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TRAVEL EXECUTIVES HELP VACATIONERS AVOID SUMMER OF DOOM AND GLOOM

Annual Leisure Travel Summit Brings Best Western, AAA and Cheapflights.com Together to Discuss Where to Find Added Value in Increasingly Costly Travel Environment

As fuel prices continue to soar, airlines cut back on capacity and many hotels sneak in fees on everything from Internet access to local calls, travelers are experiencing more road blocks than ever when booking vacations. Executives from Best Western International, the American Automobile Association (AAA) and Cheapflights.com recently gathered at an annual media conference to address issues and offer ideas for how to still have a great vacation this summer.

“Despite the unprecedented pressures on travelers this year, people need vacations and are looking for ways stretch their budget,” said Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Best Western International. “Reservations at our 2,300 properties in the U.S. and Canada remain strong, and we attribute that to our reliable pricing and focus on guest care.”

All North American Best Western properties offer free high-speed Internet access, with ninety percent providing complimentary breakfast. The World’s Largest Hotel Chain’s annual summer promotion, which begins June 20, rewards guests who stay at least six nights with a $50 Best Western Travel Card that can be used at any Best Western hotel worldwide. Members of AAA earn the Travel Card after just five nights.

Families in particular will be changing the way they travel this summer, according to Amy Graff, Best Western’s leisure travel expert. “One-tank trips” and weekend road trips are increasing in popularity as families explore their own backyards. She said people are visiting less well-known amusement parks, zoos and other attractions that are equally as fun but also still affordable.

According to Betsy Sell, AAA’s managing director of travel products, gas prices are impacting travelers and businesses more than ever before, but consumers remain resilient.

“The average price of gasoline has reached more than $4 per gallon for the first time in history. While we predict road travel will decrease this July Fourth holiday weekend as we forecasted for Memorial Day, people still want and deserve to travel,” she said. “Whether they turn to destination options closer to home or will simply take fewer, shorter trips, we are here to help them find options to maximize their travel budgets.

AAA has introduced several programs to help consumers manage their road trips and costs. One such online service is TripTik® Travel Planner, available at AAA.com. TripTik maps out itineraries, spots the location of gas stations in the U.S. that are on the route and provides their fuel prices. A second online tool is the Fuel Cost Calculator, (www.fuelcostcalculator.co) which allows users to enter their starting point, their destination and the make and model of their car to calculate the gallons of fuel needed and the cost for the trip.

“TripTik Travel Planner was designed to map your route to a destination so you can adjust your time on the road accordingly,” said Sell. “It gives you driving directions, estimated drive time, total trip distance and turn-by-turn directions.”

Carl Schwartz, Chief Travel Officer for travel search engine Cheapflights.com, said that with competition growing and airfares increasing, consumers are doing more pre-purchase research than ever before.

“Consumers who once visited one or two Web sites before buying are now reviewing five to six sites,” he said. “They have also become much more flexible with their travel dates—all in an attempt to save money.”

Cheapflights.com caters to people who can be flexible with its destination-based travel search model, which provides deals that aren’t dependent on specific dates to destinations around the world.

“Flexibility is key,” said Schwartz. “With the freedom to build travel plans around the most affordable fares, travelers can control costs. We simplify the process for trip planners by offering deals in real time and in an easy-to-use format.”