AAA Texas Expects Labor Day Travel to Increase Slightly Despite Record High Gas Prices; Top Travel Destinations for Texans

HOUSTON--Aug. 27, 2003--AAA Texas expects Labor Day travel to increase slightly despite record high gasoline prices.

In all, 2.52 million Texans plan to take a trip 50 miles or more from home this Labor Day holiday, up less than one percent from 2.50 million estimated to have traveled last year.

Of those traveling, 2.3 million are expected to drive compared to 2.26 million in 2002. About 130,000 Texans plan to go by air, up more than five percent from 123,866 from a year ago, while 126,000 will travel by train, bus or take a cruise compared to 117,688 last year.

"Gas prices are expected to rise through the end of the Labor Day weekend and then slowly go down," said Rose Rougeau, spokesperson for AAA Texas. "Refinery outages, a broken pipeline in Arizona, profit-taking by oil companies and high consumer demand have combined to push prices up," added Rougeau.

Take a look at AAA Texas current daily gas price averages as of 12:01 a.m., Aug. 2, 20037, 2003:

                                       Record Price           Year Ago
                                       ------------           --------
National                  $1.72       $1.72 (3/18/03)          $1.40
Texas                     $1.59       $1.62 (3/18/03)          $1.32
Missouri                  $1.61       $1.73 (6/21/02)          $1.31
Arkansas                  $1.61       $1.65 (3/18/03)          $1.33

Texas Cities                           Record Price
------------                           ------------
Amarillo                  $1.62       $1.68 (6/01/01)          $1.33
Austin                    $1.56       $1.58 (3/19/03)          $1.27
Beaumont                  $1.58       $1.61 (3/18/03)          $1.28
Port Arthur               $1.58       $1.61 (3/18/03)          $1.28
Corpus Christi            $1.58       $1.59 (2/20/03)          $1.28
Dallas                    $1.59       $1.67 (5/12/01)          $1.34
El Paso                   $1.62       $1.62 (8/26/03)          $1.34
Ft. Worth                 $1.58       $1.67 (5/22/01)          $1.33
Galveston                 $1.58       $1.65 (5/16/01)          $1.33
Houston                   $1.59       $1.64 (5/12/01)          $1.32
San Antonio               $1.56       $1.58 (3/18/03)          $1.27
Texarkana (TX)            $1.56       $1.64 (3/20/03)          $1.34

According to AAA Texas, these are the top five destinations for Texans traveling by automobile during the Labor Day holiday weekend:

1. Galveston (for auto & cruises)

2. San Antonio

3. Corpus Christi/South Padre Island

4. Branson, Mo.

5. Hot Springs, Ark.

The top air destinations include Orlando (Fla.), Las Vegas (Nev.) and Cancun.

AAA Texas, an affiliate of AAA National, has been serving Texans since 1902. Today, more than a million AAA Texas members benefit from the organization's roadside assistance service, insurance and financial products, travel agency, automotive pricing, buying and financing, trip planning services and traffic safety programs. Information about these products and services is available on AAA Texas' Web site at www.aaa-texas.com.