Comments

1. The LATAM story is fascinating. They were verging on a hot mess even before the pandemic. Now, it’s a train wreck. As much as AA must have felt completely jilted and slapped across the face, I bet they are laughing now at the Delta/LATAM partnership. And I bet LATAM is missing the old days of AA a lot. Bad timing and greed. It’s a horrid combination.

2. Latin America has had a horrible time w/ covid. Latam merged LAN and Tam just a few years before and never got it all sorted out. Tam had over ordered aircraft.
   It was all a horrible combination and would have happened whether with Delta or American or if they were by themselves.
   Let’s also not forget the losses United has had in Avianca which is also in bankruptcy which is the best place to be in a deep crisis. All of the Latin America airlines that are in bankruptcy will emerge much stronger and with lower costs.
   And American’s hands will be more than full with all of the competition that is flooding into Miami – including what will happen when markets in Latin America reopen including by these airlines. If you think American is well-positioned now, you might sit tight 12-18 months.

   As for Brett and his experience with Hertz, it seems pretty clear that they should be avoided at all costs. Sad to see a company believe they can treat customers so poorly and think they will have any customers left. He doesn’t usually cover rental experiences on his blog but hopefully he will keep the world updated of this

3. This kind of nonsense from Hertz may be becoming more common everywhere. Just got a big letter from the IRS that they hadn’t received my quarterly payment and I’d better send it or else. Mailed the check well ahead of time and it was cashed (though that was after the deadline the postmark should have been good proof). Tried to call them…”wait will be more than an hour.” Tried to get an online account with them but “your cellphone is not recognized for the code, we’ll send it by mail.” Asked my accountant and he said they’re so far behind that these letters are being automatically generated en masse. Meanwhile legal papers I sent from Minnesota to Pennsylvania took two weeks to make the trip. Sometimes it seems like everything is falling apart at the seams, so why should Hertz be any better?

4. Tam was a regional airline that grew too quickly on the heels of the Varig bankruptcy.

   In my opinion, Tam never grew into the role it assumed and always fit poorly on the world stage. It comes as no surprise that they too ended in bankruptcy.

5. I have what I think is a modest proposal.

   When Hertz thinks a $30,000 or so car has gone missing, assign the calling to a real person. Seriously, is that too much to ask?

6. Hertz: wow, how the mighty have fallen! That company was, for decades, considered the premier car rental firm – everyone else was secondary. Now it’s dumpster fire. And this business of incompetently pressing charges based on faulty/inaccurate information is evil. For one thing: nobody in their right mind should be renting from Hertz/Budget until significant changes are made. Secondly, why aren’t government agencies investigating their greedy, yet incompetent, shenanigans? They need to be held accountable for what they have done to some of their own customers.

   But the most important takeaway here: don’t do business with Hertz or Budget.

7. @StogieGuy7, I agree that it seems Hertz should be avoided, but why Budget? Budget is an Avis brand and haven’t had any of these issues that I’m aware of.