On top of our massive range of vehicles there are upcoming 2013 models ready for you to use just for you. The new 2013 plates came out in March of this year, with that the new 2013 car models. Here are some of the many cars added to the fleet that we can now offer you through our suppliers, some of the new 2013 rental options are….. (more…)
There was a planned fuel rise to hit by the 1st September 2013 of around 1.89 pence per litre of fuel these plans outraged the public when they were announced a while back. Yesterday the chancellor announced that he was going to cancel the fuel duty plans, this is the longest fuel duty freeze for over 20 years which is of course a great statistic for the party. The fuel duty freeze has been going on for almost three and a half years which is longer than most expected. (more…)
United States Car Giant Ford is set to bring its’ new My Key Technology to the UK, much to the relief of many young drivers and their parents alike. The target market is aimed at those who have the tag of boy and girl racers.
My Key is designed to make Ford vehicles safer to drive and aims to help reduce the amount of fatal accidents involving young drivers under 25. The technology is aimed to give parents piece of mind as it allows parents to control the settings in the car via a master key.
So we ask what does this key do, what can I adjust and how will it keep our children safe?
Speed: Excessive speed caused more than 30% of all accidents in male drivers and 21% in female drivers under 25. The My Key system has a feature which allows the top speed of the vehicle to be limited to a set speed, depending on the setting warnings will sound at 70, 90 or 100kph.
Fuel: Parents will also be relieved to know that they will not have to be anxiously expecting a late night call from their stranded teenagers as the feature also provides early low-fuel warnings. Drivers are warned when they have 120km of fuel left in the vehicle.
Music: When teenagers play music they tend to play it quite loudly and this can often distract them from the job they should be concentrating on, driving. Unfortuantely for teenagers the MY Key function has the ability to limit the volume on the audio system, thus removing any unnecessary distractions, ensuring that the driver is being more concentrated on the job at hand.
Seatbelts: My Key also encourages the use of seat belts in vehicles. More often than not drivers will tend not to put their seatbelts on, or slip it over their shoulder, so it appears that they are wearing one to any passers-by. The system uses a reminder chime and mutes the audio system until all front seat passengers comply and stick their seatbelts on.
Personally Indigo believes that this is a very clever idea as in time this could reduce fatalities and bring down the insurance premiums for younger drivers, enabling them to driver safer, and in time they may also be able to go out and hire vehicles and not have to pay a fortune for young driver fees or extortionate insurance premiums.
Ford plans to make the My Key system available to European drivers when it releases the brand new 13 plate ford fiesta and it aims to make the feature as standard on the vehicles. However all is not lost. 53% of parents who were surveyed by Ford said that they would give their teenagers more access to the family vehicle if these settings were applied.
We have no doubt that budding Michael and Michelle Schumacher’s out there will be rushing out to get the new Ford Fiesta!
When you are travelling overseas you always want things to run as smoothly and as swiftly as possible.
On a recent visit to the states our Reservations Manager Cherie Walker travelled to Orlando Airport and found a few suppliers who were able to offer car hire with a debit card. It can often be a real pain trying to find a car rental company that does not accept debit cards, and often demand the use of a credit card and this isn’t just a problem in Orlando this is worldwide.
The last thing you want is to find yourself in a situation where you are trying to hire a vehicle at Orlando Airport and you do not have a credit card and then you are left stranded with no vehicle. This is where we come in. We have established a large network of suppliers based at Orlando International Airport whereby payment by credit card is not the only option. You can now get your debit card car hire Orlando Airport with ease when you book directly with Indigo.
To guarantee the use of your debit card at Orlando Airport please speak directly with our reservations team as there are a few restrictions in regards to which cards are accepted. If you book online there is no guarantee that you will be placed with a supplier that can accept your debit card because we have organised this offer especially with one particular supplier, so speak to us direct and our friendly and helpful reservations team will be more than happy to help and get you on your way with a hired car in Orlando, to explore and enjoy your holiday, car hire without a credit card doesn’t have to be hard just call Indigo Car Hire!
Call today on +44 (0)113 880 0748.
A new system is in place whereby vehicles that are purchased on finance can be disabled automatically if motorists miss any payments. This comes from a company in the US called Prompt Pay which offer a keypad operated immobiliser.
The way the immobiliser system works is as follows;
When the first payment is made for the vehicle on finance, then the driver is provided with a 6 digit code which is entered into the immobiliser and allows the car to operate normally. Three days before the next payment for the finance is due the immobiliser springs back into life. This will show a number 3 on the screen, indicating that there are three days until the next finance payment is due. This then counts down to 2 and then 1 depending on the number of days which remain before the next payment for the finance vehicle is payable. The message is reinforced by beeps alerting the driver to the countdown which has begun. If the payment is not made on the requested date then the immobiliser will initiate, preventing the car from starting and stopping the driver from using the car. When the next payment is made the driver is provided with another 6 digit code and is then able to be on their way again with the vehicle.
There are many different arguments to this new procedure. On the one hand, you could have motorists stuck without a vehicle especially with the issues of payments being delayed through banking errors etc. However on the other hand, car companies are not offering a free service, payment for a vehicle must be made if the vehicle is being used. Also it is handy to note that the system offers several advanced warnings before the vehicle is immobilised. Some may view this as a relatively harsh standpoint however it is a fair one if you look at the bigger picture.
