Car Rental Rates Way Up

I wasn’t imagining it. Car rental rates are way up, The New York Times’ Practical Traveler reports.

Weekly airport rental rates for a compact car were up 73 percent this May over the previous May and 65 percent in mid-June from a year earlier.

The reason is basic supply and demand. Although demand for car rentals is down — by roughly 15 percent, according to [the president of the Abrams Consulting Group, Neil] Abrams — rental agencies have cut their fleets by even more, essentially creating their own shortage and jacking up prices.

Last month I complained about high rental car rates and several people wrote to tell me about the great deals they got. Now I don’t feel quite as stupid, although I’m clearly not as smart as my readers.

The Times column has some advice on getting lower rates.

Breast Implant Bursts During Flight

A woman on an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Los Angeles collapsed when her breast implant ruptured toward the end of the 14-hour flight on June 13, the Aviation Herald reports:

Doctors diagnosed, that a silicone implant had burst due to pressure differential shortly before Los Angeles. Doctors said, that the implant was already damaged before the flight.

Stories of collagen-treated lips exploding and inflatable bras bursting go back decades, but the Aviation Herald does not traffic in urban legends. It’s a very reliable source.

Newark To Honolulu, Round Trip, $256. No Kidding

Honolulu, from Diamond Head

I thought I was pretty smart for picking up a $401 round-trip fare from Bradley to Honolulu for a trip I took last month. Not so much because just a few minutes ago, I booked two round trips from Newark to Honolulu for $256 each.

That includes all the taxes and fees, I kid you not.

Availability is good on these incredible fares into 2010, although they’re generally not available on Saturdays and around holidays. I suspect they won’t be sold for long, though, so if you’re going to buy, do it quickly.

I found out about the fares, available only from United and only from Newark, from the wonderful Beat of Hawaii blog. It also mentioned $276 round-trip from Atlanta.

And if you’ve never been to Hawaii, do  yourself a favor and go. It’s paradise.