A couple of weeks ago my travel plans included renting a car. Prior to leaving on my trip I spent a couple of days trying to find the best deal possible. I reserved a car for what I thought was a decent price. Unfortunately, when I was told how much I would owe at the end of my rental period (this happened as I was putting my initials on the paperwork) my jaw hit the countertop. The total I was quoted on the phone did not include the taxes and fees, which were a whopping 23% of the bottom line price. At that point there was little I could do besides pony up the money and vow to never rent a car again. (I’m exaggerating…about not renting not about being stunned with the price).
I am not kidding about how shocked I was, but I’m sure that car renters in Kansas City are even more stunned than I was. According to USA Today, travelers who are looking to rent a full-size car for five days at Kansas City International Airport can expect to pay taxes and fees totaling more about 35% of the bottom line price. That means that if you are quoted a base price of $113 you are actually paying $175 once the taxes and fees are assessed. I think that’s outrageous.
The USA TODAY analysis of rental charges at top U.S. airports went on to show that behind Kansas City, Seattle, Houston, Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth have some of the highest taxes and fees in the country. Seattle’s taxes and fees are 31% of the base rental price (You pay $185 on a $128 base price). In Houston, you end up paying $172 for a car with the base price of $120. Of the 25 major airports examined, Los Angeles and San Diego had the lowest rate of taxes and fees: 7%.
So what accounts for the taxes and fees? According to the paper, currently, 86 taxes unrelated to rental car operations are being levied nationwide. In places like Kansas City one of the fees is a $4-a-day charge to pay for a downtown sports arena. Another is a $5-a-day charge for construction of a consolidated rental car facility.
Understandably, many travelers are upset about the high cost of renting vehicles in the aforementioned cities. One renter in Kansas City said he was quoted a base rate of $88 for a two-day car rental, with the taxes and fees he ended up paying $160–almost 100% over the bottom line price.
Like I said before—outrageous. Next time I’m in Kansas City I’ll take the bus.
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