Press Release

AAA Announces Expectation of High Thanksgiving Gas Prices

11/21/96

Higher Gas Prices To Greet Thanksgiving Travelers


ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 19 -- Motorists traveling for the
Thanksgiving holiday will find gasoline prices up 1.8 cents per gallon
from October and 15.4 cents higher than a year ago, according to AAA.

AAA's monthly Fuel Gauge Report shows the average price of self-serve
regular unleaded gasoline is $1.277 per gallon -- the highest for a
Thanksgiving holiday since 1990, when the price was $1.359 per gallon.

The average price of self-serve mid-grade unleaded is $1.355 per
gallon, .2 cent more than last month and 13.7 cents above a year ago.
Self-serve premium is $1.431, 1.7 cents higher than a month ago and
13.2 cents more than last year.

Self-serve regular unleaded is most expensive in the West at $1.366
per gallon, down 1.9 cents from last month and 11.2 cents higher than
a year ago.  It is least expensive in the Southeast at $1.204, 2.3
cents more than a month ago and 16.6 cents more than last year.

Other regional prices for self-serve are: New England, $1.293 per
gallon, up 2.2 cents in one month and 11 cents higher than last year;
Mid-Atlantic, $1.281, up 2.5 cents this month and up 16.1 cents from a
year ago; Great Lakes, $1.282, up 5.5 cents from last month and 20.2
cents higher than last year; Midwest, $1.259, up 2.3 cents this month
and up 18.1 cents from a year ago; and Southwest, $1.251, down .8
cents in one month and 14.4 cents more than last year.

The national average prices for self-serve regular unleaded gasoline
for the last six months were: October, $1.259 per gallon; September,
$1.255; August, $1.253; July, $1.274; June, $1.303; and May, $1.307.

The national average prices for self-serve regular unleaded gasoline
in November for the last five years were: 1995, $1.123 per gallon;
1994, $1.165; 1993, $1.116; 1992, $1.157 and 1991, $1.143.

AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 102 motor clubs with more than
1,000 offices providing 39 million members in the U.S. and Canada with
travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.