Flybe and Budget car rental enhance partnership

Improved ‘one-stop’ flight and car rental booking experience gives customers extra choice with addition of Budget vehicle offering
 
Bracknell, UK – 12th May 2016: Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, and vehicle rental leader, Avis Budget UK Ltd, have today (12th May 2016) announced a beneficial enhancement to their long-standing relationship through which Flybe customers now have the added choice of selecting a Budget car rental direct via www.flybe.com as an integral part of their flight booking.
 
Customers can now book either Avis or Budget car hire within the flybe.com booking flow. By incorporating the added Budget range into the airline’s overall booking process, the online experience is simplified making it more user-friendly, delivering a more robust offering to Flybe customers and providing multiple travel solutions from one easy-to-use platform.
 
Phillip Delaney, Flybe’s Director of Sales & Marketing says: “This news deepens our successful, long-established relationship with Avis Budget UK Ltd. Integrating an even greater choice of car hire options within Flybe’s flight booking process streamlines the entire transaction taking it to a new level for our customers. Together with our partners, we are committed to offering the best car rental experience in the industry, tailored around the needs of our passengers.”
 
Nina Bell, Managing Director for the Northern EMEA Region, Avis Budget Group, adds: The launch of Budget into the Flybe flight booking path further strengthens our commitment to making the car hire process as simple as possible. Customers are looking for ways to streamline their online purchasing behaviour and this new capability taps into that rising trend.
 
Flybe customers who, for whatever reason, do not book their car rental at the same time as booking their flight can still book with Budget before their flight by re-visiting flybe.com.
 
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Notes to Editors
 
Additional Information:
For more information, please contact the Budget Press Office on 0844 826 8347 or budgetpressoffice@webershandwick.com
 
About Flybe:
Flybe, Europe's largest regional airline – 214 routes serving 10 countries from 75 departure points, 36 UK/38 European airports* (all routes on sale Apr’16 – Jan‘17); operates more UK domestic flights than any other airline (UK CAA Mar ’15 – Feb‘16); one of only two UK-based carriers in top 20 global airlines punctuality league table by OAG (Jan ’16) and named top UK airline for punctuality in report issued by UK consumer watchdog Which? (Dec 2014); named ‘Best Short-Haul Airline’ at the 2016 Business Travel Awards (Jan ‘16); is the largest scheduled airline by air traffic movements at Belfast City, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Isle of Man, Jersey, Manchester, Newquay and Southampton airports (UK CAA Feb ’16); operates fleet of 75 aircraft – 52 Bombardier Q400, 9 Embraer 195, 11 E175 & 3 ATR 72s; codeshares with BA, Air France, Etihad, KLM, Finnair, Aer Lingus, Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic; has three franchise partners, Loganair, Stobart Air and Blue Islands making it only UK airline brand with 70% coverage of reporting airports (UK CAA Feb’15); has own globally recognised Training Academy in Exeter with flight deck and cabin crew simulator facilities, 26 classrooms and 150-seat conference facility.
 
*Flown under the Flybe brand (30 routes/11 airports exclusively served by Flybe’s franchise partner, Loganair: and 3 routes and 3 airports exclusively operated by franchise partner, Stobart Air)
 
About Budget
Budget Car Rental is one of the world’s best-known car rental brands with approximately 3,350 locations in more than 120 countries. Budget is an industry leader in providing vehicle rental services to value-conscious travellers and also operates the second-largest truck rental business in the United States, through a network of approximately 1,650 locations. Budget is owned by Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CAR), which operates and licenses the brand throughout the world. For further information, visit www.budget.com
 
About Budget Van Rental
Budget has 50 years of experience providing car and van rental services to value-conscious travellers. Budget Van Rental has one of the UK’s largest commercial vehicle networks, with 88 locations across the UK. Offering customers a premium fleet, Budget’s high specification vans are available with rear parking sensors, Bluetooth and air conditioning. Budget offers a range of prepayment options and charge facilities designed to save money and keep consumers in control.
 
For more information visit: www.budget.co.uk/vans or call 0808 284 1111 (Open: 7am to 10pm, seven days a week)