U.S. Consumer Online Travel Spending Surpasses $100 Billion in 2012
Car rental was ranked third with $9.698 billion in spending behind air travel and hotel reservations for the total online travel spending in 2012.
comScore Inc., internet technology company measuring the digital world, released its full-year and fourth quarter 2012 U.S. travel e-commerce sales estimates on Feb. 20.
Car rental spending accounted for 9% of U.S. travel e-commerce sales with $9.698 billion in spending. It jumped 6% from 2011.
The total amount of online travel spending reached $103 billion — a 9% increase from last year.
2012 Travel Spending by Category - 2012 vs. 2011
Spending (in millions)
Share of Travel Spending
Year-over-Year % Change
Air Travel $66,529 65% 10% Hotel Reservations $19,384 19% 7% Car Rental $9,698 9% 6% Travel Packages $5,140 5% 10% Other Travel $2,200 2% 10% Total$102,951100%9%
Source: comScore E-Commerce Measurement
The report also revealed the top online travel agent sites based on the share percentage of page views.
Top Online Travel Agent Properties by Share of Page Views - 2012 vs. 2011
1 Expedia Inc 37.6% 31.6% -6.0 2 Priceline.com Inc 15.7% 17.3% 1.6 3 Orbitz Worldwide 12.9% 12.9% -0.1 4 Fareportal Media Group 8.5% 9.2% 0.7 5 Travelocity 10.0% 7.6% -2.4 6 Kayak.com Network 4.7% 6.9% 2.2 7 BookingBuddy Sites 0.0% 2.3% 2.3 8 CheapCaribbean.com 1.0% 1.4% 0.5 9 BookIt.com 0.9% 1.1% 0.1 10 AppleVacations.com 0.7% 0.6% -0.1
Source: comScore Media Metrix
Related article: How to Manage Your Car Rental Company's Online Reputation
More Rental Operations
Palm Beach Airport Code Change Creates Car Rental Distribution Gap
A test of rental searches under the old PBI and new DJT airport codes returned largely different sets of brands and vehicles, highlighting a potential distribution problem for rental operators.
Read More →
U-Save Continues Dominican Republic Expansion with Launch in Punta Cana
The new franchise location builds on U-Save’s existing Santo Domingo operation and will begin taking reservations for October 2026.
Read More →
When AI Books the Rental Car, Who Controls the Sale?
As AI moves from comparing rental rates to completing transactions, operators need to understand how travelers find, interpret, rank, and ultimately see their offers. (Part 2 of 2.)
Read More →
European Booked Car Rental Rates Fell 5%, Results Varied by Country
Ireland, Cyprus, and the United Kingdom saw steep declines, while booked rates rose in Poland and Hungary.
Read More →
Is It Time to Rethink Rental Categories?
As traditional economy and compact cars disappear from the market, longtime rental operator Mike DeLorenzo asks whether the industry’s familiar vehicle categories still make sense — and what operators need to rethink along with them.
Read More →
Who Owns the Rate? AI Is Creating a New Distribution Problem for Car Rental
Generative Engine Optimization asks whether AI can find a rental company, but operators also need to know whether the agent inspected enough of the market, compared equivalent offers, and presented a rate the traveler can actually book. (Part 1 of 2)
Read More →
U.S. Business Travel Car Rental Rates Forecast to Rise Up to 2%
Improved fleet supply should limit pricing gains in 2026-27, while insurance, repair costs, and softer residual values continue to pressure rental operations, according to Amex GBT.
Read More →
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 →