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Get Ready For "You Can't Believe How Bad Traffic Is!"

DULLES, Va.--November 19, 2001-- More than 34 million Americans(a) are planning to travel over Thanksgiving, and according to a national online poll conducted by MapQuest, more than 88% of them are traveling by car. Nearly 60% are going at least 300 miles.

In anticipation of the heavier traffic, traditionally busy travel days are taking a back seat to other days of the week, with most people departing for their destinations on Tuesday and returning home on Saturday. To help travelers avoid further traffic delays, MapQuest (www.mapquest.com or AOL Keyword: MapQuest) has conducted an online survey to pinpoint which days and times would be the best for road travel and which would be the worst.

MapQuest Thanksgiving travel findings include:

  • 78% of people are traveling out of town for the weekend.
  • 88% are traveling by car vs. 10% by plane.
  • Most people (25%) are departing on their trips on Tuesday. Wednesday between 12:00-6:00 PM will also be busy, with 19% of people departing then.
  • 24% of people will be returning home on Saturday, while 21% of people will be returning home on Sunday between 12:00-6:00 PM.
  • The best times for people to travel will be 12:00-6:00 PM on Thursday and before 9:00 AM on Sunday.
  • 57% plan to travel more than 300 miles and 30% between 100-300 miles.

``The Internet can go a long way in helping people travel safely, easily and confidently this year,'' said Dave Schafer, General Manager of MapQuest. ``Travelers are hitting the roads in record numbers over the Thanksgiving weekend and our goal at MapQuest is to provide them with helpful, up-to-date information for wherever they go and however they get there and to make their journeys as smooth as possible.''

The MapQuest Thanksgiving poll also shows:

  • 51% of people are using the Internet to research or plan their Thanksgiving or holiday trips.
  • 45% are using the Internet to access maps and directions.
  • 22% for booking travel and making reservations.
  • 21% are researching their destinations online.
  • 13% of people are checking on flight cancellations or changes and getting the latest security updates.

Throughout the holiday weekend, travelers can continuously check MapQuest for help in avoiding the heaviest travel times. In addition, accurate maps and driving directions are available 24 hours a day on the web and across various America Online brands. To make planning easier for long distance travelers, MapQuest's Road Trip Planner is a step-by-step, trip-planning assistant, offering a customized travel package of maps, directions and destination information.

MapQuest is the leading provider of online destination information and location-based services, with one in four Internet users accessing MapQuest content each month. Across the Internet, serves up more than 300 million maps and more than 40 million sets of driving directions every month.

(a) According to AAA, the number of people expected to travel 50 miles

or more this weekend.