Zipcar Expands to Airports, Providing Travelers an Alternative to Traditional Car Rentals

Zipcar, the popular car-sharing service, announced on Thursday that it's expanding its operations to include many major airports, bringing new transportation options to travelers and an alternative to a traditional car rental, according to USA Today.

The cars will be available at airports in Los Angeles, San Jose, California, Atlanta, Austin, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Palm Beach, Florida and Toronto.

Zipcar began renting cars last month at LaGuardia, JFK and Newark, New York's three largest area airports.

The service has approximately 10,000 vehicles combined at the 11 airports, 20 cities and more than 300 universities where the service is available.

Zipcar works by requiring customers to pay membership fees and the cost of a rental, rather than the traditional method of renting a car. The vehicles can also be rented by the hour. The company is "targeting a different type" of renter at airports and not competing with traditional airport car rental companies, said Karen Drake, the spokeswoman for Zipcar. The cars can also be rented by anyone 21 or older. The usual restriction on renters under 25 doesn't apply.

Avis Budget Group acquired the company in March. The service's expansion into airports is aimed at both business and leisure travelers, according to Drake.

"For the past decade, Zipcar has been delivering on our brand promise of 'wheels when you want them' to members where they live and work," Mark Norman, the President of Zipcar said. "Now Zipcars are available for members where they travel."

The hourly rental rate is between $9 to $12, depending on the airport, vehicle type and membership plans. New Zipcar renters pay a $25 application fee and a $60 annual fee. This entitles members to rent cars for use for up to 180 miles without an additional charge, and the gas tank does not need to be refilled.

Zipcar aims to appeal to "younger, tech-savvy, more-educated professionals, the Facebook/Twitter generation, who see car-sharing as part of a larger cultural and environmental movement" and that believe in sharing resources, Neil Abrams, of Abrams Consulting Group said.