What is your opinion on this?
Women are being urged to check their insurance policies before the new ruling comes into force next month which will ban firms quoting prices based on gender.
Insurance companies have been very forceful in trying to prevent this change for the past few years however due to new legislation this is a mandatory option as of the 21st December 2012.
Some insurers predict that women’s premiums for their car hire could rise by at least 25%.
From 21st December 2012 insurance firms in the UK will be restricted from taking gender into account. Currently women pay less for their cover for cars, so the rise in women’s premiums is to bring the prices in line with what men are currently paying.
According to the Department of Transport, male drivers under 25 were involved in more than 24,000 accidents last year, compared to just over 14,000 for female drivers under 25.
It is great news that the insurance companies are finally getting in line with gender equality and not basing their prices on what sex we are. However some women are arguing that women, should not have to pay an additional 25% on top of their premiums, and that men should pay a little less so that the premiums rates for men and women could be on more of an even keel.
Male drivers can expect to see their premiums drop slightly however don’t be expecting huge drops as this is very unlikely to happen.
If your insurance coverage is due to expire after 21st December 2012, insurers are advising it may be cheaper to cancel your policy prior to this date and sign up for another year at the cheaper prices before this date. Do be aware though that you may be subject to a fee if you do this it might also affect your no claims bonus.
With London being a thriving centre for the world’s trade and business sectors, arriving and departing by plane for meetings and business deals is often imperative to ensure that you arrive on time and you seal that lucrative deal. Many of the airports in London are an essential gateway for families and people travelling to and from the UK for their holidays. Heathrow is no exception which is why there is growing concern surrounding the capacity at Heathrow Airport.
This follows the news that the government has rejected calls for a third runway to be built at Heathrow Airport. There have also been talks about expanding London City Airport to alleviate the amount of traffic incoming to London however talks for this have also been suspended.
Chancellor George Osbourne stated,
“Over the next few months we will be talking to people about where that capacity should be.” He then went on to say, “I am very clear; we are an open trading nation and just as we don’t want to shut down our ports or our railways, we don’t want to shut down our airspace.”
Now this is totally understandable and we do not want to in anyway disrupt our trade links or travel arrangements. However this is a problem which is only going to get worse, not better. Something does need to be done but it is a matter which will take time, money and many meetings before a decision will be made.
Personally I think that an extension to one of the airports may be required but space is at a premium in London, so finding the space to fit all of these extra runways may be tricky, so possibly another airport could be built somewhere just outside of London possibly in the South-East of England. Although where to situate this airport would again be a lengthy and arduous spectacle.
What solution would you suggest?
With less than 100 days left until Christmas, the Christmas Car Hire Countdown Has Begun.We believe now is the best time to arrange your car hire. Many car rental suppliers tend to increase the prices over the Christmas period. This is where Indigo Car Hire differs. We are able to offer reduced rates for your car hire over the festive season. This is because we have a large network of suppliers, so you can always be sure that you can get a car when you book with Indigo.
If you are already based within the UK, you can collect the vehicle from one of our hundreds of city and train station locations? With over 25,000 locations located around the world you can get your hire car from pretty much any area.
We have a vast array of vehicles for your Christmas Car Hire needs. With cars ranging from small economical city cars right up to large people carriers and estate vehicles. One of the more popular choices tends to be a 4×4 vehicle. With colder weather and often hazardous road conditions prevailing during the winter months a 4×4 car hire can often be a sensible choice, these types of vehicles tend to offer more security and stability when driving on icy and snowy roads.
Whether you need to get your Christmas car hire to get around, doing a little shopping or if you need the vehicle to go and see some family and friends over the festive season you can always counting on Indigo Car Hire to get you the best option.
In case you will decide you want to spend the Christmas day skiing, Indigo offers its services in some of the best Ski Locations in the World
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France
Italy
Austria
Switzerland
Norway
Bulgaria
Sweden
Andorra
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Geneva Airport
Innsbruck Airport
Munich Airport
Milan Linate Airport
Grenoble Airport
Montpellier Airport
Calgary Airport
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Zurich Airport
Salzburg Airport
Milan Malpensa Airport
Lyon Airport
Sofia Airport
Toronto Airport
Helsinki Airport
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Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Alta and Snowbird, Utah
Vail, Colorado
Alpine Meadows, California
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Quebec
Alberta
British Columbia
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One of our suppliers Enterprise Rent A Car expanded its work from home pilot program after experiencing positive results after a few months in the UK. Enterprise plans for 50% of Enterprise Business Support (EBS) employees to become home-workers as the demand for call center employees increases, the company announced on 21st September.
During the pilot, call centre employees from the EBS facility were given the opportunity to work from home with technical support to handle telephone reservations.
Enterprise Rent A Car compared the costs of having employees work from home versus the office and found an immediate 70% cost-saving. The comparison showed the cost of an office-based employee is around £3,500 per year while the cost of a home-based employee is roughly £1,000 in the first year for set-up costs and is then almost minimal in subsequent years.
Other benefits of the home-working pilot include improved retention, which was 20% higher than the call center average, reduction in absenteeism and disciplinary issues, higher employee satisfaction and a more diverse work force.
In addition, the home working program has allowed Enterprise to provide extended hours for improved customer experience.