Survey Reveals How Popular the Car Remains for Getaways

CHICAGO--May 5, 2004--With summer vacation just around the corner, families are ready to get on the road again, according to a survey conducted by CoolSavings, Inc. (OTCBB:CSAV), a leading online direct marketing and media company and sponsored by Thrifty Car Rental. The survey shows that the car is still the most popular way to travel during vacations. Out of all households, 80% said that they would take a vacation this year. Of those taking a vacation, 62% said that the car would be their primary mode of transportation. The survey showed that 25% will rent a car once they arrive at their final travel destination, however when looking only at air travelers, that number jumps to 55%. The high percentage of road travelers may be no surprise when you consider that 83% of families said that they plan to stay in the United States this year.

"A car offers travelers more freedom than any other mode of transportation," said Brian Carpenter, vice president of sales, marketing and advertising for Thrifty Car Rental. "Even if travelers arrive at their destination by air or rail, most still want a way to explore at their own pace and on their own schedule. Folks today are busy, and they want control over when and where they go."

Although 64% say that the predicted increase in gas prices would not affect their travel plans, 22% have decided to go a shorter distance. Of those renting a car, 53% say that the price is a key factor, compared to 31% who focus on the size of the vehicle.

"Travelers are always looking for ways to save money," said Matt Moog, CEO of CoolSavings. "Most road travelers tell us they stock up on food and supplies before they go, so that they don't have to buy when they get to their vacation destination. Many consumers are using the Internet as a valuable planning resource to do research, book travel and find coupons and discounts that they can use for the trip preparation and when they're on the road."

The survey is part of an ongoing series that CoolSavings conducts through their Web site www.coolsavings.com on consumer attitudes toward spending and saving, and how costs affect purchase behavior. Consumers visit coolsavings.com to take advantage of valuable savings and information on brand-name stores, products and services.

CoolSavings conducted the online survey between March 31, 2004 and April 14, 2004. The survey sample comprises 2,380 unique responders. The margin of error is 2.0%.

About Thrifty

Thrifty Car Rental is a subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. Together with its corporately owned locations and those of its franchise owners, the Thrifty brand operates more than 1,100 locations in 64 countries.

About CoolSavings

CoolSavings is an online direct marketing and media company that provides smarter solutions to help marketers reach their target consumers. Combining a broad distribution network, sophisticated analytics and proprietary technology with superior customer service, we enable a wide variety of advertisers to identify and engage their best customers among our nearly 11.5 million active registered households.

CoolSavings is a registered trademark of CoolSavings, Inc. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.