Some Car Rentals to Cost Dearly During Weekend of Big Event

A full-size, four-door automobile can be rented for the Super Bowl weekend from Avis Rent a Car for $30 a day with 150 free miles--its normal rate. The same type vehicle will cost $72 a day with unlimited mileage from Budget Rent-a-Car, compared to its normal weekend rate of $29 a day.

Such is the nature of the rental car business as it prepares for an expected onslaught of business later this month.

Jane Benton, assistant to the general manager for the Budget agency at Lindbergh Field, said her firm doesn’t apologize for doubling its normal weekend rate. It’s simply a matter of supply and demand.

“That’s the name of the game,” Benton said. “We’re a franchise operation, so we can’t borrow cars from other (Budget agencies). Our fleet is our fleet, period.

“We can’t expand our fleet like Hertz and Avis can. We can’t ship cars in. That’s our stumbling block. But when Hertz and Avis sell out, we will have cars.”

Hertz Rent a Car technically is not raising its rates for the Super Bowl weekend. Rather, it simply is not offering its normal weekend discount rate, a reservations clerk said.

A full-size four-door sedan from Hertz will cost $39.99 a day, with 100 free miles, over the Super Bowl weekend. The normal weekend discounted rate is $32.96 a day, with 150 free miles.

Perhaps the cheapest car rentals for the Super Bowl were offered by Rent a Wreck--$17.95 a day. Their cars are already booked, however.

Star Rent-a-Car on Grape Street has cars available for the Super Bowl weekend at $29 a day with 100 free miles. Owner Raj Nazarian enlisted in the San Diego Chamber of Commerce’s Super Host program, promising not to raise his charges for the Super Bowl.

“I couldn’t if I wanted to, since they’re all set in a computer and I don’t know how to change the computer,” Nazarian said.