Auto Rental News stepped out of the office Wednesday and battled the 405 Freeway to visit some car rental friends in Los Angeles. Starting with Airport Van Rental near Los Angeles International Airport, and ending at Midway Car Rental in West LA, Auto Rental News' editors and publisher talked with executives about their operations, unique problems, and future in the rental industry.
A Day Around the LA Rental Scene
Next, ARN headed over to Fox Rent a Car, where a line of people waiting for rental vehicles showed that business is going well. Meeting with VP of business development Joe Knight focused mainly on LAX's future consolidated rental facility (CONRAC), which is part of the airport's $5.5 billion Landside Access Modernization Program. Knight also divulged that Fox was just closed a deal to expand in Greece.
Heading further away from the airport, we met with Jason Spear (right), regional VP at Advantage E-Z Rent A Car, and Ernie Johnson (left), city manager. They gave ARN a tour of the facility, and discussed the recent modifications it underwent as the area was transformed from a car dealership to a rental facility. With a long line of customers and hot summer temperatures, Knight gave some tips on how to keep customers happy: talk to customers in line, pass out waters, and always be honest about wait times.
Photo by Michaela Kwoka-Coleman.
Across the street from Advantage is Black and White Rentals, which specializes in luxury rentals. Although it wasn't on our original list, ARN popped in to say hello to General Manager Dan Darvish. He showed us some of the luxury vehicles currently in inventory and talked about the current state of luxury rentals. Black and White Rentals' LAX location complements in flagship store in Beverly Hills.
Photo by Michaela Kwoka-Coleman.
The last stop of the day was at Midway Car Rental, where we met with Managing Director of sales and marketing Ryan Kerzner. Midway, which has several locations around LA, draws a lot of its business from corporate clients and production studios. Kerzner talked about the the importance of having good customer service, and the future of auto rental and mobility.
Photo by Michaela Kwoka-Coleman.
Auto Rental News' (ARN) first stop was Airport Van Rental at LAX, where we met with Yaz Irani (right), founder and CEO. Irani talked about his franchisee, licensee, and affiliate programs across the country, and how they operate. He also discussed how to become a niche market, something he did as one of the first rental companies in the area focused solely on vans.
Photo by Michaela Kwoka-Coleman.
Leaving LAX, ARN drove to West LA, where we met with Steve Vahidi, president of California Rent A Car. Located on a busy street in the middle of the city, Vahidi talked about the challenges of expanding its operation, primarily the inability to find reasonably priced land. Vahidi also brought up electric vehicles — the focus of MPG Car Rentals where he serves as president — specifically the frustration surrounding the lack of transparency with available rebates.
Photo by Michaela Kwoka-Coleman.