What is Overbooking?
There is nothing more frustrating than arriving at the car rental counter only to find out the company doesn’t have your reservation.
Overbooking in the travel industry refers to a common practice where travel service providers, such as airlines, hotels, and car rental companies, accept more reservations or bookings than the available capacity or inventory they have. The purpose behind overbooking is to maximize revenue by assuming that a certain percentage of customers will cancel or not show up for their reservations.
However, overbooking can sometimes lead to situations where the number of customers who show up exceeds the available resources, resulting in a shortage of seats, rooms, or vehicles. This can lead to inconvenience and frustration for the customers who find themselves without the expected service. Currently there is no protection for car rental consumers against this practice, though that may change if legislation gets passed to regulate car rental companies when they overbook.
Protect Against Overbooking
While it’s impossible to completely eliminate the risk of a car rental being overbooked, there are a few steps you can take to minimize the likelihood of encountering such a situation. Here are some tips to consider:
What To Do If You Get Overbooked
If a car rental company overbooks and leaves you without a vehicle here are some things you can do:
Experiencing an overbooked car rental reservation can be a frustrating start to your trip. However, by following the steps outlined above, you can reduce your chances of ending up in such a situation or increase your chances of finding a solution.
