year-over-year comparison. The larger sample should reduce or eliminate the effect of a major fluctuation in one city on the overall average.


Rate data provided by Rate-Highway, a leading provider of revenue management services for the auto rental industry. Rates are an average of aggregator/OTA rates for all vendors present in the markets listed on the date of the survey. These tables and graph show the average of all base rate quotes per day for an ICAR at the six airports shown, for arrivals 15 to 21 days ahead of the date of the survey, for two- and seven-day rentals. 

More Rental Operations

Two execs hold up a sign with Southwest and CarTrawler logos

Southwest Airlines Selects CarTrawler For Its Car Rental Booking Platform

The platform is designed to allow customers to compare and book rental vehicles more easily during the travel booking process.

Read More →
Speaker John Healy on stage with a podium, screen, and red curtains in the background.
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueMay 27, 2026

Cross-Pressures, Evolving Trends Drive 2026 Rental Car Industry

A combination of cautious economic behavior, shifts in the rental vehicle market, and technological influences are shaping car rental operator decisions.

Read More →
Award winner on stage with presenters in front of yellow curtain.
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueMay 27, 2026

Government Affairs Executive Wins Leading Rental Car Industry Award

Robert Muhs started in the car rental industry with Avis Budget Group two years before the first International Car Rental Show.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
The rental car team at the Green Motion franchise office near the Maputo International Airport in Mozambique.

Green Motion Expands Its African Presence with Mozambique Launch

This new rental car outlet reflects the growing demand for reliable transportation and the emphasis on sustainable travel across the continent.

Read More →
Photos of CEOs Colm Brady and Francois Kruger on a blue background and above a headline.
Telematicsby News/Media ReleaseMay 22, 2026

RentalMatics, GeoInt Partner On Rental Car Speed Tracking Tech

Rental operators can now detect and act on speeding while vehicles are still on rent, thereby reducing fines, admin workload, vehicle wear, and safety risks.

Read More →
NextPass 407 ETR

NextPass Expands Toll Payment Service to Highway In Toronto

Fleets and consumer can use a transponder-less option when traveling between Canada and the U.S.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A black Jeep is displayed at the Zubie-Bosch-TSD exhibit during the International Car Rental Show.

Zubie, PurCo Integrate Rental Damage Detection With Telematics

The combination brings actionable vehicle insights into PurCo’s PurInspect platform, improving damage detection and operational efficiency for rental fleets.

Read More →
50 states map showing LOR rates for each state with different shades of light to dark green

U.S. Length Of Rental (LOR) Declines Slightly in Q1 2026

LOR related to insurance claims overall continues to trend downward, but ongoing market and economic conditions could affect future results while the industry deals with staffing and productivity challenges.

Read More →
Illustration of a driverless futuristic front seat/dashboard view of other cars on a freeway with city skyline on horizon.

Hertz, Uber Deepen Roles In Self-Driving And Driver-Led Fleet Services

The business arrangement connects demand with scalable fleet management services and supports a range of mobility uses.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A tech collage of electronic devices against a computer chip blueprint map.
Rental OperationsMay 1, 2026

Why Car Rental Can No Longer Run On Workarounds

The shift from branch-based software to connected operations is turning rental technology into strategic infrastructure.

Read More →
Ad Loading...