Auto Europe
| LLC | |
| Founded | 1954 |
| Headquarters | Portland, Maine |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Imad Khalidi (CEO) |
| Slogan | "Quality is hard to achieve... Easy to appreciate." |
| Website | http://www.autoeurope.com |
Auto Europe is a large car rental wholesale company, working with approximately 20,000 car rental locations in 180 countries[1] in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, as well as North and South America. Auto Europe has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau since April 2, 1993 with an A+ rating.[2]
Auto Europe was founded in Germany in 1954 by Alex Cecil. The company got its start purchasing cars to rent to U.S. travelers in Europe. Cecil later moved to New York and eventually relocated the company to Maine. In 1997, Alex Cecil retired, passing the reins to Imad Khalidi, President and CEO of Auto Europe.[3]
In 1995, Auto Europe began offering airfare and hotels under the name Destination Europe. In 2010, they re-branded this division as Fly International.
Travel services
International car rental is the main service sold by Auto Europe. In addition to traditional self-driven rental cars, Auto Europe books luxury and sport vehicles, motorhome and campervan rentals, motorcycle rentals, long term rentals of factory new Peugeots (through the Peugeot Open Europe program), as well as chauffeur and airport transfer services.[4]
Travel industry awards
Auto Europe has been nominated for numerous World Travel Awards, including Europe's Leading Car Rental Company (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012), Europe's Leading Business Car Rental Company (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012), and Europe's Leading Chauffeur Company (2013, 2014).[5] In 2014 Auto Europe received its 5th Magellan Award as a silver winner in the Car Rental - Overall Luxury Car Collection category.[6]
Car rental suppliers
Auto Europe sells car rentals through a number of companies including Hertz, Sixt, Europcar, Avis, Dollar, Enterprise, Thrifty, Budget, National, Alamo, Peugeot, Buchbinder, Fox and more.[7]
Leadership
Imad Khalidi is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Auto Europe, LLC. He joined Auto Europe as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales in 1990 and has served as President since 1992. Prior to 1990, Mr. Khalidi was with Europcar International S.A. from 1983-1990, serving as an International Travel Trade Manager and an International Licensee Manager. He is a member of the Association of Retail Travel Agencies, ASTA and CLIA.[8]
Charities
In 2014 Auto Europe partnered with Toys for Tots, donating a portion of profit from every car rental booked during the weeks leading up to Christmas to the US Marine Corps Charity.[9]
Auto Europe is a corporate sponsor for the "Art All Around" project through the Maine Center for Creativity.[10]
Customer Issues
A December 18, 2014 article in the Washington Post drew attention to an Auto Europe customer issue. Wim Jessurun, a sonographer who has a home in the US and paid for his car rental reservation while in the Netherlands, was refused his vehicle at the Avis counter in Miami. He was asked to show a passport, IDP (International Driver's Permit) and airline ticket along with his Auto Europe rental voucher and wasn't prepared because his printed Auto Europe paperwork did not indicate that he would need these documents.[11]
References
- ↑ "Auto Europe About Us Page". Retrieved 15 August 2014.
- ↑ "Better Business Bureau - Auto Europe". Better Business Bureau. Better Business Bureau. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- ↑ Limone, Jerry. "Alex Cecil, Auto Europe founder, dies". Travel Weekly. Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- ↑ "Company Overview of Auto Europe, LLC". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- ↑ "World Travel Awards Nominees". World Travel Awards. World Travel Awards. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- ↑ "2014 Magellan Awards Silver Winners". www.travelweeklyawards.com. Travel Weekly. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- ↑ "Our Car Rental Partners". www.autoeurope.com. Auto Europe, LLC. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- ↑ "Executive Profile: Imad Khalidi". www.businessweek.com. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ↑ Surjaputra, Stephanus. "AutoEurope teams up with Toys for Tots". Consumer Traveler. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- ↑ "Art All Around". www.mainecenterforcreativity.org. Maine Center for Creativity. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ↑ Elliott, Christopher. "Car renters may hit potholes when they cross borders". www.washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 December 2014.