16 April 2010 – With all of the UK’s flights still grounded due to the volcanic ash cloud, many holidaymakers with car hire bookings will be unable to collect their rental cars at the designated time, with the majority of travellers having no alternative means of reaching their holiday destination. 

Gareth Robinson, Managing Director of Carrentals.co.uk, says: “It is not currently known when flights from the UK will be able to take off, with planes currently grounded, which will have a knock on effect for many travellers with car hire bookings.

“We have already seen a number of cancellations coming through as customers have been unable to make it to their holiday destination. We would advise all travellers with car hire bookings who are affected by grounded flights due to the volcanic ash to contact their individual car hire supplier to find out what their policy is on cancellations or delayed pick ups.”

As there is yet no guarantee as to exactly how long the grounding of planes will last, travellers and car hire companies may face further disruption over the coming days.

Dinesh Kanji, Business Development Manager of Auto Europe UK, says: “We are seeing many customers being affected by the grounded flights and to assist customers at this time, we are offering free cancellation to anyone affected by the volcanic ash. We are also looking to help those who are currently stranded in their holiday destination and are offering favourable rates on extending car rentals wherever possible. Anyone looking to enquire about this should call our toll free customer services line for more information on 0800 358 1229.”

Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, easyCar, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 9,000 locations worldwide. 

To compare the latest car hire deals visit www.carrentals.co.uk.