AAA Texas: Weekend Gas Watch; Pump Prices Continue Down for Thanksgiving Travelers

IRVING, Texas--Nov. 2, 20045, 2004--Thanksgiving travelers can expect to pay slightly lower prices than last week, according to AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch. Prices in Texas cities continued a slow downward march.

The Texas average for a gallon of regular self-serve gasoline decreased two cents to $1.827. Last year, the statewide average was $1.412 a gallon.

"While they have been slowly dropping in recent weeks, gas prices remain about 22 percent higher than last year, due to stubbornly higher crude oil prices," said Rose Rougeau, spokesperson for AAA Texas. "Despite these higher prices, AAA is forecasting a 1.6 percent increase in travel compared to last year."

The national average for regular self-serve gasoline dropped about a penny to $1.943 a gallon.

AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for automobile trips.

Average Daily Prices as of 12:01 AM, November 25, 2004:

                                                           Last Year's
      Area          Current    Change       Record Price      Price
-----------------   -------  -----------  ---------------- -----------
National             $1.943  - 3.0 cents  $2.054 (05/26/04)    $1.513
State                $1.827  - 2.6 cents  $1.927 (05/26/04)    $1.412
Austin-San Marcos    $1.814  - 2.6 cents  $1.929 (05/27/04)    $1.393
Beaumont             $1.802  - 1.2 cents  $1.903 (06/01/04)    $1.385
Corpus Christi       $1.722  - 2.7 cents  $1.925 (05/26/04)    $1.376
Dallas               $1.839  - 2.2 cents  $1.932 (05/27/04)    $1.428
Ft. Worth            $1.826  - 2.3 cents  $1.924 (05/28/04)    $1.419
Galveston-Texas City $1.817  - 2.4 cents  $1.922 (06/01/04)    $1.389
Houston              $1.818  - 2.0 cents  $1.909 (06/01/04)    $1.390
San Antonio          $1.782  - 3.1 cents  $1.952 (05/26/04)    $1.373

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, travel agency, financial products, insurance products and services, 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.