Car Sharing Now Has Money Making Twist In Philadelphia
By Paul Kurtz
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A San Francisco-based company that's combined car sharing with car renting has opened a branch near Philadelphia International Airport.
FlightCar is offering travellers free airport parking at the nearby Clarion Hotel in exchange for use of their cars while they're away. Marketing Manager Habadeem Kassim says car owners can make up to 20-cents per mile for the first 75 miles -- and double the amount after that:
"The car owner is actually making more money than what's on paper cause they're not paying to park their cars. That's money saved in their pockets and when they come back, if we rent out their cars, they will get a check as well."
Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Maybe...
"Very interesting concept," this man tells KYW Newsradio. "A variation on Uber, but it's your property. I'll have to think about that. Yeah, I think I would consider it."
He confessed he was a pragmatist, unlike those drivers who have an emotional attachment to their cars.
"No way," this woman says. "No, I'm very particular about my car. No one is driving my car."
Others are concerned about their cars getting trashed by strangers. FlightCar says it insures every vehicle for up to a million dollars and conducts driving history checks on renters.