Fuel Prices, Movie Times and Live Traffic Alerts Among New Features Now Available on Your Wireless Phone With AAA Mobile(R)

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ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Just in time for Labor Day weekend travel, AAA launched the latest version of its award-winning wireless navigation program — AAA Mobile(R) — with several new features including fuel prices, live traffic alerts and weather forecasts.
“Advanced technologies such as AAA Mobile make access to AAA’s trusted route guidance, restaurant and lodging information and member roadside services now more convenient than ever,” said Marshall L. Doney, vice president, AAA Automotive. “The new features of AAA Mobile help motorists address two of their greatest concerns — fuel prices and traffic congestion - - by allowing them to quickly obtain prices at several gas stations and providing live traffic alerts with alternative navigation routes.”
Find the best fuel prices
With fuel prices a worry for many motorists, AAA Mobile users can quickly find the best prices by receiving a list of gas stations with prices nearest to their current location or in a specified zip code or city. Once they find a station, AAA Mobile will provide audible turn-by-turn directions on how to get there.
Find out what’s ahead
Whether driving in holiday traffic or on the daily commute, AAA Mobile’s new real-time traffic feature helps motorists find out what’s ahead and alternatives on how to get there. AAA Mobile alerts motorists to traffic congestion, accidents and other new developments on their route and provides detour options to compare against their current estimated time of arrival.
AAA Mobile also allows users to take a look ahead at the weather by providing current conditions and seven-day forecasts for their current location or any city around the world.
Find things to do
Want to see the latest blockbuster movie? AAA Mobile can help find which movie theaters nearby are playing the movie, provide start times, navigate you there and list nearby restaurants to consider for dinner.
Using the mobile activity planning feature, AAA Mobile users can search for show times, critics’ ratings and other details for movies, concerts, plays, sporting events and other social events near their GPS location. Users can navigate to theaters or event venues and search for local parking, restaurants, ATMs or other points of interests near the location.
Help friends find you
AAA Mobile users can let friends know where they are with a push of a button by sending their GPS location to another wireless phone. When sending to other AAA Mobile users, friends receive the address and can navigate to you. With non-users, your location’s address is delivered via text message.
Continue to find AAA travel expertise in your phone
In addition to offering turn-by-turn audible directions with on-screen maps, AAA Mobile continues to provide users with AAA’s travel expertise in their wireless phone with AAA TourBook(R) travel guide information, including complete listings of AAA Diamond Rated restaurants and lodgings and points of interests. AAA Mobile also offers listings for ATMs, more than 100,000 Show Your Card & Save(R) merchants, AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities, AAA branch offices and other types of businesses.
For those users who are AAA members, they can send their GPS location directly to AAA and be connected to roadside assistance operators.
Current users can upgrade to the latest version of AAA Mobile at no additional charge. They will receive a prompt on their phone when the new version is available to download.
AAA Mobile, powered by Networks In Motion, is available through several wireless carriers on a variety of GPS-enabled phones. For a complete listing of providers and compatible phones, visit AAA.com/AAAMobile.
As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com
AAA news releases can be downloaded from .
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1.2 Million Michiganians Will Travel on Labor Day, Says AAA

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ — An estimated 1.2 million Michiganians have Labor Day holiday travel plans, according to a recent survey by AAA. Of this number, 1 million will travel by car and 87,000 will travel by air. The number of auto travelers in the Great Lakes region, including Michigan, is down 0.8 percent from last year and the number of air travelers is down 8.1 percent.
AAA’s Leisure travel Index shows most vacation costs up from Labor Day 2007, while others are unchanged. Nationwide, hotel rates for AAA 3 Diamond hotels are unchanged. Car rental rates are up 2 percent and air fares are up 15 percent.
“While the overall numbers are down slightly from last year, it is important to note that more Michigan residents are spending their vacation dollars in Michigan,” said Claire Lockley, vice president travel for The Auto Club Group (ACG). “Lower gas prices may help invigorate travel during the waning days of the summer travel season. Labor Day is also a good time for last-minute cruise and tour specials.”
This year’s Labor Day travel period caps a summer of high gas prices and a sluggish economy. As of August 22, the average Michigan price was $3.798 per gallon for self-serve regular fuel (78.3 cents higher than last year).
AAA’s gas saving tips for vacation travelers include:
– Take the most direct route, reduce your chances of getting lost and avoid known holiday traffic bottlenecks by getting directions with AAA.com’s TripTik(R) travel planner or from public Web sites like .
– Shop around for the least expensive gas by watching prices before you need to fill-up. AAA’s Fuel Finder website helps drivers find the lowest cost fuel at local stations. Access the AAA Fuel Finder at local AAA club websites.
– Drive your most fuel efficient vehicle that works for your trip.
– Know before you go by using AAA’s website. Just plug in the make and model of your car and where you are traveling and you will get an estimate of how much you will be spending on gas for the trip.
– Keep your car well-maintained by keeping tires properly inflated and having a professional technician inspect your vehicle before you go.
– Drive gently. Excessive braking and accelerating reduces fuel economy, as does driving faster than highway speed limits.
For those who are flying to their final Labor Day destination, AAA travel agents offer the following tips for budget-conscious travelers:
– Be flexible with travel dates; be willing to travel midweek versus the weekend.
– Book your trip early.
– Check on reduced airfares if booking a hotel or car rental at the same time.
– Investigate the costs of staying offsite versus onsite for a particular destination, such as a theme park.
— If flying, try alternate airports.
— Pack snacks in a carry-on that can serve as a quick lunch.

