Originally Posted by
crnk
I'm sure if you'd like, they can....by doubling the price. It isn't cheap for hertz to move cars at all. Even the most simple runs (within an airport--between lots) take 10 minutes roundtrip. In addition to someone to pickup the car, you need a van and driver to take them to the source--and to drive back. Lastly, and this is NYC-specific, is the (potential) cost of tolls associated with driving a car across the city, depending on the route you use.
Oh, and you obviously can't rent a car while you are driving it across the city because it is already in use.
Ah, but there's an easy way to gain economy of scale - the car carrier. How do cars get from the factory to the dealer? ~10 at a time. Even with the high NYC-area tolls, once you're hauling 10 cars, the price is a bit more reasonable. What does it cost for a few hours of use for a car carrier?
Oh, and for what it's worth, when I returned the car at EWR on Thursday afternoon, the guy didn't even blink. And, even better, I don't appear to have been charged for the miles...just my usual contracted daily rate.