Peer-to-peer car rental service launches at Gatwick airport

A peer-to-peer car rental scheme has been launched at Gatwick airport so travellers can rent their vehicles to others while they are away. Car & Away will operate from the south London airport, which claims to be the first in … Continue reading →

A peer-to-peer car rental scheme has been launched at Gatwick airport so travellers can rent their vehicles to others while they are away.

Car & Away will operate from the south London airport, which claims to be the first in the UK to introduce such a service.

Founder Andy Hibbert said it offers small car owners a chance to earn up to £80 per week while they are travelling and owners of large vehicles can earn “twice that”.

The service ensures all vehicles are insured, cleaned and meet RAC standards before and after rental.

Renters can find available cars via Rentalcars.com and can pick up vehicles from Car & Away parking bays in the valent arrivals in the south terminal.

The service had been trialled at Gatwick in recent months and uses an Octo Telematics system to monitor vehicle driving patterns.

Gatwick’s head of car parking Gary Wallace said: “We are always searching for ways to provide new, innovative and groundbreaking services so we are pleased to be hosting this exciting new scheme with Car & Away. The new service offers passengers an alternative option when it comes to renting vehicles from the airport and gives them a chance to offset their parking costs.

“Our goal is to help as many people as possible to travel for less, in a convenient way, and airport peer-to-peer car sharing services are another way of achieving this.”

Andy Hibbert added: “We’re all used to, and comfortable with, the sharing economy. Many of us share our homes via Airbnb and some even share their most personal of possessions – pets – via the likes of borrowmydoggy.com. So, sharing a car while people go away isn’t such a big step. Especially when owners not only make money out of it but benefit from dropping the car right next to the terminal and get a professional valet to boot.

“For renters we provide a great alternative service that saves time, money and provides you with the exact car you book – not a ‘similar’ one. Our early customer feedback really shows us why these things matter. When it comes to renting cars, together with our partners, we provide a service where everyone wins.”