– Review your insurance policies prior to departure to determine if you need extra coverage, such as with a rental car company.
For state residents planning a summer vacation, the 10 most popular driving destinations are:
1) Niagara Falls ON
2) Chicago IL
3) Myrtle Beach SC
4) Nashville TN
5) Washington DC
6) Cleveland OH
7) Mackinaw City MI
Yellowstone National Park WY
9) Toronto ON
10) Traverse City MI

For the first time, two Michigan destinations have been ranked in the Top 10, signifying that more state residents are traveling in Michigan, staying closer to home. Tourism in Michigan is a $15-billion-a-year industry, and the state remains one of the best travel values.
According to the 2008 edition of AAA’s Annual Vacation Costs Survey, the recommended travel budget for two adults traveling together in Michigan is $211.19 per day for lodging and meals — $33 less than the national average of $244 per day.
The official 78-hour Labor Day holiday period begins at 6 p.m. Friday, (August 29) and runs to 11:59 p.m. Monday, (September 1).
During last year’s Labor Day holiday period, 12 people died in 11 fatal crashes on roads across the state. That was up from the 2006 holiday, when 8 people died in 8 fatal crashes. Three of last year’s fatal crashes were alcohol-related. Of the 12 victims killed, 4 were not restrained.
To reduce these numbers this Labor Day holiday, all drivers are urged to use safety belts, avoid alcohol, stay alert at the wheel and observe all traffic laws.
Michigan law enforcement agencies will embark on a new program to make this the safest summer on record by continuing increased traffic patrols to strictly enforce safety belt and drunk driving laws. The enhanced traffic enforcement effort is being supported by federal traffic safety funds.
The Auto Club advises motorists to plan ahead and allow extra time to navigate construction areas on the state’s highways.
For traffic and detour information, motorists can call 1-800-AAA-MICH (222-6424). Or, before leaving, check the AAA Michigan Web site, , for updated traffic information.
AAA Michigan

Westwood One and AirSage Partner to Launch Next Generation Platform for Traffic Reporting

NEW YORK, July 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Westwood One, Inc. today announced a multi-year strategic partnership with AirSage, Inc. to combine traffic speed and flow information derived from cell phone signals with Westwood One’s leading traffic incident reporting expertise. With the expanded depth of information-gathering provided by the partnership, Westwood One’s Metro Traffic will improve the accuracy of traffic information available to commuters, offering significant advancements in the reporting of travel times, faster alerts, and better alternative route suggestions. Metro Traffic will begin to roll out the innovative reporting technology in September.
“Our partnership with AirSage merges Metro Traffic’s market-leading experience with cutting-edge cellular technology to provide local traffic reports that are simply more accurate than what is currently available anywhere,” said Jonathan Marshall, Westwood One EVP — Business Affairs & Strategic Development. “We’ve been searching for a technology that provides accurate speed and flow data to complement our strategy of providing premium content to our media partners.”
As the leading provider of traffic information, Metro Traffic serves 129 markets with incident monitoring services covering more than 350,000 miles of roadway. AirSage, the only U.S. supplier of traffic data from cell phone signaling systems, compiles and analyzes the anonymous real-time experiences of tens of millions of drivers to report up-to-the-minute traffic flows and speeds. The combined offering, an industry milestone, will vastly expand coverage of secondary roadways and provide best-choice alternatives to minimize the hassles of daily commuting.
AirSage CEO Cy Smith said, “We are excited to partner with Westwood One, the longtime leader in traffic reporting. Our combined technology and data sources will enable Westwood One to provide the most complete, accurate and timely traffic information to media outlets and to commuters. With this service, drivers will find it easier to avoid congestion and navigate the roadways of America.”
“Coupling AirSage’s breakthrough technology with our 1000 experienced traffic experts nationwide lifts traffic reporting accuracy to a new level,” said John Frawley, EVP Broadcast — Metro Networks.
AirSage’s proprietary software supplies speed, travel time and traffic-flow information for over 150,000 miles of roadway, including primary and alternate travel routes. This is a notable improvement over systems based on fixed-traffic data sensors that monitor real-time traffic for only about 7,000 miles of metropolitan interstates. By relying on the extensive presence of mobile communications technology, AirSage is also able to provide greater visibility into how the nations network of highways and arterials is performing and being used at different times of the day, month, and year.
About Westwood One
Westwood One is a platform-agnostic content company providing over 150 news, sports, music, talk, entertainment programs, features and live events to numerous media partners. Through its subsidiaries, Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast Services, Westwood One provides local content to the radio and TV industries and to the Web. This content includes news, sports, weather, traffic, video news services and other information. SmartRoute Systems manages traffic information centers for state and local departments of transportation, and markets traffic and travel content to wireless, Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems and voice portal customers. Westwood One serves more than 5,000 radio stations. For more information please visit .
About AirSage, Inc.
AirSage is the leading provider of reliable and accurate real-time traffic information providing partners and customers with the highest quality speed, travel time and traffic flow information on more than 150,000 miles of the nation’s highways, freeways, primary roadways and arterial roads. The Atlanta-based company has developed innovative, patented software technology that aggregates anonymous signaling data from wireless mobile operators. AirSage is currently the only company in the U.S. with a wireless carrier partner that is committed to a national deployment and is the only company with the capability to provide real-time traffic information using this ground-breaking technology. For more information please visit .
Westwood One, Inc.

