aaa.com Has Lowest Online Hotel Rates, Research Shows; ``...AAA Is The Absolute Lowest Rate Winner...'' - PhoCusWright Survey

ORLANDO, Fla.--Jan. 2, 20057, 2005--

(Ed's Note: A list of the study's 20 metropolitan areas follows this release.)

Hotel rates available through AAA's Web site (http://www.aaa.com) are generally lower than those of four travel Web sites, according to new, independent research.

The research, conducted by PhoCusWright Inc., and completed in December 2004, compared AAA's online rates in 20 key metropolitan areas with those of Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, and Travelocity where rates were available.

"The most salient finding is that AAA is the absolute lowest rate winner among the Web sites included in the study," said the PhoCusWright survey. "AAA offered a lower rate more often than each of its four online competitors in a side-by-side analysis where rates were available. In competitive searches, AAA offered the lower hotel rate consistently across all competitors investigated, demonstrating an overall strong AAA hotel program."

PhoCusWright Inc. is an independent research firm covering the travel, tourism and hospitality industry.

The study included lodgings rated Two Diamond, Three Diamond and Four Diamond by AAA in each of the metropolitan areas, representing a cross section of brands and a wide variety of amenities. The 20 metropolitan areas represent the top destination cities for AAA members and travelers. AAA members account for 35 percent of all hotel room nights booked in the United States.

"This research reconfirms what we have known all along: that AAA consistently offers the best rate and value to travelers," said Jeff Zimmerman, director, AAA Travel Information. "We also have combined AAA's online hotel information for 32,000 AAA rated properties in the TourBook(R) guides with our hotel booking engine, making one very robust search tool."

With the AAA online TourBook, users can read descriptions of lodgings and their amenities, access Diamond Ratings and see photos of a hotel prior to making reservations. Internet TripTik(R) and AAAmaps.com, AAA's online mapping products, are interactive with the AAA online TourBook, allowing users to select a hotel based on its proximity to attractions, restaurants, airports, events, addresses or other venues.

Those who do not have access to the Internet or prefer not to use the Web for vacation planning can visit or call a AAA club office to speak with a travel professional.

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 47 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.

        Metropolitan Areas Used in "AAA Expanded Lodging Study"

Atlanta

Atlantic City, NJ

Boston

Chicago

Cleveland

Columbus, Ohio

Las Vegas

Los Angeles

New York

Niagara Falls, NY

Orange County, Calif.

Orlando, Fla.

Philadelphia

Phoenix

Pittsburgh

Sacramento, Calif.

San Diego

San Francisco

Tampa, Fla.

Washington, D.C.