Hertz notes surge in car rental searches amid partial shutdown, TravelPulse says

Hertz (HTZ) reported a roughly 15% increase in website search traffic as travelers opt for road trips amid airport disruptions tied to the partial government shutdown, with about 33% of customers renting specifically for driving vacations to avoid crowded Transportation Security Administration lines, Donald Wood of TravelPulse reports. The company is offering up to 25% off last-minute and one-way rentals and advising customers to prepay for fuel, consider neighborhood pickup locations, and add flight details to protect reservations, according to the report. Shares of Hertz are up nearly 16% to $5.07, while shares of Avis Budget (CAR) are up 15.3% to $142.51.