DOLLAR(R) Returns the Favor to Travel Agents With a 20 Percent Discount

TULSA, Okla., July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Dollar Rent A Car, a subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. , is giving travel agents a special perk as a thank-you for their business — a 20 percent discount on their next car rental.
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The discount — available at all Dollar Rent A Car locations in the U.S. and Canada — is for travel agents in the U.S. and Canada with an official IATAN or IATA card. To receive this non-commissionable discount, agents should print out the “20% discount” coupon available at . In order to receive the discount, simply make your reservation and bring the coupon along with a valid IATAN or IATA card to the car rental counter and the discount will be applied.
“Travel agents are great at taking care of their own customer’s needs, but DOLLAR thought it was high time they got some of that special attention for themselves,” said Greg Billingsley, Director, Consortia Development and travel Industry Sales. “Dollar Rent A Car is grateful for the hard work travel agents do on behalf of their clients. We hope they’ll take the opportunity to save on their next car rental from DOLLAR.”
A 24-hour advance reservation is required to receive the discount. The travel agent discount applies to time and mileage only. The discount is available on all standard rates for any vehicle rental from any participating location in the U.S. and Canada. This discount is not valid in conjunction with any other discount or promotional offer. The renter must meet minimum age, driver and credit requirements. Other restrictions may apply. For more information, visit .
About Dollar Rent A Car
Dollar has more than 535 worldwide locations in 48 countries, with a significant presence in Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America, including more than 250 in the United States. Dollar serves the value-conscious traveler and is a subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc., a Fortune 1000 Company headquartered in Tulsa, Okla. For additional information, visit or .

Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc.

1.5 Million Michiganians Have July 4 Travel Plans, Says AAA

DEARBORN, Mich., June 30 /PRNewswire/ — An estimated 1.5 million Michiganians will travel during the 2008 Fourth of July holiday, according to a recent AAA survey of 8,500 U.S. residents. Of this number, 1.1 million will travel by car and 110,000 will travel by air. The number of auto travelers in the Great Lakes region, including Michigan, is down 0.8 percent from last year and the number of air travelers is down 3.3 percent.
“While the numbers of travelers are a bit off from last year’s levels, it is important to note that there are still a significant number of Michiganians who plan to travel,” said Claire Lockley, vice president travel for The Auto Club Group. “Clearly gas prices are continuing to take a toll on the traveler’s budget, but the travel industry is responding, as they have in the past, with special value priced offers, promotions and other incentives to get people traveling this holiday.”
Holiday auto travelers will find gas prices in Michigan averaging $4.18 for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline, $1.083 higher than last year at this time.
AAA’s Leisure travel Index shows some other vacation costs up from Fourth of July 2007, while others are unchanged. Nationwide, hotel rates for AAA 3 Diamond hotels are unchanged. Car rental rates are up 13 percent and airfares are up 13 percent.
For Michigan residents planning a summer vacation, the 10 most popular destinations are:
1) Niagara Falls ON
2) Chicago IL
3) Myrtle Beach SC
4) Nashville TN
5) Washington DC
6) Cleveland OH
7) Mackinaw City MI
Yellowstone National Park WY
9) Toronto ON
10) Traverse City MI

For the first time, two Michigan destinations have been ranked in the Top 10, signifying that more state residents are traveling in Michigan, staying closer to home. Tourism in Michigan is a $15-billion-a-year industry, and the state remains one of the best travel values. According to the 2008 edition of AAA’s Annual Vacation Costs Survey, the recommended travel budget for two adults traveling together in Michigan is $211.19 per day for lodging and meals — $33 less than the national average of $244 per day.
This year, the official 78-hour Independence Day holiday period begins at 6 p.m. Thursday (July 3), and ends at 11:59 p.m. Sunday (July 6).
During last year’s 30-hour July Fourth holiday period, 4 people died in 4 fatal crashes on roads across the state. Two (50 percent) of last year’s deaths were alcohol-related. Of the 4 occupants killed, only one (25 percent) was wearing his or her safety belt.
This year, Michigan law enforcement agencies will focus extra attention on unbuckled motorists to make this the safest Independence Day on record. The Auto Club advises motorists to plan ahead and allow extra time to navigate construction areas on the state’s highways.
For traffic and detour information, motorists can call 1-800-411-4823. Or, before leaving, check the AAA Michigan Web site, , for updated traffic information.
AAA Michigan