With flight disruption in Scotland and the North East of England due to the volcanic ash from Iceland, Europcar, the leader in car rental services in Europe, is asking customers who are considering cancelling their travel plans and hire cars to inform them as quickly as possible, so that more vehicles can be made available for people stranded.

Europcar is providing customers whose travel has been affected with alternatives to help them reach their destination. Bookings will remain open through all reservation channels, including one-way rental. Europcar will not charge customers who have been delayed collecting their vehicle due to the ash, is waiving its cancellations policy and will be issuing refunds for any car hires unable to be fulfilled due to flight cancellation. Europcar is also offering to extend car hire for customers who have had their flight departures disrupted.

 

Ken McCall, Managing Director, Europcar UK, says, “With the flight cancellations, many are opting to drive rather than fly for domestic journeys, which has led to Europcar seeing the demand for cars rise across the UK. Although flights may be cancelled, with one-way rentals, Europcar can offer peace of mind to travellers concerned they will not be able to reach their destinations.

 

“Despite the potential disruption the ash cloud may cause, we currently have sufficient vehicles to meet customer demand and will be relocating staff to deal with areas with particularly high demand. However, our priority is to assist customers who may need a vehicle for essential travel – for example if a flight has been cancelled leaving them stranded. Therefore, we would urge anyone who has cancelled their travel plans to let us know as soon as possible, allowing us to free up our fleet for those who urgently need a vehicle.”

 

Cancelling a vehicle from Europcar is quick and simple. Customers can either log on to https://www.europcar.co.uk/EBE/module/render/my-europcar and amend or cancel their booking, or alternatively call 08713 849 847.

 

McCall continues, “Those worried they might be stranded due to flight cancellations can rest assured we currently have plenty of vehicles available. With the assistance of our customers informing us of cancellations as soon as they can, we can continue to offer an alternative for anyone whose travel has been disrupted due to the ash cloud.”

 

Those travelling on planes in the affected areas can get updated information on the current flight situation from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) website: http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=14&pagetype=65&appid=7&newstype=n&mode=detail&nid=1996