NPR.

This is the indicator.

This is the indicator from Planet Money. I'm Waylon Wong. I'm producer Julia Ritchie.

Ah, we love having you on the side of the mic, Julia.

It's always good to switch it up every now and again. Keep it fresh.

So we got this email the other day from a

listener about a perennial nuisance we've encountered before at the

indicator rental cars. Dun done done. Our listener Garrett placed a reservation for a car through Expedia for his trip to England this summer.

When he shows up to the rental counter, they do not have a car for him.

So after some back and forth with the rental car place and Expedia, he tries

another rental company. We have to go across London where we find a car. And then we get there and

they're like, oh, we don't have that car. And then we get there and they're like, oh, we don't have that car.

But they're with a few other rental agencies in the same parking garage.

And one of them has a car for like you know triple the price basically and so that's what we do because we need a car.

You know a lot of us have been there even if the rental car you booked is there the cost of

renting it like a lot of other parts of our economy is a lot higher right now it's

not at its pandemic era peaks peaks. Still, as of last month, it's outpacing other

types of travel expenses like airfare and hotels.

So today on the show, we explore the great reset happening in the US rental car industry that's kept prices elevated,

left fleets leaner, and some customers frustrated. That's coming up after the break.

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