Last Updated on January 31, 2021 by Jonathan
Unlike Hertz’s high-profile Chapter 11, which should not impact your rental car plans, the bankruptcies of Advantage Rent a Car and its sister E-Z Rent-a-Car should make travelers think twice about booking with them. Here’s what Advantage’s bankruptcy means for your next rental.
The difference is that Hertz is on much firmer financial ground and is not going out of business. The company is continuing operations while restructuring its debts and, hopefully, emerge financially healthier.
It’s much less clear that Advantage will emerge out of bankruptcy at this point. This is at least the third Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing for Advantage, which also filed in 2008 and 2013. For that reason, we recommend that customers avoid booking with Advantage and E-Z until the dust settles and we know more.
What Happens to Your Advantage or E-Z Reservation
If you have an existing reservation with Advantage or E-Z, we advise you to cancel it to avoid any hassle that may arise and rebook your vehicle with another company.
Alternatively, you could keep your Advantage or E-Z reservation and make a backup reservation with another company, just in case. (Just be sure to book the “pay later” rate so you don’t get charged if you forget to cancel.)
Ask AutoSlash for a Quote on a Cheap Car Rental
At the time it filed for bankruptcy, Advantage had locations in 27 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, Las Vegas and Hawaii. The company appears to be selling off various locations to other companies in batches.
So, depending on your pickup location, the terms of your agreement may stipulate that another company would service Advantage and E-Z rentals. But there’s a lot that is up in the air.
And there are signs that there will be plenty of messy days ahead. We know, for example, that Priceline and possibly other online travel agents are proactively canceling all Advantage and E-Z reservations—essentially washing their hands of these bookings.
Should You Make a Future Reservation with Advantage?
In light of Advantage’s bankruptcy, we would not recommend Advantage or E-Z for your rental needs. At least for the foreseeable future.
If, at some time in the future, the situation changes, we will change our assessment.
Let AutoSlash Track Your Car Rental for Price Drops
Remember, the very best way to get the lowest possible price on a car rental is to ask AutoSlash to track your reservation. We’ll send you an alert if there is a price drop so you can rebook at the lower rate.
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