Y Combinator and SV Angel-backed startup FlightCar announces launch of car sharing service at San Francisco International Airport. The service enables vehicle owners to rent their cars out at airports, fully insured, instead of paying for airport parking.
"FlightCar is like banking for cars--you don't pay to have your money sit in the bank, and you shouldn't have to pay to have your car sit in a lot.” explained founder Shri Ganeshram. “You even earn interest when you park with us, in the form of a car wash, as well as a free gas card if your car is rented out."
Long term parking prices at SFO are $18/day, and they’re similar at airports across the nation. FlightCar not only removes that cost from travelers’ trips, but it provides for a better experience, as it operates a valet service. To drop off you car, call their toll free number and they’ll pick it up from you, When you’ve returned, call it again and they’ll bring your car to you--saving you from the hassles of waiting for and taking a shuttle and trying to locate your car.
FlightCar provides a $1,000,000 liability policy along with comprehensive collision and theft coverage so that vehicle owners can leave their cars behind knowing that if anything happens, they’re fully protected. Owners also return to a car “cleaner than they left it” describes Shri. “We’ve tried to make it an unbelievable experience--a free airport valet and you return to a car that looks new. No riding shuttles, no looking for parking spaces, you just give us a call and one of our team members will bring your car right to you.”
On top of the free parking and car wash, there’s the potential for vehicle owners to earn too. Owners of newer and luxury vehicles earn a $10 gas card per day of the rental while owners of smaller and older vehicles will earn a single $10 gas card if their car is rented out.
People interested in renting cars at SFO get a more interesting selection with FlightCar. “We’ve had a variety of cars listed, from a slew of Toyota Priuses to a luxurious BMW 5 series to a large Ford Expediton to a smart car with 600 miles on it.” said Shri. “People renting with us shouldn’t be worried about low quality cars, because we don’t accept them.” FlightCar doesn’t allow cars made before 1999 and with over 150,000 miles to be listed on its service. They also turn down cars that arrive in poor condition.
The prices that FlightCar offers are substantially lower than those of the major rental chains. The service can undercut the prices of the larger chains by up to 70% at certain times of the year, because it doesn’t have to bear the cost of inventory. The service also provides the valet experience to renters--give FlightCar a call when you land and be picked up in your rental. They also offer $300,000 in insurance coverage, a GPS and car seats for free during the rental, as well as no underage fee for drivers 18 and older, a point of difference between them and their competitors.
The market FlightCar is addressing is huge. “According to our calculations, there are over 360,000 cars parked in long term parking and 100,000 cars being rented at the top 30 US airports at any given time.” describes founder Kevin Petrovic. “Our goal is to rid the system of its inefficiency.”
FlightCar has already processed over one hundred bookings at its first market, San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
List or rent a car today at http://www.flightcar.com.
