Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Aligns Minivan Pricing and Usage

By: Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group | 0 Shares 55 Reads

Tulsa, Okla., /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: DTG) today announced that, effective immediately, it has implemented excess mileage charges at all corporate-owned locations in the continental United States with respect to retail customer rentals of minivans. Mileage charges will apply at a rate of $0.25 per mile and will only apply to those customers who drive in excess of the established mileage caps of 150 miles per day on daily rentals, and 1,050 miles on weekly rentals. Base rental rates on these vehicles will not be impacted by this change, and the charges are not applicable to locations in Hawaii.

"The vast majority of our customers drive our minivans below 150 miles a day, and without this pricing change we would be forced to raise our base rental rate on all minivans. This pricing change allows us to retain our value-priced base rental rate, while better aligning usage and cost as a whole on our minivan fleet," said Scott L. Thompson, President and Chief Executive Officer.

About Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc.

Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. is a Fortune 1000 company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Driven by the mission "Value Every Time," the Company's brands, Dollar Rent A Car and Thrifty Car Rental, serve value-conscious travelers in over 70 countries. Dollar and Thrifty have over 700 corporate and franchised locations in the United States and Canada, operating in virtually all of the top U.S. and Canadian airport markets. The Company's approximately 6,800 employees are located mainly in North America, but global service capabilities exist through an expanding international franchise network.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" about our expectations, plans and performance. These statements use such words as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "intend," "should," "could," "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "plan" and similar expressions. These statements do not guarantee future performance and Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. assumes no obligation to update them. Risks and uncertainties that could materially affect future results include the impact of persistent pricing and demand pressures, particularly in light of the continuing volatility in the global financial markets, constrained credit markets and concerns about global economic prospects, which have continued to depress consumer confidence and spending levels and could affect the ability of our customers to meet their payment obligations to us; the financial performance and prospects of our vehicle suppliers, in particular Chrysler, and whether the challenges facing the U.S. automotive industry abate and, if not, whether further federal funding will be available in sufficient amounts to stabilize the industry; volatility in gasoline prices; the impact of pricing and other actions that we take and those taken by competitors, particularly if demand deteriorates further; airline travel patterns, including further disruptions or reductions in air travel resulting from airline bankruptcies, industry consolidation, capacity reductions and pricing actions; the cost and other terms of acquiring and disposing of automobiles and the impact of current adverse conditions in the used car market on our ability to reduce our fleet capacity as and when projected by our plans; our ability to manage our fleet mix to match demand and reduce vehicle depreciation costs, particularly as we increase the level of Non-Program Vehicles (those without a guaranteed residual value) and our exposure to the used car market; our ability to obtain cost-effective financing as needed without unduly restricting operational flexibility, particularly if global economic conditions deteriorate further; our ability to comply with financial covenants or to obtain necessary amendments or waivers, and the impact of the terms of those amendments, such as potential reductions in lender commitments; our ability to manage the consequences under our financing agreements of a default by any of the Monolines that provide credit support for our asset backed financing structures; whether counterparties under our derivative instruments will continue to perform as required; whether ongoing governmental and regulatory initiatives in the United States and elsewhere to stabilize the financial markets will be successful; the effectiveness of other actions we take to manage costs and liquidity and whether further reductions in the scope of our operations will be necessary; disruptions in information and communication systems we rely on, including those relating to methods of payment; access to reservation distribution channels; the cost of regulatory compliance and the outcome of pending litigation; local market conditions where we and our franchisees do business, including whether franchisees will continue to have access to capital as needed; and the impact of natural catastrophes and terrorism. Forward-looking statements should be considered in light of information in this press release and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE: Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc.

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